Crawford Market

Alright, so I have a confession to make. I have been in Mumbai for almost a week, and I still haven't charged my camera battery. I had been enjoying the mobility of using my iphone until I got to Crawford market. These pictures don't begin to do justice to one of the coolest places I have been. Those who know me, know that I love a good market: farmers market, flea market, and especially indoor food markets (see the pretzel picture in violetinparis.blogspot.com) and this was a particularly spectacular one. The market building was clearly once a beautiful majestic building, and from far away it seems to be a castle in the middle of a sea of shopping streets. When you get closer you notice how many tiles are missing, and how their seems to be more holes than roof. Stepping inside is another world all together, the stands are tiny, and the whole area is dark. Despite the high ceilings, it is impossible to feel relief walking through the narrow passage ways. You can get anything there, and people do. Women do their shopping with a man with a basket balanced on his head trotting behind them with their groceries. The smells make it obvious what section you are in. The spice section is almost aphrodisiacal. It's like you forgot that you had ever smelled something good in your life. The fruit section is bouncy and joyful smelling, thanks to all the strawberry vendors. Then the stench starts to creep in and you know you are getting closer to the animals. You see the coolest and weirdest thing about the market is the pet section (Picture 3). It's both fascinating and terrible to see ducks, pigeons, puppies, and cats all stacked up in similarly small wire cages. Curious about the prices? I was? We asked about a puppy and they said 3,000 rupees (roughly 60 bucks), meaning actually 1,000.

Thanks to Crawford Market, I officially promise to charge my battery.
Love,
Violet