This Monday marks one month since we arrived in the Philippines. The last four weeks have flown by, but we’ve really only just begun exploring our new city. We finally decided to brave venturing out for a little through the streets of Makati. One of the main reasons we didn’t do this sooner is that we don’t live in the most stroller-friendly parts of Manila. In the U.S., we kind of take it for granted the accessible sidewalks and buildings. At least from a stroller perspective, it’s pretty easy to get around wherever there are decent sidewalks.

There are plenty of sidewalks where we currently live, but to cross many of the main roads requires taking an escalator or stairs down to a tunnel under or bridge over the road. That’s not really an option with our beast of a double-stroller. There are a few places to cross at street-level, but it’s almost necessary to have a crossing guard—or at least a second person to help. This morning we had both, so off we went to explore.

In my research about the area, I discovered a Saturday farmer’s market less than two kilometers from our building. The Salcedo Farmer’s Market was established in 2005 and runs every Saturday at the Jaime C. Velasquez Park rain or shine. The cute little park has lots of shade (necessary in the Philippine heat) and a great playground—making it a fun venture for the entire family!

The market runs from 7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. We got there by about 8:30 in an effort to beat the heat, but all of us were still drenched in sweat and had bright pink cheeks by the time we left.

I love local markets. Food is one of the best ways to learn about a culture and some of the best foods can be found at a farmer’s market. There were many booths selling traditional Filipino foods, as well as stalls featuring products from other Asian countries.

The produce was all fresh and beautiful. The desserts were mouthwatering. The flowers were gorgeous and the regional snacks all begged to be tried. Unfortunately, we ate before we left, so we did more looking than trying, but I’m excited to go back with an empty stomach. Still, we walked away with some locally roasted coffee (we even met the coffee roaster), Japanese pancakes, fresh buko (coconut) water and a selection of local fruits and vegetables.

We also snacked on some delicious popsicles. Matt had mango, Baby Girl went with strawberry yogurt and I got milky green tea. I forgot to take a picture of those because we were too busy eating them.

On our way to and from the market, we strolled through another pretty park called Ayala Triangle Gardens. The shaded, grassy areas begged us to spread a blanket and have a picnic, but that’ll have to wait for a cooler day or at least until we acclimate to the heat a bit.

Tomorrow we’re going to explore Bonifacio Global City. It’s one of the places we’re considering moving once we get our residency visas. It’s frustrating to still be in limbo, but at least we have the time to check out various neighborhoods and decide where we want to be long-term.

In book news, I’m running a giveaway on Goodreads. If you haven’t picked up your own copy yet, enter below for a chance to win the Kindle version.

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