My 1st Market experience

Last Thursday was Ascension Day, a Beninese holiday so we got the day off.   1st priority: Go to market.  I'd heard so much about Ganhi market, one of the largest outdoor food markets in Cotonou. Another one of my new favorite people (yes, there are a number of them), Sveta offered to accompany me there.

Here Sveta (short for Svetlana) is  at the entrance. If she didn't tell me that was the entrance to the market I would have never guessed. No sign, not fanfare, just a gate. As soon as we walked in we saw rows of caged chickens.  Sorry, vegetarian friends.  We had pretty short shopping list so it was more of an exploratory trip.  Sveta was a fabulous person to take my 1st market trip with. She's originally from Eastern Europe but has lived in Benin for over 14 years!  It is truly remarkable all of the varieties of fruits and veggies that are here

Bought eggs from chickens laid by chickens not much unlike these

Selecting Sveta's cucumbers

I took a close-up, they looked so scrumptios.
 And I don't even like cucumbers.

Produce = happy

Another pop quiz (Diann, try again:): Guess all of the fruits in this photo on the left and win big hairy bragging rights:)

This vendor was bagging up hibiscus leaves for Sveta.  It makes a delicious hibiscus lemonade she suggested.

The least appealing part of the market was the meat section.  By the time we got to that area, the heat of the day has already settled in so it was hot, balmy and there was the aroma of meat hanging in the air.  I didn't even have my wits about me to snap a photo.  I was too busy processing it and deciding how much longer I could stand to stay there.  I'm not as resilient as I thought I was. Neither of us bought meat.  But I did buy string for tying plants in my garden, eggs with some feathers still on them, and a green pepper.  I am still working on using my veggies from Tuesday's basket so my food needs were few.

On the way back from the market we drove through a few other commercial neighborhoods. It is common at stoplights for vendors to sell just about anything imaginable to waiting cars.  This gentleman is selling tablecloths, I think.  I'm thinking about doing another post "Things you never thought could be sold at a stoplight." The vendors' creativity is endless. 

Driving down the market street.