We drove back down the mountain, and I forgot to be terrified. I was so blessed to enjoy the view and again the cool mountain air heavy with eucalyptus. It was beautiful. –from Part XIV
As the van re-entered civilization, Getachew chatted on his phone. When he was done, he told us that he thought that since we had some extra time it would be good to go to Mercado. Now I had desperately wanted to go to the Mercado, the largest open air market in Africa – what’s not to love! But I had also read that it might not be the safest place to go, and with two unfamiliar children in our care I was feeling a bit less than adventurous. I didn’t want to express my hesitancy for fear of offending Getachew or our driver, but before I even had a chance, Getachew told us that he had lined up a tour guide for us. He had a contact who would meet us and take us around, showing us whatever we wanted to see. Normally I would totally be skeptical about this sort of thing, but for whatever reason I warmed up to the idea of the adventure before us.
As we drove into the area of Mercado, I was duly impressed! Getachew was telling us, “Now this is the area for fresh fruits and vegetables. This is the area to buy electronics. This is the area for…” And there were people everywhere. Every. Where. People buying. People selling. People carrying large loads. People talking. People eating. People busy being busy and people just standing. The van moved slower and slower as we moved into the heart of Mercado. People were literally filling every bit of ground, and where there weren’t people, there were cars. And where there weren’t cars there were buildings. At one spot, we stopped. A man dressed in a tee-shirt and jeans came to our van. Getachew introduced him, and off we went. He asked us what we would like to see, and I told him that more than anything I would like to at least walk through the spice market.
And that may have been the coolest thing we did in our time in Ethiopia. I am a very visual person, and I was not disappointed. Again, there were people everywhere, and we stuck out like a few white crayons in a box of luscious brown shades. I felt terribly conspicuous, especially when I would hear the women in the stalls saying to us, “Money? Money ferenge? Money, puh-lease?” I wanted to blend in. I wanted to just experience the sights and sounds and smells and feel of it all without being the rich white foreigner. The colors were amazingly vibrant, fabrics hung to shelter the women from the sun or spread out as tablecloths. I wanted to just stand in one spot for a very long time and take it all in. But our guide kept telling us to keep moving. So we did.
Next we visited the “handicrafts” area where Handsome and I ended up bartering for and buying a few wooden animals and two necklaces. In the end we knew that we were paying too much, but it was totally worth the experience. Our guide helped us barter some; in the end, he just threw our money on the booth, told him that would be enough, and walked off with our goods. I was cracking up, though not on the outside; that would be disrespectful.
Finally we were escorted to an area where they make traditional clothing. We were seated and shown several different fabrics and dresses. We had already purchased clothing, so none of us was interested. Once we left that shop, we were literally rushed back to the van.
It was such a high, and I am so glad we went to Mercado. I would definitely like to go back; just thinking about it makes my heart race.
On our road back to the hotel, I was asking Getachew questions. I started asking him if he does his shopping at Mercado. He answered, “Yes.” I asked what it was like for him – does he have vendors that he goes to all the time? Does he know the people he buys things from? It was very interesting to hear his answers. He said that he goes to Mercado once or twice a month, depending on whether or not he has the money. He knows most of the vendors that he buys from, and yes!, he most definitely bargains with them. If he doesn’t have enough money sometimes he will give the vendor what he has and they will give him “credit” until next time or sometimes he will just give them what he has and tell them, “That is enough for you today.”
Getachew told us about his home. He lives in a two room place. I never figured out if it is a house or an apartment. I asked about the accommodations. “Is there running water?” He told me that of course they have running water; they even have a shower. It is “down the way.” Several families all use the same spigot, and there is a pipe that goes up the wall and out over their heads. That is the shower. Now let me just say here that I was stunned. This is a man who makes a good living; he is able to provide for his family. Yet when he says he has running water, he means that he and his wife share a spigot with several other families.
And as a mother, I was just thinking of all that meant. Cloth diapers? Dishes? Laundry? Bath time? Eeks!
Yet again, I found myself asking God to forgive me for ever complaining about anything. I totally respect Getachew for the way that he treats his customers. He treated us as friends and was so helpful. Yet we…we left him living in a two room home with running water “down the way.”
Before we got out of the van that day, the conversation moved back to Amharic. Getachew spent the week coaching me on what to say to our children; it was such a blessing. This day he taught me to say “Peek-a-boo” and “don’t cry” and “sit down,” all phrases we used daily!
Walking back into the hotel I was sad that the morning had to come to and end, yet the kids needed to rest…and my brain needed a break to process all I had seen, heard, and learned.
I think I have a teeny crush on Getachew. You could say he’s “GotAtMe.” Aha hahahahaha. He sounds like a very good, helpful, caring soul with natural charisma and leadership skills. I like that. These pictures were really amazing, too. I love markets – always so full of character and perfectly encapsulating all that a specific geographic area has to offer. The pulse of the land and the people who live on it. Thanks for the tour!
Wow, sounds just so amazing. Thanks for sharing this journey with us all.