My sister, Ina and I went on an adventure Saturday before last. We went to Curry! (For those of you who have no clue, Curry is Coronation market, downtown Kingston).
You know me, I had to relay this tale as I always do with things I find interesting. This is sort of long, so if you don’t want to read, exit now. For my overseas pals, this is more for your reading pleasure.
Last week I heard and read that there was a glut in fresh produce and farmers were hard pressed to get rid of items. Produce was selling for $50 and $40 a pound in Coronation market. Carrots were $40 a pound and tomatoes that were $500 a couple weeks ago were now $100. Well, I just had to get some, despite my not going to the market in over 30 years! So I phoned up a couple friends who usually go. One was sick and the other was heading out of town, I didn’t want to inconvenience. Meanwhile I was emailing Ina to see if she was interested and if she could find someone. No luck, all her friends shopped on Friday. So we decided we would go together, but how to get there? Ina suggested the bus. Yeah, right. Taking the bus to Half Way Tree or even Cross Roads is one thing. Taking the bus to parade is another and may have been doable except how would we find our way to the market? And once there, how back? As I said for both of us it was over 30 years. Then we thought of taking a taxi but the thought of spending an equal amount on a cab to and back didn’t make sense. So we said we would drive. And there is where it got off the ground. We were adamant that we were going to the market. Ina got directions which seemed simple enough. Drive on Marcus Garvey, pass the new bus park, turn left, turn left, follow the road and viola, Curry. We were advised to get there for 5:30 because it got crowded after that. Parking is on the road so it’s not a problem.
We decided to dress down, carry no handbags and wear shoes for running. I wore my denim capri with a rip on the thigh, a grey t-shirt that would declare me Switzerland should things go bad, my yard slippers, didn’t comb my hair and swapped out the BB for a Nokia. Ina wore a black and white stripe tank and denim pants with slippers. She combed her hair.
Ina picked me up shortly after 5 and we made our way in the dark morning to Coronation market, both of us laughing and joking that we must be crazy. When she came, the front passenger section was filled with her shoes. I thought, not again. The time when Ina’s car was stolen, they got over 10 pairs of shoes and to date, not one was returned. This time they would probably get half of that but still I was worried. The loss of so many pairs of shoes would eventually have an effect on a person. (I still can’t believe they didn’t bring them back — thoughtless.)
We found our way along Marcus Garvey good enough because that’s a place a know well. Then we passed Seprod and it still looked good. When we saw the transport centre (well lit), we begun looking for the left turn. Things started looking grim then — open lots overgrown with weeds and old buildings. A minivan pulled out in front of us and we stayed behind. He turned left and we realised that’s where we were going, so we drove along, still in the dark. We made the next left turn and I carried up the window. Ina asked if I thought this was really the way. I said, ‘well, the bus is still in front of us and if anything, the road is wide enough for us to make a turn...sort of.’ I told her to follow the bus, although I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. I never knew 5:30 was so dark and any road could look so desolate and then I saw a sign ‘Welcome to the Edward Seaga Sports Complex’ and we turned a corner and there it was — a whole heap a car and bus and Coronation Market. We were at the entrance across from Tivoli. The bus stopped right across from it and people got out. Ina was right, after all, the bus would have taken us to the gate. Anyway, we proceeded to find parking, easier said than done. I couldn’t believe the amount of cars, we couldn’t find anywhere remotely close to the market entrance and so had to park quite a distance away and hike it back. We parked, set the alarm on the car, wish it well and decided we were still game.
There are many entrances but we chose the main one with the remains of the wrought iron top and the remnants of a crown that I vaguely remember from a child. I don’t even know if it was really there or if I was remembering something from the other side of the market. At the entrance we took a breath and went in, ready to tackle whatever we met. But you know, all the apprehension was unnecessary. The section Digicel built is now opened and occupied and then there are the other areas that are covered by tarpaulin. We went to the Digicel section first. It’s right by the entrance on the left and it’s very, very nice. It’s all concrete base with stalls that come up as counters, made of concrete. The alleys have names and each stall a number. We went to the middle and started off at 385 Breadfruit Way, just a little beyond Lime Tree Lane. All the passageways are named off fruits, easily read. And, the place was very clean. The fruits and vegetables were pretty, clean and well laid out. Worthy of a kodak moment. It’s been a while since I’ve seen fruit that pretty and nicely laid out. At 385 we bought carrot, pumpkin and cabbage.
We were able to walk comfortably because while the market was crowded, it wasn’t so you were bouncing into anyone. There were no strange smells – only the smells of the fruits and vegetables and some seasonings. I liked it and I was very comfortable. We went across to one tarped section and saw this was where the ground provisions mostly were. Pretty yams, nice, nice carrots and beautiful potatoes.
So, in the end, it was great. I thought we got good bargains with prices at least half that of the supermarket. The only things that didn’t compare was the banana. You’re better off getting that at Price Smart. Together Ina and I spent just under $3,000. We bought for 3 houses and got a lot of items, most more than a pound: carrots, pumpkin, cabbage, tomatoes (salad and plummy), okra, escallion, thyme, lettuce, cauliflower, string beans, scotch peppers, sweet peppers, onion, sweet potato, Irish potato, yam, melon, ripe bananas, garlic, tangerine, lemon, melon and cucumber. I could never spend this at the supermarket and end up with the 2 Price Smart bags full of food and carrying about 4 items in our hand. I think we did well.
The people were nice and fair as everyone insisted on you looking at the scale and they let you select what you want and told you how to carry it. Like the lady who looked in my bag and said, ‘no,no, carry the lettuce in your hand.’ I didn’t even buy it from her and she helped me repack the bag. Clearly I was a novice. And I’m sure some prices went up on us, but it was good because it was so much cheaper than what I usually spent that I didn’t haggle with a soul. There was one old man, sipping something hot, who wanted to let us know that we were all had bottoms, in words not so nice, until the young lady who was selling, asked him kindly to move from her stall. I found it funny because I’m sure if we were not there she would have asked him in another voice. He obliged. But all in all there were no incidents, no moment of discomfort, no feeling of threat. We left at about 6:15 realising that we only saw about a quarter or less of the market because we didn’t see the people with the fruits like June plum, or the spices and the we discovered the big section with the ground provisions a little late. For the most part the Digicel section has all that you could need but next time, we are going to venture further. If I were a vegetarian, I could spend the same and shop for enough food for more than 2 weeks. There wouldn’t be a need to go to the supermarket as there was a woman at the gate selling fresh bread (still hot in the bags) including Harvest wheat. She had oil, tin foods, etc.
When we were leaving the place was getting more crowded with cars and people. The ones of a higher colour were coming in and I thought, lucky thing I went early because prices are surely gonna go up. But everyone looked comfortable and at home. Oh, one thing did happen when we were leaving, a guy was coming out with a hand cart, going at a rather high speed, suddenly he took the corner, rather close, frightening 2 ladies coming in who had to jump back. But then again, he was shouting a warning. Police were on guard over on the Tivoli side – strange they weren’t there when we were coming in...oh well...
So now we were ready to leave and when we got to the end of the road, it occurred to us that we didn’t know where to go. The directions didn’t include how to get out or where the one ways were. Ina, said ‘which way?’ I looked around and didn’t have a clue, there were no signs, no indications and the cars we saw were parking. So we stayed looking left and right and just about when I was about to say ‘gun’ it, two cars came up beside us and turned right. We followed them and found our way back to the section of Marcus Garvey that was at the end of the craft market and we knew where we were. Everything was all right.
I say you should go, especially since the prices are so good. One example, I didn’t buy brocoli because it was $250 per pound, only to go to the supermarket and see if for over $500 a pound. I didn’t buy it there either.
So, gather your friends, put on your ragamuffin clothes, leave the valuables and head on down to Curry at 5:30 a.m. It’s a side of Jamaica that you must experience.
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