Photography And Half-Thoughts By Mitchell Hegman

...because some of it is pretty and some of it is not.

Thursday, May 23, 2024

The Dumaguete Public Market

In my visits to China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, some of my favorite ventures have been those to the wet markets. These markets are a wondrous splash of colors, strange fruits, twisted vegetables, and exotic fish and creatures from the sea.

Wet markets are not for the squeamish. The aroma is often a forced marriage between fish and earthy produce. Visually, the fish and meat sections may be a bit overwhelming for those of us who are queasy at heart. You’ll likely see more than one entire critter undone and dismembered from one of its ends to the other.

Yesterday, we stopped at the Dumaguete Public Market to pick up squid and fresh fruit. Many of the fruits here are new to me and taste remarkably good. I appreciate that everything at the market is fresh daily. The fruit tastes brighter and the fish richer. Fortunately for me, I love eating fruit daily, and I like fish.

In my way of thinking, the offering is a plethora of good stuff daily, and I would happily go to the market every day of my life. It is a far better adventure than dodging shopping carts in a box store.

A Colorful Display of Fish

A Vendor Holding Her Squid

Fruit on Display

Desiree Buying Fresh Fruit

Mangosteen Fruit

—Mitchell Hegman


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