Back Alley shopping

Today I had the chance to go shopping in the Choma open market, the Choma Museum, and the Batoka market (again).

The Choma market is literally a labyrinth of stalls. I mean, if Ba-Innocent did not come with me, I'd probably still be there looking for directions out. It is as back alley as you can imagine. You can find everything from foam flip flops to diesel engine parts there. I saw buckets of screws, dried fish, cell phone chargers (chagas), live turkeys, a coffee shop, candles and one liter bottles of fresh milk from . . . well some mammal.

I really went there for the Chitenge fabric. They are 2 meter cloths that are used for dresses, making other clothing, head wraps, head wraps that make carrying baskets easier, carrying small children, tablecloths, tapestries, etc. They come in nylon, nylon-cotton blends, and cotton, and are just gorgeous. If I could have bought one of each type I would have. I also managed to find a dress for Aioki, and a skirt for someone to be determined. I picked the cloths that caught my eye and I know that my sisters, mother and grandmother will be able to make some cool stuff out of them.

At the Choma Museum, I bought a few handmade wooden animals, a small purse and some baskets. I also saw an artist on the side of the road that we kept passing by and stopped to buy a painting. I bought an elephant painting because I have been given the Mudenda name, and the animal that represents them is the Elephant.

I'm sorry, but everything I bought is for someone specific, of course, but I wanted to share the beauty of what I was able to find so far!