The crowds being to arrive at 5pm. The sun will be out for a couple more hours but already the lights above all the food vendors booths are illuminating the small field they occupy. The grassy parking lot begins to fill with beat up trucks and souped up mustangs. Everyone comes to street market.
You want curry? Take your pick from half a dozen vendors. Chicken on a stick? The sauce flavors are as numerous as the flies that have landed on them. I stick to coconuts because I know what is in them, but if you are adventurous with your palate there is plenty to choose from.
I look forward to Thursday nights. My favorite booth to visit does not display authentic cuisine, but rather local wood carvings. The women who sell the carvings often stand by with calculators in their hands, ready to give you a discount if you look like an indecisive shopper. The usual discount is 15% off of the sticker price, but I'm a regular at their booth so the discounts are getting larger. So is my collection of hand carved turtles.
Every hour musicians and local dance groups get up to perform on a large stage in the middle of the outdoor market. On nights when the native Chamorro dance group performs, one must be prepared! If you are standing in close proximity to the stage you will be brought up on stage to participate in the last couple dances.
When your feet are tired, you can rest at one of the many picnic tables set up around the stage. Never mind that there are strangers sitting across from you, if there is space then you are invited to sit down. If you are American then you will probably be interrupted once or twice to pose in front of a selfie stick or in a group photo. Some of these might even be without your knowledge...
When its all said and done you will walk away with two things; the lingering odor of BBQ on your clothes, and the memories of an evening well spent.
No comments:
Post a Comment