Plaza Hulo: Pet Tiange

My alarm didn't go off as I had set it. I should be up before 5AM to
do my morning routine and be on the road before 530AM. Guess what? I
woke up past 530AM! Even my younger brother got up later than I did.
We were really running behind schedule. After a good 30 minutes
whirlwind of sorts. We were finally on the road a little bit after 6AM.

The drive to Hulo was not what I have expected. At the back of my
head, it will be a painful long drive from Alabang. But, I was proven
wrong when we reached Radial Road No.10 in less than 30 minutes. Even
the traffic there was alright, just a few big trucks and several
private vehicles including us.

We arrived Plaza Hulo at 710AM. Found a very nice parking space near
the school which is just at the back of the plaza. A few blocks away,
I can already see a huge crowd piling up. There were people selling
ornamental plants, fruits and what have you right before you reach the
plaza. Once there, I saw a swarm of people with small cages filled
with different kinds of birds, snakes, lizards, chickens and of course
dogs.

There were 4 of us, my brother, household staff, myself + my pet
maltese.

People were asking if we are selling our pet dog. They thought she was
also for sale! My staff, Gelyn said NO! in her signature high pitched
voice and hugged my pet dog very tight. We all just laughed. After
that incident, there were about 5 or more who asked if she was really
for sale.

Around 730 AM, we made our first purchase. A young brown pigeon for
P70. after that, another 2 young birds for P90 and P100 respectively.
We were done walking around and mission completed a little bit before
9am.

I learned a lot from these guys when it comes to buying pigeons. What
I would do is stand beside a possible buyer, someone who knows more
about pigeons than I do. I observe their choices in pigeons and listen
how much the seller is willing to give in. At least, I get the idea of
what a "good" bird looks like and how much its going to cost. From my
observation, P150 is already top money. I never heard of anything more
expensive than that. The usual cost is about P100 to 150. One seller
said that young birds cost more and they are a better buy because you
can still train them unlike the old birds.

My experience so far was very pleasant. The guys who sold me their
pigeons were nice and honest enough about their birds. One seller even
gave me a much lower price and picked out healthy ones for me to start
off as pets. I was obviously a newbie to them and to me, it's like
beginners luck.