The Truck Bazaar

I have moved from the land of the Grande Bazaar to the land of a plethora of bazaars!

• A pet bazaar
• A plant bazaar
• A fish bazaar
• A blue bazaar
• A gold bazaar
• And yes, a TRUCK bazaar!

We needed a large truck to pick up and move some of the furniture I've purchased for my new place. So we, (my supervisor--P1, and his wife--P2), drove over to the truck bazaar. There, on a dirt lot, were dozens of trucks, and at least double the amount of men for every truck. They were sitting on the side of the road, just waiting for someone like us to drive up. I imagined we would pull up, get out, and negotiate with the drive of the sturdiest looking truck. I imagined wrong.

After we pulled up to the side of the road, P2 locks the doors, and P1 rolls down the window. At least 20 men crowd around the car and press up against it. (It reminded me of when a riot broke out around my car in Portugal...I was waiting for them to tip the car like a cow out in the pasture!) The men on the drivers side tapped the windows and tried to get our attention, while the men on the driver's side all started trying to barter with P1 simultaneously.

Even once the truck was selected (and therefore the driver who belonged to it), there remained the issue of "laborers." P1 insisted that we only needed one laborer, but other men kept asking, "one laborer or two?" Our laborer was chosen, then cell phone numbers were exchanged, and prices set. Only recently have street names been given in this country, and many people still don't know them, so giving directions is sort of like, "The third round-a-bout after the such and such mosque." Somehow, the whole system worked, and two men (driver and laborer) arrived at the house, and the furniture back at my apartment!

P1 commented that the last time he went, two of the laborers just jumped into the backseat of his car! I guess the presence of females prevented that this time. P2 commented that it's such a testosterone experience that she could almost "feel the burly chest hairs growing!" I don't reckon I'll be going to the truck bazaar alone ever, but glad I got to experience it today. AND...I now have chairs to sit on in my apartment!