Market

Just outside our neighborhood, a short walk away, there is a neighborhood of shanty-houses built along side an open canal/aquaduct, under a raised freeway. (I suspect it was the shade provided by the freeway, not the rank smell, that attracted them to this location.) 


In the afternoons, after the hottest part of the day breaks into (slightly) cooler temps, a huge market springs to life here. I'm not sure where they come from, but suddenly, there are people everywhere with carts loaded down. They meticulously spread out their wares and wait for customers. 


I finally felt brave enough to pull out my not-inconspicuous camera and snap a few pictures (mostly because Brandon was nearby to come to my rescue if my picture-taking stirred up any trouble). There are all kinds of chintzy, cheap goods for sale: clothing, plastic kitchen utensils, flip-flops, jewelry, duffle bags, etc. There is also a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, beans, and spices for sale.





I was snapping a picture of a guy next to some truly enormous bags of rice, when the guy next to him caught my attention. He filled and poured his scoop 3 or 4 times before I realized he was "posing" for a picture. Haha! I guess I didn't need to be so concerned about taking pictures, after all. No one really seemed to mind. It was interesting to walk around perusing the different sellers' goods. There is a more well-known market close to where Brandon works each day that has more high quality goods (and likely sellers more accustomed to tourists and willing/ready to take advantage of the Americans). We will try to look around there some time.

For a few more pictures of the market, hop on over to Shutterfly.