A brief description of the Bamako Market
Written from Bamako, Mali on November 9, 2007:
All commerce takes place at one time and in one place in Bamako. Check out the Grande Marche de Mali. Anything you can imagine is bought and sold right here. Get ready, as it’s not always pleasant.
A person skinning a freshly killed crocodile started out my day. Right next to this lovely booth was an impromptu pharmacy where you can buy anything in 1’s. For example: all Tylenol bottles have been opened and dumped into a kind of clear pasta container. If you have a headache you can purchase only one new or antique Tylenol pill. Next to that stall was a man choosing fabric for his next grouping of lovely adorned clothing, while next door a chicken was having his neck wrung. NO worries, though, as this is kind of standard for the market.
Next to those booths was the beauty parlor where I found numerous women intently braiding one another’s hair. This was not a friendly gathering but a very professional atmosphere…next to them was a person selling mattresses that have crazy patterns on them and a man accosting me to buy a sack that said Paris on it that I didn’t need.
There is so much life and color in this market. Its insanely busy, crowded and everyone invades your personal space. Don’t go if you are claustrophobic or have smell issues! Just when I thought an aisle couldn’t hold one more person, a motorcycle would roar up and somehow makes its way through a crowd that one couldn’t navigate on foot.
It is a similar experience at the weekly market in Patandi Village, Tanzania. People walk for miles from surrounding villages to sell their fresh produce, clothing, fabric, underwear, etc… I would recommend checking out the market to those visiting nearby Arusha who want a taste of village life…away from the normal tourist attractions.
Comment by april-dawn — April 13, 2008 @ 11:43 am