We didn't end up leaving Langa until 10:30 am on Saturday which was my
fault, but luckily my friends were kind enough to wait for me so I didn't have
to travel alone. Since there were fourteen of us we were able to get an entire
minibus to ourselves for 140R (10R each). Our driver had a little trouble
finding the market, but we eventually made it there thanks to some quick
thinking by Liora who got the attention of a pedestrian and a traffic cop so we
could get directions. After arriving at the market and paying the driver, I
realized that a plausible reason as to why he didn't know the market’s location
was because the patrons were white tourists and middle to upper-middle class
locals. This was clear from both the appearance of the patrons themselves and
the prices of the goods for sale. Even though it wasn't exactly what I had
expected, I still had a lot of fun exploring!
The market consisted of a large tented-area to the right of the entrance
that held food and beverage vendors. These vendors offered literally every type
of food you can imagine and everything looked delicious! And every vendor had
free samples! Note to self: don’t
eat breakfast right before coming to the market next time. Even though I was
full, it was really hot so I treated myself to two natural fruit pops:
watermelon + mint and mango. Both were really good and hit the spot, but I
liked the watermelon + mint the best. After exploring the food tent, Allie and
I headed toward the other end of the market to see what else we could find.
Some vendors had their goods displayed in open stalls while other businesses
had their own shops. While wandering along the second story of one of the shop
buildings Allie, Emily, Liora, and I stumbled upon a store filled scarves for
99 or 129R – a bargain! All of the scarves were beautiful and I wanted all of
them, but I managed to pick out one. Emily, Allie, and Liora did the same, plus
Emily found a really cool bracelet. I’m definitely going to have to go back to
buy another scarf (or two or three) before I leave!
After wandering around the market for a couple of hours, Allie and I
split off from the rest of the group to head to town. There was a cab waiting
right at the entrance to the market so we jumped in and headed to the train
station because to explore the outdoor market across the street from the station’s
entrance. This other market was the polar opposite of Old Biscuit Mill. Almost
all the vendors and patrons were black and the goods were much different,
though certainly more affordable. Allie and I wandered around for a bit but couldn't find a bag in Allie’s price range, so we decided to head back to
Langa. On the way to the mini bus station, we decided on a whim to get out of
the heat and go inside an underground mall. We ended up wandering into a
clothing store which had really cute, reasonably priced clothing. Allie and I
both found dresses we liked and decided to try them on in the changing room.
There were two employees managing the area and they told us to grab any of the
stalls. Allie and I both fell in love with our dresses (I might never take mine
off again; it’s so comfy and cute!) and decided to purchase them. As we were
leaving the changing area, the one of the employees turned to us and said,
“Goodbye! We love America!” Allie was quicker than I and responded, “Thanks! We
love South Africa!” It was quite a comical situation, made even more hysterical
by the fact that Allie and I found a pair of toddler-sized shorts with the USA
flag painted on the front while we were waiting in line. I guess Jet and its employees really do love
America!
Satisfied with our purchases, Allie and I headed to the mini bus station
and got a ride back to Langa. We didn't know where our taxi was so we asked a
woman near the front of the station. This again put us in another comical
situation as the woman began shouting, “They’re going to Langa! They’re going
to Langa! Where’s the Langa bus!” Us two white girls always cause a scene
wherever we go. Luckily a very nice woman was headed in the same direction as
our bus so she walked us to where we needed to go. She asked us where we were
from and told us that she works for a cruise line so she’s been to Miami before.
It’s funny how many people I've met since arriving in SA who have been to the US,
though no one knows where Vermont is (I’m not surprised – there are people in
New England who don’t even know where VT is…). We thanked the woman for her
help and climbed into a waiting taxi that was already pretty full. I’m obsessed
with mini buses. They’re really cheap and loud and packed full of people. I've always loved people-watching and mini buses always provide me with an
interesting crowd to observe. Also the drivers blast American music. Today’s drive
played some Sean Kingston and Soulja Boi. Once we arrived in Langa, Allie and I
got off at her street and her mama was nice enough to give me a ride home since
I’m not allowed to walk around the township by myself for safety reasons.
All in all it was a great Saturday full of friends, good food, and exploring!
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| the food tent |
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| Waiting for Allie's wrap |
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| Allie and I at the Old Biscuit Mill Market |
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