I have a favorite outdoor market in New Delhi. I first had the pleasure of going there about 10 months ago with a friend of mine, another expat, from Mexico. She said she had discovered it one day while surfing around on the Internet and the reviews of it were quite good.
My driver took us that day so long ago on a bright, early spring afternoon. As he pulled up outside the entrance to the local favorite marketplace he commented to me that this place was not very safe and that a few weeks before they had actually had a bomb there. Yikes!!!!
I turned to my friend with shock on my face, "Where are you taking me!"
She just shrugged and said, "Well online they said it was great." She paused before continuing, "Oh come on, we will be fine. It is the middle of the day."
We headed out together two foreign girls on a mission to find some great deals at the local shopping hole. I will say I was not prepared for the overwhelming experiences of shopping in a local Indian market. The smells. The sights. The people. The haggling. It IS an experience like no other. Fast paced and anxious at the same time.
The overall market is a small community of uneven streets and crumbling store fronts crammed with shoppers and sales people alike all yelling and haggling and talking all at once. Clothing hangs from every stall and open space. Vibrantly fresh fruits and vegetables overflow from table tops. Women clad in beautiful brightly colored saris stash beloved treasures in cloth and poly bags. Every sales person wants us to look at their goods and to purchase something from them but every stall holds a different trinket or interesting article of clothing. We waved away and dismissed more than one irritating, demanding salesman that day as we generated way too much attention standing out as anything but locals. But we did score some amazing finds including caftans, kurtas, scarves, and lovely cheap wooden bangles (one of which I am currently wearing) for some incredibly cheap prices.
I had the pleasure of taking my sister there a few months ago. She seemed amazed as I navigated the cobblestone streets of this market that I have come to know so well with ease and brushed away frustrating sales people. I haggled for a good deal for each item she loved and exposed her to new smells, foods, and experiences through some deep immersion in the local flavors of Delhi. I think she ended up with about 20 scarves that day and a huge smile. She loved the experience. Sure there was trash laying around and the same sad street dogs but seeing the Indian people doing their normal thing at the market is lovely to see and experience.
The outdoor marketplace is so important to the whole experience of India. This is the place the locals come to catch up on gossip, purchase their groceries for family meals, and to add some more style to their look. It is expected that going to the market will not be relaxing or easy. It is exactly what it is suppose to be....dusty, noisy, and energetically fantastic!
My driver took us that day so long ago on a bright, early spring afternoon. As he pulled up outside the entrance to the local favorite marketplace he commented to me that this place was not very safe and that a few weeks before they had actually had a bomb there. Yikes!!!!
I turned to my friend with shock on my face, "Where are you taking me!"
She just shrugged and said, "Well online they said it was great." She paused before continuing, "Oh come on, we will be fine. It is the middle of the day."
We headed out together two foreign girls on a mission to find some great deals at the local shopping hole. I will say I was not prepared for the overwhelming experiences of shopping in a local Indian market. The smells. The sights. The people. The haggling. It IS an experience like no other. Fast paced and anxious at the same time.
The overall market is a small community of uneven streets and crumbling store fronts crammed with shoppers and sales people alike all yelling and haggling and talking all at once. Clothing hangs from every stall and open space. Vibrantly fresh fruits and vegetables overflow from table tops. Women clad in beautiful brightly colored saris stash beloved treasures in cloth and poly bags. Every sales person wants us to look at their goods and to purchase something from them but every stall holds a different trinket or interesting article of clothing. We waved away and dismissed more than one irritating, demanding salesman that day as we generated way too much attention standing out as anything but locals. But we did score some amazing finds including caftans, kurtas, scarves, and lovely cheap wooden bangles (one of which I am currently wearing) for some incredibly cheap prices.
I had the pleasure of taking my sister there a few months ago. She seemed amazed as I navigated the cobblestone streets of this market that I have come to know so well with ease and brushed away frustrating sales people. I haggled for a good deal for each item she loved and exposed her to new smells, foods, and experiences through some deep immersion in the local flavors of Delhi. I think she ended up with about 20 scarves that day and a huge smile. She loved the experience. Sure there was trash laying around and the same sad street dogs but seeing the Indian people doing their normal thing at the market is lovely to see and experience.
The outdoor marketplace is so important to the whole experience of India. This is the place the locals come to catch up on gossip, purchase their groceries for family meals, and to add some more style to their look. It is expected that going to the market will not be relaxing or easy. It is exactly what it is suppose to be....dusty, noisy, and energetically fantastic!
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