March 20th the New Ultra Modern Market

The new Ultra Modern Market opened in Jimeta in 2009 or 2010. The police came in and moved all the vendors and their carts off of the street so both lanes were open to traffic. Last year this was working pretty good. But this year they have come back. Both sides of the street have been invaded by peddler carts. The center medium was made too wide and they have occupied it. This is Occupy Jimeta with capitalism. There are so many people selling the same thing it is a wonder anyone can make a living.

I have walked to the market almost every day this week to get this or that. The inside is row after row of shops and vendors. They seem to be clustered in areas but not necessarily. Finding things at the lowest possible price is the game here. I am not good at the game so I do not try to hard. If I take 1/2 and hour to save 100 Naira (63 cents) I figure I wasted my time. High quality products are expensive and usually deceptive on the quality.

Today (Thursday) I decided to get some more small notebooks, pens, a small cooking pan, and price some burners. With no electric power I have been eating cold food and would like to have a propane burner. The medium sized one is 4000 Naira ($25.47). To fill the propane tank is another 1500 Naria. That will give me one burner for the rest of my stay. I had been looking at an electric hot plate but they are around 2500 Naira and require electricity. I have an immersion heater and a small electric oven I fixed last year.

I walked around the market and ended up at the meat market on the west end. I only by canned meat. I shot a short video at the meat market. Outside in the street is the other meat market that is shown in the pictures.