To market, to market...

Today Jess and I went to Greenmarket Square in downtown Cape Town. Yes, all you people hoping for something from South Africa, your dreams came closer to coming true today. I got a couple of good deals but also lost out a couple of times (most remarkable was when I paid 20 rand for a 1.5 inch beaded Zebra (zeh-bra remember...not ZEEbra) and then saw it later for 8 rand...this is like $2.70 vs. $1.08. Shoot darn!).

I picked up my dress and of course tried it on immediately when I got home. It's actually pretty formal...I think it might even be too fancy to wear to church, but I'm going to a wedding in Minneapolis in October and I will probably wear it there! It fits very well and the lady hemmed it for me so it's ready to go!

Jess and I stopped at the McDonald's here for two fountain cokes. This is Jess's special treat to herself since she loves ice so much and since fountain cokes are kind of hard to come by. The other night when I had duck, we ordered cokes and (it was a really nice restaurant too) they came in cans.

Downtown Cape Town is so busy and if you walk through the market and stop to look or touch anything you are immedately accosted by the people trying to sell you stuff and they practially beg you to barter with them. If you ask how much something is they will say "240 rand, but I give you good price" or "240 rand, but for you it is 220" or "240 rand but that is negotiable." Jess is really good at the art of bartering, but I'm catching on. They also always say "beautiful __________. Your choice." Or they will say, "how much you want to pay?" basically asking you to name your price. I even had one guy who said (on the stupid beaded zebra)..."25 rand." And then I said "15 rand" and he tricked me by saying "no, you are supposed to come 1/2 way to me...I said 25, now you say..." So then I said 20 rand and he said sold and I ended up paying 20 rand for something I should have only paid 8 for. Double shoot darn. Can you tell I'm a little bitter about the darn zebra?

I actually bought the zebra because I want to do some South African crafts with my patrons at the library when I get back and I wanted some examples of things I see everywhere that people make. Beaded items are everywhere. Also are picture frames and little cars or radios made out of coke cans. We also saw purses made out of old LP's or old 45s. There is also a company that takes used tea bags and dries them out, empties the used tea and then uses the bag itself for a surface to do decorative painting on. These are cool and I'm going to have to really brace myself not to buy one. I'm sure this will be next to impossible, so ask me if I bought the tea-bag item next time you see me. You all could even take bets! I bet that I go back and buy a tea-bag Christmas ornament. I just hope I barter more successfully for that item than I did for the darned zebra.

Jess and I saw a rainbow on the way home! I took a picture (duh) but it is really hard to see unless you know where to look so I didn't upload it for you all. Did I say Cape Town is surrounded by mountains? It is and now I know where the rainbows end! Here in Cape Town!

Jess and I are driving two hours out tomorrow morning to Whipstock Farm where we will spend all of Saturday and part of Sunday relaxing and seeing the South African country-side. I'm excited! Some other things I have planned for the rest of my trip are: museaums in downtown Cape Town, libraries in downtown Cape Town, Botanical gardens, back to the markets to buy the darned tea bag Christmas ornament, Table Mountain Cable Car ride, and Red Bus Hop On-Hop Off Cape Town tour. So, I have a busy rest of the week!

I'm doing a great job staying under-budget because I've decided that using my credit card doesn't count. Isn't that cool!

Greenmarket Square