Faces of the Market
Posted on April 30, 2009 - Filed Under Guatemala | 4 Comments
I`ve been sharing some of the photos I took on a recent trip to the market and today I thought I`d show you some of my absolute favorites . . . shots of people! I LOVE taking pictures of people here, they are fascinating to me. Unfortunately, they tend to charge money to tourists taking snaps of them, so thank goodness for zoom!
Here`s a woman heading to the market. I wish I could carry stuff on my head that easily.
Here`s a family taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the market. I`m pretty sure these were the boys` grandparents, though you never can tell around here. However, it`s pretty common for people to raise their grandchildren while parents head off to the States or another country to earn more money.
Many market stalls are on the ground, just things in boxes or spread out on tarps. This young vendor didn`t seem to mind sitting on the pavement though!
Technically, you`re not allowed to walk and sell in the market, you`re supposed to pay for a spot. That doesn`t stop people like this woman, however, out to earn a few dollars with their small amount of produce! They just scurry off when the cops come through.
This family sells fruit in the market. It`s a great way to earn while keeping your children with you! Here they`re enjoying some lunch together.
Even on a busy market day, things get boring. So you do what you can to keep yourself occupied, like looking for bugs in your kid`s hair.
Yet another vendor sitting on the ground with her setup. Note the little scale there so she can accurately measure out potatoes and tomatoes . . . most vendors just use a bag of potatoes they know to weigh 1 lb and drop it in one little basket while filling another basket (attached to each other by a string and hung from a thumb) with produce.
And my personal favorite . . .
This cutie was actually selling! She showed off her produce and rattled off prices like a tiny expert. I think she must have been older than she looks . . . but she was still the tiniest vendor in the market!
Comments
4 Responses to “Faces of the Market”
Talk to Me, People!
This could be a market in Egypt! Instead of baskets on heads (although you see them too) you often see sturdy carry totes, and I love the colorful tunics. Here, many (not all) wear the drab niqabs and hijabs (cloaks and scarves). Produce bins tend to be made of palm frond sticks rather than plastic. But still, the community, family, feel of it… in addition the ones hawking wares ‘illegally’ (tolerated by most vendors, but chased off by police, esp. if they bother foreigners) … yea… seeing the piles of beautiful fresh veggies and fruits never fails to thrill me.
If the hoi poloi wear colorful clothes and beautiful patterns, what do the people who make a lot of money wear? Boring Suits? These pictures are beautiful!
Connie, I`ve often thought that your photos of markets looked remarkably like the ones here. I have to take some photos of the artisans market, most of the items, scarves, etc. are exactly the same!
Micki, yup, the rich wear North American clothes. Well, actually, so do those who aren`t indigenous. All these colorful items are strictly for the indigenous people.
Once again… Great photos!