The girls and I have wanted to purchase some fabric to have a couple dresses made for each of us. Stacy said the best place to find nice fabric was at market, so we asked Stacy and Auntie Lucy (who goes there every two weeks to purchase all our food supplies) to go along and lead us in the right direction. It was quite an experience!
First, we had to find a way there as Johnbull needed the car. With 6 of us, there was no room in a taxi for all of us. Auntie Lucy negotiated with a tro-tro (similar to a van/small bus) driver, he agreed to take us, wait for us and take us back home for 50 cedis (around $25 U.S. money). It's about a 15 mile trip from Afieyna (where we rented the tro-tro) to the market in Tema.The traffic is congested enough in that area to give me nightmares and takes about 25 minutes to make the trip. Imagine taxis, tro-tros, and personal cars honking, darting in and out of traffic, trying to avoid pedestrians and trying to park. Small roadside/vendor stands (not much more than wooden shacks, really) line the roads once you hit the market area.
Once we parked, we were off and running. Auntie Lucy is quick, knowing the exact area of the market to find the fabric vendors. We weaved our way through the outer edge of the market area, around people carrying containers on top of their heads, men moving 100 lb. bags of rice with wheel barrows, and other shoppers. The booths are compact, about a 6 ft. square area, and there is no space between them. Vendors call out, asking you to come see what they have in their booth. Some of the smells that fill the air around you: fresh cut meats (hanging out in the open) - everything from cow legs to intestines, fish- whole, dried fish everywhere, fresh fruits - oranges, pineapple, avocado, watermelon, body odor - it's hot and there are so many people in such a small area. There were many other smells that I couldn't identify because they blend together to make a smell that is unique to market. To say that we stood out would be an understatement! I think we drew more looks there than we have in awhile.
The fabrics, though....booth after booth of beautiful, colorful fabrics!! Linens, cottons, lace...you name it, they had it! It didn't take long for us to find fabrics that we wanted. The vendors were so helpful and I was so glad to have Auntie Lucy along to give us advice on prices and help with any other questions we had. Kassidy was not fond of market, as she was so worried that we would lose each other in the crowd. I have to say it wasn't a place I would enjoy going on a regular basis. It made me so thankful for Auntie Lucy, for the job she does, not only cooking for the children's homes, but for the job of going to market and getting all of our needed supplies! The experience stretched me out of my comfort zone, but I'm glad for a chance to get to experience more of the culture we live in, with the safety net of Auntie Lucy, of course!
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