When my son and I were in Nairobi, Kenya, it was suggested that we might like to visit the local city market, which was within easy walking distance of our hotel. After receiving directions we took off and had no difficulty finding it.
There were hundreds of small stalls within a huge fenced area. The aisles/paths between the rows of stalls were about three feet wide and the whole area was mobbed with people.
Moving about was a slow process. The closeness and numbers of people made it stifling hot inside and the aroma can be best described as the worst case of BO you have ever experienced and then multiplied fifty times. It was overwhelming.
Prices started very high and then one was expected to play the barter game; a game I do not enjoy. So after seeing what it was all about and getting a good taste of the crafts available I said to my son, “There are too many people smoking here for me. Besides the odor, I see this as a real fire trap if anything should catch fire. Have you seen any exit other than the entrance where we came in?”
Agreeing, he answered, “I’ve seen enough. I’m ready to go anytime.”
So we left. When we got outside the fence where we could breath again my son checked his backpack which was pretty well loaded with camera gear.
He groaned, “Son of a gun, someone cut my pack. That’s a razor cut. Nice and clean. You know I was pretty uncomfortable in there so I just kept moving about and that is probably what saved me. If I’d been still for a minute they would have gotten this expensive lens.”
I expressed my concern and then told him, “I think we can sew and repair that slit in your pack. The important thing is they didn’t take anything. You were smart to keep moving.”
I know there are many people out there who love this kind of experience; it’s just not for me. My son had worked hard to buy his camera equipment and we were to go on safari the following day. He was lucky to still have what he needed to take the wonderful pictures documenting a fabulous trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment