Markets

The Markets

Yesterday Jayne and I went to investigate the local hospital. I was very pleasantly surprised as it was very clean and welcoming. Appointments are unheard of which is a real bonus and we saw a doctor straight away who said there would not be a problem registering there. Unfortunately there is not an ambulance service here so all the more reason to be very careful crossing the road!

Inspired by the success of this meeting we decided to move on to the markets. Getting a tuc-tuc or taxi was problematic until a very kind girl told us to shout ‘oga’ which is market. After a fairly uneventful journey we arrived at the Emir’s Palace market and went in the materials market. This was fairly calm and full of women. The choices were amazing-so many beautiful patterns and colours. Eventually I chose two lots. You get either 6 yards or 10 and prices are from 1000n-about £4. There is some beautiful lacy material which I am thinking would be lovely for my outfit for Katie’s wedding which is 5000N. I also bought a head scarf for days when I can’t use my straighteners!

So then we got a taxi to the food market. Even though it was full we soon stopped to allow more people to enter. I found myself sitting on the gear stick but that wasn’t enough I was told to move up and ended up on the hand brake! Suddenly there was a crunching sound. The driver got out and a ferocious argument began. Just as Jayne and I were getting out with the aim of legging it somewhere the driver reappeared and we were told to get back in. It seems he had driven over some metal object off another driver’s car.

So we enter the market. Indescribable scenes of chaos greeted me. Cars and bikes, elderly people in wheelbarrows fighting for space down narrow paths. Hawkers and beggars, diesel fumes from generators, not to mention fires and smoke from burning tyres! People chopping large junks of meat surrounded by flies, whole cow heads on the ground..... There was even a little monkey on a chain. Determined, we entered and bought ‘greens’, apples and tomatoes. Exhausted by the heat and the fumes we got a taxi back. This taxi had been completely stripped off all padding and it was interesting to see what the door was made of! Again there was an argument-about change this time but we were now seasoned travellers so just waited!

Finally got the mobile modem to work! After an argument with the person in the shop who wanted me to remove my Norton Anti-virus and said he couldn’t give me my money back until he had found someone else to buy the modem off me!

Thank you to everyone who is reading this. Special thanks to those who contacted Lucy about Adam. I am pleased to say he is much better now.

It is absolutely boiling here! I am off to visit schools tomorrow and am going unaccompanied for the first time which is an adventure. I am also flying to Abuja on Thursday for a meeting so may get my helmet so I can ride the okadas here which are cheaper than the taxis.

This photo was taken from the taxi as I have been told people don't like having photos taken-wish I had risked it now. Stalls of skin and heads were something else!