Well Elise and I had a little un-planned adventure yesterday. While Heather was home with a napping Ian, we were sent off on an errand to find a "fruit stand" and buy some fruit. As we drove through our new town....no fruit stands caught our eyes (yes Elise was looking out for them too!). So near the "end of the line"....all the way down on the other end of town, was the "Pasar" AKA open air market.
(I added this photo after writing this blog entry....it is of a different pasar here in Sentani....yes there are two! But it's the same general idea....lots of people sitting around ready to sell you things)
Back in Salatiga, there was a Pasar, but we hardly ever went because there were other, less "scary" grocery store type places to shop at. So far, I dont know really where to get fruits and veggies here besides this pasar place, or maybe a mythical fruit-stand. So Elise and I went ahead and went to the pasar!
Unfortunately I violated my "always carry the camera" rule! So there's no pictures to share (maybe another day!). But Elise and I almost thoroughly explored this new strange place. Almost immediately, we walked by the tables with fish laying on them, and beef and chicken "Elise hold your breath!!"...we would walk by somewhat quickly. People were fervently fanning the dead fish with leaves to keep the flies off. Eventually we made it to the back side of the Pasar where it seemed most of the ladies who were selling fruits and veggies were sitting. We "negotiated" a few bunches of bananas for dua puluh lima ribu rupiah (twenty five thousand Rupiah, or about two and a half dollars) (Confession...I am a horrible negotiator and feel bad doing it...and unless the price seems horribly high, Im a sucker and I just pay it!).
We found lots of people selling tropical fruit. We paid 30,000 rupiah for two pineapples (three dollars)....have we mentioned how heavenly the pineapples are here! I may have over-paid on those....especially seeing as we have about thirty growing in our yard right now! We picked up some papaya and "mangga".....is it the same thing as Mango? I should know that by now, but it's yummy! We got Elise a balloon from the balloon guy on the way out, holding our breath in a few more places. We dropped off our heavy load in the car, then went back one more time for eggs. They sell eggs in huge cartons that hold about a couple dozen eggs. What's amazing is there is no top. But they grab another carton and some string, and do some magic with that string, and turn it into a little carrying case that you can carry vertically! (Have I mentioned Indonesians can do amazing things with string?)
On the way out, I praised Elise for doing such a good job, because she really did. She just sort of took things in and never complained. And I asked her.....so Elise, what did you think of the Pasar? She smiled and crinkled her nose and said "It was STINKY!" "But did you have fun?" "Yes, I did have fun!"
(I added this photo after writing this blog entry....it is of a different pasar here in Sentani....yes there are two! But it's the same general idea....lots of people sitting around ready to sell you things)
Back in Salatiga, there was a Pasar, but we hardly ever went because there were other, less "scary" grocery store type places to shop at. So far, I dont know really where to get fruits and veggies here besides this pasar place, or maybe a mythical fruit-stand. So Elise and I went ahead and went to the pasar!
Unfortunately I violated my "always carry the camera" rule! So there's no pictures to share (maybe another day!). But Elise and I almost thoroughly explored this new strange place. Almost immediately, we walked by the tables with fish laying on them, and beef and chicken "Elise hold your breath!!"...we would walk by somewhat quickly. People were fervently fanning the dead fish with leaves to keep the flies off. Eventually we made it to the back side of the Pasar where it seemed most of the ladies who were selling fruits and veggies were sitting. We "negotiated" a few bunches of bananas for dua puluh lima ribu rupiah (twenty five thousand Rupiah, or about two and a half dollars) (Confession...I am a horrible negotiator and feel bad doing it...and unless the price seems horribly high, Im a sucker and I just pay it!).
We found lots of people selling tropical fruit. We paid 30,000 rupiah for two pineapples (three dollars)....have we mentioned how heavenly the pineapples are here! I may have over-paid on those....especially seeing as we have about thirty growing in our yard right now! We picked up some papaya and "mangga".....is it the same thing as Mango? I should know that by now, but it's yummy! We got Elise a balloon from the balloon guy on the way out, holding our breath in a few more places. We dropped off our heavy load in the car, then went back one more time for eggs. They sell eggs in huge cartons that hold about a couple dozen eggs. What's amazing is there is no top. But they grab another carton and some string, and do some magic with that string, and turn it into a little carrying case that you can carry vertically! (Have I mentioned Indonesians can do amazing things with string?)
