Today we woke up expecting a day of leisure, but shopping at an African Craft Market is no easy task. There were many new things to see and do and we just didn’t know where to begin.
There were rows upon rows of everything you could imagine, from fruits and vegetables to jewelry carved from ebony or copper to barstools made out of bottle caps. It was certainly a circus for the eyes, something new and exciting each place you looked. And then the games begin. You would walk up to a vendor, trying to act nonchalant, definitely do not show too much interest. Then as you slowly look around and very carefully set your eyes on the item you most desire, you point and say, “How much?” These are the words every vendor longs to hear, and then the bargaining begins. We spent as long as ten minutes bargaining back and forth for the best price and the most amazing souvenir to show our friends and family on our return. As I walked back to the bus with just a small taste of Zambia in my many bags, I opened the door and sat down exhausted but satisfied with the day. We began to pull away and I looked back at the children running along behind the customers around the outskirts of the market, desperately trying to sell anything they could to help their family eat their next meal and I just thought, what a different experience they must have had at the market today.