off to market...
on Tara's Ethiopian Adventure (Ethiopia), 24/May/2010 11:55, 34 days ago
On Saturday’s I often go to Market. Ambo Market is about 1 mile from my house and involves going up and down a hill so it always feels like I’ve really done something with the day when I go. The local shops near my house sell most vegetables (tomatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, kale, spinach, beetroot, and potatoes) but none of them ever have pumpkin. Because our diet isn’t very varied, pumpkin is a really lovely treat and worth the trek up the hill for.I love the hustle and bustle of the market and if I go on a Saturday I often bump into my colleagues stocking up for the week too. The market is huge and is divided into lots of section. On the left as you come up the hill are all the pots and pans and plastic tubs. As you reach the market proper the herbs and spices can be found to the far left along with a small selection of the main vegetables. Just past the spices are reams of white cloth, scarves and shawls used by both men and women when they go to church.Normally when I go to market I head straight for the right hand side. I pass the live chickens and goats and move on towards the vegetables. I have learnt that pumpkin is only sold in the area behind the main vegetable stalls, on the right hand side, so that is my first point of call. Today I was really struggling finding any pumpkin (or Duba as it is called here). None of my usual pumpkin ladies were around and I thought I was out of luck until I saw a lady sitting with one huge pumpkin. Normally, I am able to buy just a small slice or two of pumpkin but this lady was determined it was all or nothing. Not knowing what I could possibly do with all that pumpkin but determined not to go away empty handed I almost agreed to it until I tried lifting it. I thought I was reasonably strong but there was no way I was going to be able to take that home without a donkey! Luckily a kind lady saw my dilemma and pointed me towards some pumpkin slices hidden away under some cloth nearby.   Despite the fact that I can get most of the rest of the vegetables locally, once I’m at market I always get tempted by the piles of fresh veg everywhere. It is amazing how quickly a kilo of this and a half kilo of that add up and I soon find myself weighed down for the walk home. Shopping at the market certainly provides a good workout.