Having photo-walks with my fellow Indios is one of my passions.  Long photo-walks are my classroom, not only in terms of street photography but also to be in the swing of things about street life. It is that moment when you want to look at realities, waiting for them to unfold right before your eyes, and be careful enough not to sugar-coat them just so I can make picturesque shots of people with dirty faces.  Let's say it is not my cup of tea to romanticize poverty.  I take photos they way they appear through my lenses.

Last July 16, 2011, Flickristasindios, which I am proud to belong to, has had another successful photo-walk--Quiapo, Sta. Cruz, Binondo through Sta. Cruz, to Intramuros through the famed Jones Bridge, and the sole jeepney ride to Rajah Sulayman to wait for the Manila Bay sunset.


I am not going to discuss my photography in this photo-walk, though. While trying to complete my Quiapo documentary, which I have failed so many times to launch, because of some shots I have failed to take in the past (which, after this photo walk, I still feel my shots were inadequate, so I am going back again to shoot, soon!), I embarked on a simple documentary--street food--shooting and eating them, too!  I may not have the full range of street food sold in the streets, because it also depends on my palate.  Yes, I tasted them all--and was trying to be careful because of sanitation and health concerns.

Fried siopao of Binondo - I have tasted this in an inconspicuous store near MYX restaurant from the Indios photo-walk in January this year.  My hunger pangs then were killing me so I had to give in to a lowly siopao in one corner--and was hooked since then.  It is cheap at P15.00 and I think it is the best-tasting siopao I have eaten in my entire life!  I just drool by merely looking at this one.  This juicy and tasty siopao is to die for. One may ask, why is it fried?  The only fried part, unfortunately, is the bottom part because it is fried on the pan, apparently to bring out the juice and taste of the herb inside, which, I think, is onion leeks [?].





Sugarcane juice - I only munched sugarcane sticks in my childhood and I have seen similar juices sold in the malls, and I want to try it this time.  At first, I did not like the way how it looks--because it looked dirty, but it is just the way sugarcane juice looks.  At P15.00 a cup, not bad.  Good for the health too!




Banana - It was a long hot day and one needed to replenish lost potassium from sweating.  This banana sold at the stores near Letran College was a definitely a power booster!



Fish balls and squid balls at Aduana - Everyone dug in into this rolling fishball vendor.  The lost body salt seems made everyone craving for something salty--and spicy!   I normally do not dig in easily for fish balls.  But when I saw it is relatively "clean", I did not let this pass.





Barbecued dried squid at Roxas Boulevard/ Baywalk - I thought I was the only one craving and waiting for the barbecue vendors to pass by! Once it arrived, it was like a magnet that pulled us from our seat.






Tokneneng and Adobong mani - not even contented with the barbecue, we gorged on tokneneng (quail eggs) and adobong mani (peanuts).  Some munched on hotdog--I had to let go of that.  That is too ordinary for me.  Some ate ice cream (I am glad I have a slight lactose intolerance, or else....)





This is why I love photo-walks!