Ahh, to Shop in Niger or The Shops Around the Corners

Being back in Niger I have a day before traveling to Galmi. Of course there’s always this ‘n that to buy, but I don’t have my own transportation. I could take a taxi everywhere in the city to shop, they’re readily available. Being I’m traveling by bus tomorrow I can’t take perishables with me. Can’t get that pizza cheese or sausage which makes for a quick meal (I’ll just have to prepare some meatballs or hamburger patties in advance instead). There are various shops around the corners here. There are a couple of small grocers, various fruit stands, your basic needs canteen and young men on the corners with various items to sell. I go to the grocers to get chocolate mousse mix (taste just as good as my homemade stuff and easier to fix), batteries, cookies and yogurt to eat while here. I buy a few mangoes (it’s mango season!!!) from the fruit/veggie stand outside the grocer. I’m a regular here when I come into town and the man seems to give me good prices. There’s a man with used clothing who always tries to interest me in something. Today I stopped and looked at blouses. I ended up buying 3, brand names too –Sag Harbor, Silk Exchange, & White Stag (J) all for $8. Not bad and they’re in good condition. One is a size 2X but I think it got washed (was to be dry cleaned only) and it shrunk to my size. I walked back towards to Guesthouse and to the other corner to get a prepaid phone card for one of the young men who sell to vehicles stopped at the light. To get his attention I said “Tsss” and immediately he turned. It works. I was expecting some visitors so went to a canteen where I saw they had a fridge and bought was yogurt drinks. They’re really yummy. You drink right out of the plastic bag having made a whole with your teeth in the corner. So my visitors came, had a good long chat, & showed pictures of my time at home. It was 8:30 and I hadn’t had dinner. I went across the street to the bakery looking for something like a pizza but they had none. So out the door and to the restaurant next door to buy some egg rolls, 6 in fact, that I eat all by myself. Yummy. There you have it –the shops around the corners.