Moonin' in the South Pacific: Last day at the Market

On Monday I made my last trip to the Oba market. Much to the dismay of the vendors I regularly visit, I went without the kids. I picked up just a few things to get us through the last days of our stay- one pound each of mixed shelled nuts and dried apricots/figs for the travel home, one head of lettuce, a handful of cukes/carrots, two pounds each of mandarin oranges and strawberries, and a loaf of bread. In all I spent about $20.

I took our camera this time and tried to capture a few of the people that make the market so very special to me. It's hard to convey through pictures (especially a novice like me) but imagine a market where a very diverse community comes together, the farmer, the businessman, the expat, children, families, everyone, to sell and buy their weekly produce. The variety is incredible- vegetables, fruits, herbs, fungi, nuts, candies, oils, cheeses, eggs, teas and spices - not to mention all the non food items (there is a guy there that sells nothing but vacuum cleaner bags every week). The smells are amazing- spices are in the air, nuts are roasting, corn is steaming, and tea is brewing. It's buzzing. It is the thing I will miss the most about Turkey.

So colorful

Of course I don't know what lies beneath this bustling surface. I don't know if the farmers and other vendors efforts result in a living wage or if their workers are treated fairly. And I know nothing about their farming techniques. Nonetheless I love the market because I feel like it has been my one window into the life of a true, traditional Turk. You know, the guy who has never traveled beyond Antalya, who prays 3 times a day and wears the baggy turkish pants. That guy, and his wife, they aren't hanging out at the beach, or at ruins, or at OHEP (the private school that we visit every week). That guy doesn't speak English but I know from my market visits that he is humble, loves children and family, and is a hard worker. - Kelly