Scottie and I have visited the Massai market quite a few times since we've been in Africa. Initially, the market was completely overwhelming. The aisles are narrow and each of the 100+ vendors harasses you by saying, "Welcome sister," "free looking," "come inside," and by sometimes physically guiding you into their shops. Typically, the vendors more or less have the same things for sale so you are inclined to pick and choose which ones to go into, but often you feel guilty for passing them up.
Here is how a typical purchase will go:
Me: "How much is this?" (holding item that cannot cost more than $3 at home)
Vendor: "15,000 Tanzanian Shillings (tsh)"
Me: "I will give you 5,000."
Vendor: "5,000?! For this? Dada (sister), this is real bone!"
Me: "I will give you 5,000."
Vendor: "No, no dada. You have to come up. 5,000, I make no profit. You come up."
Me: "Okay, how about 6,000?"
Vendor: "I can maybe do it for 12,000.
Me: "That's too much. 6,000."
Vendor: "Maybe you do it for 11,000."
Me: "Hapana (no). I don't need it then." Starts to walk away
Vendor: "Dada, dada...Okay, I do it for 9,000. This is fair price."
Me: "I'll give you 7,000."
Vendor: "You have to come up!"
Me: "I already came up from 5,000.
Vendor: "Okay, 10,000."
Me: "You went up, not down!:
Vendor: (laughing) "Pole (pronounced pole-ay; means "sorry"). 8,000."
Me. "Okay. 8,000." Hands them a 10,000. "You have change?"
Vendor: "I keep the 2,000 and buy coke?"
Me: "No. I get the change. Asante sana (thank you).
Exhausting, right? This is the way it goes for every item. It takes forever. And of course, there are the inevitable variations...
Sometimes, seeing that you are a mzungu (white person), they will quote you way more than the item is worth. For example, once, a man quoted a shirt being 65,000 shillings, when I knew volunteers who had bought them for 10,000. When someone quotes a price that high, I usually just walk away. They're not worth even beginning the bargaining process with, and it's their loss for assuming I'm just a tourist.
The other funny part is that we get so worked up about paying 1,000 or 2,000 too much for something here, because we don't like feeling like we're being taken advantage of simply because we're white. But really, 1,000-2,000 tsh is less than $2.00 at home, and we are typically already getting items for so much less money than we'd pay for them at home. I think it's more the principle of the matter, but I know it will be a big change to go home and see the big price tags on things and not be able to pay a fraction of the price.
The other day, I took advantage of our private dala ride home from the Snake Park, and took pictures of town out the window as we were driving. The pictures aren't great, but it was one of my only chances to get some shots that give everyone a better idea of what Arusha looks like. Here are some of my favorites. You can see more on facebook.
A woman shucking and selling corn on the side of the road.
I honestly can't imagine how incredibly heavy that bag is on her neck.
Street markets outside of town.
Women selling fruit and vegetables on the side of the road.
A woman walking with her baby on her back.
The seasons in Tanzania are starting to change, and we are now getting a taste of what rainy season will be like in April, when it's in full swing. The temperature has cooled a bit with the increase of rain, and we've had a number of extremely heavy thunderstorms in the last few weeks. Hopefully, the roads will remain walkable and the sun warm enough to dry our clothes on the line; other than that, we'll take some relief from the extreme heat!
Missing you all,
Laura and Scottie
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