Well, It's Africa...: Mbare, Harare

Check it off the list, and put it back on again! Finally we made it to the notorious Mbare over our recent holiday break.

As a high density suburb on the southern side of Harare, Mbare is notorious for being rough around the edges, but is also known for housing a number of large markets that attract sellers and buyers of food, furniture, curios, and clothing from all across the country of Zim. These markets, my personal point of interest on our recent trip, can be found next to the home of one of the nation's largest soccer teams at the well-known Rufaro Stadium. Lovingly referred to by the locals as "Bob Marley Stadium," Rufaro Stadium hosted a Bob Marley concert during the country's 1980 independence, and the neighborhood seems to be proudly humming still. Full of colorful characters enjoying locally fermented libations, the stench of old vegetables, and the buzz of browsing crowds, this home of haggling is the gateway to some of the most affordable products in the country.

Friend Ryan and I are always scouting out zebra rugs. (no worries- zebras are plentiful here) My favorite moment at the market was when we asked around about them and suddenly someone laid a baby cheetah "rug" at my feet, claws, foot pads, and eyelashes still intact. "I give you a good good price!" The poor thing did not even lay flat, and was probably still looking for its mother. It made me gasp before I politely declined any other endangered animals.

Tapiwa and Tafadzwa, two wonderful Shona gardeners we know, accompanied us through the market to help us with price negotiation and navigation. We had three lovely teenage girls in tow, so in reality, Tapiwa and Tafadzwa ended up being more useful for helping us deal with the men offering to fist-fight for a young wife and the drunkards trying to sell cars that may or may not have been theirs. Charming.

Though I'll admit the experience would have been more comfortable with just a couple of people, we thoroughly enjoyed our entertaining rounds through the market with two other white American families, for a total of fourteen people. Many humored Shona eyeballed us as though a tour-bus had just dropped us at the corner. Shouts like "Hey, California!" and "Rich Americans, come this way!" followed us through the rows of booths and tables. I won't lie. It was intimidating at times. But intimidating moments like my day in Mbare, though making me feel out of my element, always push my comfort zone in a good way. We had fun learning, laughing at ourselves, and contributing a bit to the local economy- all reasons to definitely write it on the list again.

Here are some snapshots of our time:

We love a good sense of humor. Above, friend Luke's parents allow him to buy a giant peanut butter grinder. "What a bargain!" This made me chuckle. Then I remembered that Luke is allergic to nuts and had to laugh outright.