The Street with 2 Faces

Like human beings, certain environments can also wear double identities. Would you agree?

This is not a new phenomenon because architecture and engineering have been responsible for the clever metamorphosis of spatial elements for as long as we can remember. A living room inside a home, for example, can evolve into a smart office with just a few clever twists of furniture, equipment, house decor and vice-versa in an instant.

However, we won't be dealing with those complicated systems here. On the other hand, we’ll simply focus on an urban thoroughfare that has clearly attracted my curiosity and interest.

For several decades, this major boulevard has served both locals and foreign tourists with 2 distinctive purposes.

During the day, it mainly functions as a standard highway for vehicular traffic and pedestrians. However, as the sun starts to set daily, it completely changes its primary role into a massive marketplace, providing products and services for the visiting public. Isn't that amazing?

I believe there are plenty of streets around the world that likewise mimic a similar transformation. Hence, I nicknamed these peculiar places as streets with 2 faces - which leads me to one of the most unforgettable experiences I had with these types of environments. It's no other than the Roxas Avenue in the Philippine’s largest metropolis of Davao!

For this specific episode, we'll be exploring that iconic face it displays every evening, holding a special name that has remained embedded in people’s thoughts for many generations.

A warm welcome to the Roxas Night Market!

Based on my actual observations, this thriving road bazaar was categorized into 3 sections: dry goods, street food stalls, and open area for refreshments, all combined into a single marketplace with an open-air configuration.

Let's begin with the street area selling non-edible commodities or dry merchandise. Weather-permitting, these products were openly exhibited to the public ready for purchase. Yet, you may also notice that most items here were organized inside makeshift tents or kiosks with roofs to ensure the safety and security of their products and sales activities.

Here, you'll be astonished at the staggering amount of items sold related to clothing, shoes, bags, fashion jewelry, household wares, mobile phone accessories, and more. You name it, and who knows, they might be selling it.

My eyes were wildly busy glancing left and right, seldom confusing me due the overwhelming supply of merchandise to choose from. It was an overflowing extravaganza for the senses indeed!

I eventually bought a few beautiful souvenirs to remind me of my Davao escapades. But, as I walked further through more of the fascinating number of dry goods, my stomach began to grind heavily, signaling that it was time to have dinner.

Since this night market was well organized along the entire length of Roxas Avenue, it was a breeze strolling through the succeeding sections.

I was obviously hungry so I didn't hesitate to proceed to the food stalls right away. Here, you have a humongous selection of street food to satisfy your various cravings.

Majority of the mouthwatering eatables available on sale here were barbeque meat such as chicken, pork, beef, and their internals, plus the delicious assortment of fresh seafood to choose from. On top of that, juicy varieties of exotic fruits were also available for sale.

The meat products were sold raw, and depending on your preference, they would be properly cooked while you waited on your allocated seating space.

There were also lots of refreshments sold like shakes, juices, as well as other creative drinks and beverages that I haven't tried before. They were colorfully scattered among the neighboring clusters of food stalls.

Without a doubt, I had a super food fest that evening - ordering seafood, barbeque, and rice meals to definitely solve my hunger.

Moreover, who doesn't desire to enjoy dessert, right? Not yet too full, I was ready to savor some ice cream!

Fortunately, the Roxas Night Market had a dedicated middle section offering these refreshing treats. This special open space was situated between the area for dry goods and the street food stalls, having a centralized location where customers and other visitors could stand, relax, and consume their favorite delights.

While enjoying my energizing ice cream (I ordered the Durian flavor, by the way), I also noticed the presence of other small refreshment parlors selling their yummy snacks and cool drinks with more tasty options available.

It was a truly ecstatic evening spent at the Roxas Night Market. And if you happen to be in Davao City, don't hesitate to visit this popular marketplace, one of the topmost tourist attractions in this urban center. I bet it would surely be a worthwhile experience!

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Architect | Environmentalist | Adventurer
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