This little piggy went to the market.

Most of the time, I purchase my weekly groceries in the "normal" setting that I grew to know and love in the USA: the supermarket. Although this familiar environment is somewhat different here in Colombia (i.e.: there are women who represent specific products around every corner, and I often wish they'd leave me alone!), I still enjoy the feeling of pushing my cart around, selecting what I want to eat for the next several days, and purchasing my goods in the orderly lines at the cash registers in the front of the store. It feels just like home.

HOWEVER, once in a great while, I venture to another much more exciting and chaotic setting to acquire my food: the markets, otherwise known as the "galerías." This has proved to be a much cheaper, yet much more over-stimulating, environment to acquire my items of essential nourishment. I think it is certainly something to be experienced by everyone... yet it's not something I can handle experiencing on a weekly basis!! Please let me take you on this virtual tour through Cali's galerías. :)

The galerías themselves technically consist of an indoor maze of stands selling anything imaginable, yet the cost of renting a stall causes many vendors to create their own spots outside the actual galerías. The streets are full of people selling all sorts of meats, fruits, vegetables, loofahs, cleaning supplies, and used clothing. From kilometers away, one can see the hoards of people and smell... well, the scent that you might imagine a place with so many people and food products together would have. People carrying large bags on their shoulders or heads dash in and out of traffic as they make their way home, content after a productive day of shopping.

Once one enters into the labyrinth, one is greeted by all sorts of yelling. I am usually greeted by people yelling, "Mona! Mona!"-- which is the term Colombians use for lighter-haired or lighter-skinned females. "Mona, look at what I have for you! Mona, come see my beautiful fruits! Mona, mona, mona...!" People promote their products by shouting about what a great deal they are and repeating their prices over and over and over again. Children (like the little girl in the center of the next photo) are particularly good at this. One must push through all of the people to get to what one wants. Personal space does not exist. (Some, however, do not seem to be bothered by the hustle and bustle that surrounds them. I took the following picture of this small boy who had climbed into one of the food bins and was happily playing by himself within it. I liked the image because he looked like he was for sale =) ).There are sooooo many types of tropical fruits on display throughout the market, like the plantain-- which is a staple food of the diet here.There are also many types of caged animals for sale-- including chickens, ducks, goats, etc. One can buy a live animal for 5,000 pesos (about $3USD), and then, right next door,.................. ..............one can get his/her new animal killed, plucked, and roasted in a fire (to seal the pores) for only 1,ooo pesos (about $0.60USD)!! Such convenience.
I always attempt to try at least one new product. Last week's selection was this tasty fruit called the "chirimoya."

Thus, the galerías have provided me with much excitement, fun and cheap purchases, and interesting observations-- although this "mona" usually requires a bit of recovery time after each galerías experience. =)