Iron Market

Another outing into town! This time on a moto from the compound to the main road…motorcycle taxis—fun way to get around as long as there is no traffic…I can’t imagine being on one in town…we stayed on the dirt roads. Then 2 taptaps (they stay on one road so you go as far as you need and then catch another one—I think). It was Nadege, Espayder (spider-who works at the school), and myself.
The Iron Market is a big red building (made of iron) that houses stalls selling everything. All the tourist craft things, paintings, voodoo paraphernalia (with cats tied to their little areas), food, hair products. Out one side was the hair dressing area with dozens of women doing hair or getting their hair done. Another area with clothes…more options than a mall. And more people than you would ever think would fit. Following Espayder and flanked by Nadege so I don’t get lost we weave in and out but without having space to go in and out…the aisles are maybe a single persons width and yet no one slows down and everyone fits through. We ate ‘marinades’ which are puffy fried dough with a hot relish and ‘akra’ which is long skinny fried dough. (I liked the marinades.) Real Haitian is what they told me. Then more wandering but we didn’t really stop to look at anything…none of us were in buying moods—more for getting out. We then walked past the palace or where the palace used to be as it crumbled in the earthquake and has just recently been demolished (within the month). We bought a plate of fruit from a woman selling—mango, pineapple, avocado, papaya, melon, watermelon, orange, tangerine. I got a show as well as both Nadege and Espayder joked with the woman about the servings—it was the thinnest piece of pineapple I have ever seen! And she relented and gave us another. Then to get some ice cream (lovely!) and then home again…a hot, dusty and fun day out.

the new gate at the site of the new high school (delvery and installed)