Notes from the market w/photos

This one'll be a quickie.

Just in case we aren't able to check in for the next few days, here's what we'll be up to: We're driving to a game park today (wish us luck driving on the left-hand side of the road) and we'll go on a safari tonight and another in the morning. Tomorrow afternoon we're going to go goof around at the beach at Mossel Bay on the Indian Ocean and then drive north to Outsdhoorn, where we'll spend the night and then go cave diving the next day. After that, we'll be driving home through wine country. We should get back to The Backpack on Wednesday or Thursday night.

Just a couple notes from yesterday: We woke up early and headed over to the market to buy presents. Here are some tips about these kinds of markets I'd like to offer:

1) Take a variety of change. A common scam: Say you agree on a price of $80 and give the vendor $100. Sometimes they will say they have no change and try to screw you. Avoid this by having exact change handy.
2) Throw a couple newspapers in your bags when you're packing. That way, if you buy something fragile, you can wrap it up so that it stays safe on the way hom.
3) You are going to see the same crap a million times over, so you don't need to start buying stuff up like a maniac straight out of the gate. Get a feel for what they're charging for stuff so you know what to bargain for.
4) If you engage a vendor in a bargaining battle and agree on a price, you should complete the sale. It's really rude to just walk away at the point, so unless you plan to buy, don't start a full-scale bargaining episdoe.

After the market, we came home, assessed our wares and then walked down to long street and split a pitcher of "The Green One" (lemondade, vodka and apple schnaps) and watched people walk by on the sidewalk. A beautiful lazy afternoon. There was a really good DJ playing a lot of Marley and the like and a hilarious picture of two mating rats casting a shadow on the wall entitled, "Two dirty fucking rats." Afterwards, we walked across the street to a little Mexican hole in the wall and had some DEE-lish food. Then, we came home and relaxed.

LOVE YOU!!!

Vocab:

traffic light = robot
gas station = garage or petrol station
gas = petrol (which, by the way costs about the same here)