To market, to market to buy a....bunch of veggies.

I've become a regular at the afternoon market and today was my first time going on a weekend. INSANITY!  There are even more stalls and more products on Saturday, if that's even possible.
I bought so much stuff...

and all for less than $20.  In case you can't see it all I got 3 heads of lettuce, a bunch of bok choy, a salmon filet, a bag of peeled garlic, fresh peeled ginger, hot peppers, a bag of edamame that is tossed with peppercorns, salt and other herbs (Ah-mazing!), green beans, baby corn, cabbage, scallions and a container of lo-mein noodles (that for about $1.60).  Last weekend was all about me; this weekend it's all about the food!

I'm chowing down on this delicious bowl of noodles as we speak.  $1.60!  How is that even possible!?

The market is still an amalgamation of sounds, scents, noise, people and scooters.  What's crazy is that I'm getting used to it. As always, I'm the only caucasian person I see (other than the people I take there).  That is still a strange thing but I'm getting used to it.

These two lovely birds greeted us at the entrance.  Just hanging around I suppose.

 Green persimmons?  Who knew?

 All manner of fruits and vegetables.  Saw some beautiful plums....they were from California!  Ha!

 This is the only thing I have tried here that I don't particularly like.  It's bitter melon.  Don't mind bitter but this....it's something else!

 These pomelos are almost as big as my head!

 The assortment of fish is incredible!  I have tried some I can't even identify. Tonight I bought some salmon.  Squid and cuttlefish are definitely a local fave!  The shrimp they sell is sold alive from big bins and the shrimp are literally jumping and leaping in the container.  The fish is so fresh, many of these are still gasping for air and moving.  How do they do that?!

 I can't even imagine this being in a local market in the states!

Here, you see and know where your food comes from.  It's not all packaged and sterile but right out there in the open.  

In this market, which has hundreds of stalls, you can buy every part of an animal and you see it all right there in the open.  There are stalls for fresh dumplings that are being made right there and they make it look so easy.  You can buy drinks made from millet gelatin and buy fresh sugar cane and cane juice.  They clean the produce right there for you - peel the ginger and garlic, husk and trim the corn right off the cob, cut up the pineapple and they give samples everywhere.

What is so nice is that when you buy something, they throw in an extra.  I bought ginger and garlic, she threw in hot peppers.  I bought lettuce and bok choy, she threw in scallions.  It is an incredible experience to go to this market and I wish everyone could experience it just once!