To Market, To Market

Although it is not to buy a fat pig. Pigs are very few and far between here but the market does offer a wide variety of other things.

Getting groceries is entirely different than from the US. I enjoy it and know when I have some language, I will look forward to it. Although, it is challenging to think through what I need for the week and it is time consuming. Cheryl, our Aussie teammate, has graciously shown me how to navigate food purchasing in Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar and Injibara.

There are some stores like this in Bahir Dar, more "supermarkets" in Addis. If you find something you like, buy it, because it probably won't be there next time. 

(Photo credit for most of these photos is thanks to our new Aussie friend, Jody. If you are reading, thanks a bunch for sharing your talent!)

In the above photo, I had just found butter in the freezer and grabbed all the packets. We were told it was limit one per customer, so three of us went through the line separately.

Here are a few pictures of the market in Bahir Dar (A city 1 1/2 hours North of us).  It is a larger market and has more items available for purchase. It is crazy though, there are certain things that I still have to buy in Addis Ababa, like sugar, butter, good rice, powdered milk, etc. Certain produce that is more locally grown is in Bahir Dar and sometimes, produce that doesn't sell in Addis is at the Bahir Dar market.

We take our own plastic bags to market and it all goes into one big "market" bag.

Produce in general is cheaper than in the midwest. Although most other things are more costly.

The streets are wider in the Bahir Dar market, but many parts are very muddy (not pictured).

The markets are full of people and wares, so much that at times, people are so tight around you, you have to be very determined to move forward.

Our local market in Injibara is different. It I go on Tuesday or Saturday, there is more available (like eggs) but thousands more people. This is not an exaggeration. Body against body.

Here are pictures from an quiet day at the market. 

The vendors group in sections, for example, all the carrot vendors group together, and there are vendors for live livestock, homemade alcohol, and many other things.

I am still not used to seeing people carrying goats and sheep over their shoulders, live chickens in their hands, ready to be made into some stew.

Cheryl teaches me how to buy onions.

I have done it by myself. It takes a big smile, big prayer and an adventurous spirit and then it is a blast.

Leaving the market. Now picture it body-to-body. 

And then it is off to buy bread (Not sold at the market)

Fresh bread.

Another small souk (store) down from the bread shop.

And then, surprise of all surprises, I just found a drive thru in Ethiopia. There is a banana street (with the occasional oranges) and the vendors are mostly young men and they swarm the vehicle (in a very non-threatening way).

There you have it. How we get our groceries. Don't take your Kroger for granted. Although my market days are much more interesting and colorful than ever before. :) 

I haven't figured out a good way to take The Littles yet, probably something they won't experience for awhile.