Market Day
The sounds of Kasulu at night reminds you that you are in an area surrounded by people. For most of the night there were the sounds of a pretty good party going on somewhere not too far away. It wasn’t loud enough to keep us awake, it was just there in the background. Somewhere between 4 and 5 am the local rooster started crowing, something that he does at odd times during the day, followed by the sound prayers from the local mosque. Then silence, except for some of the most beautiful bird-song I have heard since spring in Connecticut.
Today was market day. Market day’s are held Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This was a farmer’s market on a far grander scale than any farmer’s market that you will see in Connecticut, much grander than any produce department at your local grocery and the source of most of the food bought by the folks in Kasulu and environs.
Needless to day, the awnings and tables of US farmers markets are not present here. A “stall” is a patch of ground, maybe 4 or 5 feet by three feet or so on which the vender has placed sacks. The vendor’s wares, depending on what it is may be displayed directly on the sacks or contained in large baskets or sacks. Occasionally someone will be holding an umbrella to protect themselves from the sun. Most of the vendors and shoppers are women, often with babies and small children in tow although there are a lot of men present as well. The “aisles” between the rows of venders are only a foot or two wide. It is more than crowded. I had no idea how many different crops were grown in the area until I went to market. There were the expected potatoes (sweet and white), tomatoes and dried beans that we have eaten here so many times. And of course, huge hands for bananas (there are bananas growing in our front yard!). I expected mangos, it is mango season. There were also melons,several different kinds of mushrooms, green beans, carrots, garlic and ginger root. Peppers, and I think, okra. Sacks of maze, which were ground in a nearby mill powered by a diesel engine. Eventually, all purchases made, we came back to the compound, where lunch included some of the recently purchased potatoes, carrots and green peppers. Delicious! 
This afternoon we were reminded that this is the rainy season. After rumbles of thunder in the distance, the skies opened and it poured for about an hour. There was easily an inch of rain in that hour.
Tomorrow we travel to Masagara where we will meet up with Bishop Makaya and attend a confirmation service.