Narrowing Focus
A part of traveling, for me anyway, is bringing something home you didn’t really need but couldn’t come home with out. Today is dedicated to the flea markets and bazaars and farmer’s markets of the world, because who really can go their whole life without buying a velvet painting of Elvis from a man in a tent in Egypt?
The Gran Bazaar of Turkey is something to see before you die. It’s 61 streets and tunnels of shops ranging from the classy to the kitschy. Using the google timeline i was able to see at a glance that this market is very old; it was built in the 15th century. This sound like an amazing place because of the clash between ancient architecture and modern consumerism.
The Anjuna flea market on the coast of India is another cheap shopping experience. It started as a place for hippies who visited the coast, and who never seemed to have money for some reason, to barter. From the timeline tool on google, it was easy to see that this flea market became prominent in the 60s reached the height of its popularity around the 70s.
My dream home is one filled with odds and ends that i bought in markets around the world. I don’t want to travel just to shop, but i do think going shopping in a new place is all part of the complete experience.
Comments
I might just have to buy a picture of Elvis
Dear Gabby,
I was intrigued by your post, “Narrowing Focus” because it had some extremely valid points about traveling. Sometimes when we travel we get to caught up in the important sights, and the touristy things to see and we forget about seeing the culture. Yes it is cool to see the coliseum, but that doesn’t give you as much of the flavor of Rome as walking around and shopping at vendors on street corners. One sentence that stood out for me was: “Today is dedicated to the flea markets and bazaars and farmer’s markets of the world, because who really can go their whole life without buying a velvet painting of Elvis from a man in a tent in Egypt?” I think this is so insightful because even though I have never bought a velvet painting of Elvis, especially one from an Egyptian bazaar, I know exactly what you mean. On vacation we have the urge to buy the dumbest things; aprons with the Mona Lisa on them, replica canoes, and paintings of things not remotely related to the country we bought them in. We almost seek out the most absurd items to buy. Another sentence that I liked was: “My dream home is one filled with odds and ends that I bought in markets around the world.” This sentence stood out to me because it seemed like a really good way to see your future. Instead of filling your home with posed photos in front of monuments, bring your little monuments back. Your post reminds me of what I buy on trips. I always buy weird outfits and jewelry. Now you might think this is at least more useful than a picture of Elvis, but really what I buy isn’t. I buy strange, and oversized rings. I buy sarongs and fishermen’s hats. No matter how good of a purchase I think I am making on a trip, I never seem to wear it when I get home. But I would never get rid of it because it reminds me of the places I have been.
Thank you for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next, because your perspective on traveling is unique and refreshing. I can’t wait to see more about your travels.