Market Fresh!
There is always an array of colourful fruit and vegetables at the morning street market.
It’s just a simple burmese morning market – in a dirty dusty street somewhere in Mandalay. Most of the vendors are seated on the ground on woven bamboo mats. The rubbish and the dogs threaten to encroach on the wares for sale.
But, the vegetables are fresh, and the smiles are freely given.
I love exploring the markets in Asia. As tricky as they can be to navigate and photograph, they are a feast for the senses and the camera.
I just couldn’t tell you exactly where this one was!
Karl Grobl, our photographic mentor, and Mr MM, our burmese guide, had dropped us (ten enthusiasts with cameras) off the bus somewhere in the Mandalay area and sent us off to explore…
Waiting for a Sale
A vendor sits on the ground, surrounded by her beans.
Sprouting
Many of the beans and legumes are sprouting.
The Sale is Made.
At the Butcher’s
The selection is small…
Butcher’s Block
… but attention is immediate.
Fresh-Water Fish
Caught daily in the rivers nearby.
Sales Lady
A typical burmese woman: sporting thanakha, lucky flowers and a big smile.
Fresh Flowers
Young Lad
Managing a morning market is a family affair.
Let the Procession Begin!
There is some sort of Buddhist celebration going on…
Bell Gong
The noise from the flat gong is amazing loud – but the locals are used to it!
Bell Carrier
Rubbish in the River
A waterway, almost choked with floating rubbish, separates the market from the rest of town.
Monk on the Bridge
Man on the Bridge
Groceries on the Bridge
Barrels
I have no idea what these barrels contain, but I loved the colours.
Market Scene
Typical street market street scene, complete with motorcycle, local dog, and elegant women walking tall with baskets on their heads.
Friends
Smiles are everywhere.
Bicycle
Draped in tarps, a precious bicycle sits parked in the rubbish behind the main market “stalls”.
Boys with ‘Tude
Some young men on the back of a delivery truck watch me…
Wreathed Like a Caesar
… and are quick to flash that famous smile.
Burmese Kyat
Returning to the start of the market, I find the first vegetable seller with her hands full of money…
Veggie Seller
… she’s happy and relaxed now that she has made several sales.
It was impossible to get lost – this market wasn’t very big.
It was also impossible to leave without smiling – in spite of their simple surounds, the people in the markets were friendly and welcoming.
A lesson for us all?
Keep Smiling!
Pictures: 15Septemeber2012
The Most Beautiful People at Heart
They Are Good Natured, Very Friendly and always Helpful.
Impossible to leave Myanmar without falling in Love with The People.
Truly Golden Myanmar, as People are NOT Corrupted by Materialism.
Thanks for your visit, Rajesh!