Yesterday, I went with Papa downtown for the first time (finally!) to a market and several other places. We took the public bus which goes right by our house since our quartier (neighborhood) is close to a big road. As far as I can tell so far it’s a fixed price to take the bus anywhere (150 CFA, which is 30 cents), and it doesn’t even matter which bus you take since all of them go downtown, as long as you get on going the right direction. When we got off the bus the first place we went was the headquarters for the Catholic charity ministries and schools in Dakar. Papa had a meeting there since he volunteers for the Catholic Church and the sisters there. I also learned that this is where he used to work as an accountant. He is a well known there since he worked there for over 30 years, and it was fun going around meeting everyone. Also, as we were leaving this man offered to take us up on the roof so I could see Dakar. It was a gorgeous view since the building is really tall, and looks right onto La Place D'Indépendance. I was impressed by how large Dakar is, and how much of the city is surrounded by water.
After seeing where Papa worked we went to not one, but two markets in downtown Dakar. The Marché Kermel is in this open sided round building, kind of like a really big pavilion. It was mostly fish and vegetables, with some stalls selling touristy stuff outside. I didn’t buy anything at Kermel, because I didn’t really see anything that I wanted. When we got the Marché Sandaga, Kermel seemed really small by comparison. The Marché Sandaga isn’t all under the same roof, but rather it spans several square blocks where there are small boutiques along both sides of the streets. And, in between some shops there are little passageways leading to more rows of shops behind those right on the street.
We walked through a large area with food, and it seemed like we passed at least a hundred stall selling onions. I don’t know how anyone decides which stand to buy from, except maybe one day you just pick one and anyways go back there. It was much the same thing with all of the other items for sale, in that there was an entire streets of shops selling cloth purses, leather jewelry, and tourist magnets. I saw all kinds of food, electronics, make-up, perfume, hair supplies, pre-made clothes, belts, purses, shoes, hardware supplies, fabric, and even tailors right there in the market who would sew clothes for you.
The Marché Sandaga was overwhelmingly large, and I had no idea where to start. It would be very easy to get lost there, and I have no idea how people keep track of where to buy things. Merchandise seemed to be grouped somewhat by type, but not entirely. All of the vendors are trying to get you to come into their shop, and if you stop to look at anything, even just for a second, the vendor starts trying to sell you anything and everything they have. Since it was my first time to the market I decided it was easier just to keep walking and not stop anywhere, so I didn’t buy anything at Sandaga either. Sometime I want to go back to Sandaga to get some things, but I know enough to have a specific list, or I’ll spend all day there and still not get what I need.
Love,
Mel
That grouping of merchandise is kind of an Islamic society tradition, doesn't make so much sense in western marketing ideas thou:) If find the stolen cell phone lane, and the ripped off media area (which were close by in Rabat) the most colorful part of the whole experience. Haggling is intense, I never got totally used to it.
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