I wish I could have taken more pictures as we were
walking around the streets. The only constant reminder of where we were was
that Dan, the Maasai, was with us.
We shopped at Baboa’s and Haku Crafts in the lobby of
the Hilton Hotel. Then walked a few blocks to the City Market. The City Market
was a nightmare, I think. Nothing is marked and every price has to be negotiated.
They will not let you walk away without purchasing something, so you finally
cave in and buy something you don’t really want at a higher price than you
should have paid. Or that’s what they try to do. All I can do is keep saying, “I
have no money”, as the seller physically clings to my arm, as I practically
drag them out of their shop with me. It’s pretty intimidating and stressful.
My daughter Val was a champ, though. She was like a dog
with a bone, not letting go when she wanted something and at her price. No, she
didn’t always win, but we didn’t get ripped off either.
Then things got crazy. We were going to meet Samson in
the van at a certain location at a certain time. Loaded down with all of our purchases (which included probably 50 pounds of soapstone – it’s heavy stuff), we ended up running down the
middle of the street, between city buses, . Dan, the
Maasai, being ever the gentleman, insisted on carrying most of it, though he is
skinny as a rail.
When we finally got to the van and jumped in, as it
was moving, all of us were pretty winded and starting to sweat. Dan just
smiled. Even carrying six of our heaviest bags loping down the street
behind us, his heart rate was probably less than 60. Those Maasai!
Some of the soapstone.
Some of the paintings and batiks.
All such cool stuff.
1 comment:
The Grand Bazaar & The Spice Market in Istanbul is the same.
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