Fun At The Flea Market

In most any town in the Philippines, every week there is a flea market called a “Changee.”

In our town the changee is quite large and covers almost two entire blocks. Streets are blocked and traffic is detoured as vendors set up their portable booths and tables. Each is covered by a thick plastic tarp to provide shade from the ever present heat.

The vendors sell everything from insect spray and mouse traps to clothing, pots and pans, wrist watches, sun glasses, tools and most anything else one could think of.
There are even tables piled high with 2nd hand clothing from the United States! I lack the patients to rummage through these mountain size piles of clothes. But my wife often finds great deals on nice clothes for me. Most of which she ends up paying less than a dollar for each.

The items sold at the Changee are for the most part of good quality and at a much reduced price from a regular store. Prices are not posted on items and the final price one pays depends largely on your ability to wheel and deal with the vendors. However, a foreigner is almost sure to pay a higher price.
So as with most shopping in the Philippines; its best to find what you want and then ask your wife or girlfriend to go back and buy the items you wanted at the “local” price.

Because the Changee lasts for many hours and draws a lot of people, there are many street vendors offering  a wide variety of prepared foods and snacks. Everything from deep fried squid balls and hotdogs to some items I don't even know the names of or what they are made of. Plus coconut (buko juice) as well as Coke and Pepsi etc.

It's a great way to spend a morning, try a few good snacks, and go home with a few bags of low priced treasures at the same time.

So if or when you are in the Philippines, give it a try. It is well worth going and have a look around. Who knows what precious items you might find there…