Fish Market

Several months back when I was walking in the neighborhood. I came across a small fishing boat.

The boat owner had just pulled in to the shore off Lake Victoria, and
was selling fresh fish to some local women vendors.

It's hard to see, but the fish are actually just lying right in the bottom of the boat.

The color of the water isn't exactly inviting.




I've been wanting to go to the weekly market in Gaba, which is a a 5 minute walk down the road, but have lacked courage to show my white face and know that I may be over charged. I found out that one of the ladies at my Tuesday evening prayer group, who happens to live very close to me, was going to go, so I asked if she would be my guide.

My friend and her 2 little boys ages 3  and 4 set out on our fishy adventure.

As we reached this point in our walk down towards the fish market my senses were assaulted and permeated with all that is Africa.

You can see goats, dead fish, dried fish, fish heads, fish skins, large storks, vultures, trash, smoke and dust.

And then there are the smells....

My friend, Tocks, has a lady who helps her around the house named, Anna, she was kind enough to step in to help me with the purchase of my Tilapia.

She first checked behind the gills and inside the mouth to make sure it was fresh. Some of the fish were still moving so I was convinced!
We settled on the price of 18,000 Shillings, so about $6.92.

Now I was feeling none to keen on taking that fish home with the head, bones and eyes so it was necessary to get it filleted.

The cost for filleting was 38 cents!!
I would have paid double. There were fish scales everywhere and if I had a close up of the table they cut it up on I feel most of you would not think too highly of it.

Now for the bargain price of 8 cents I have my fish put in a plastic bag to carry home.

We made out way through the market to look for some other things. Everything is all mixed together. Here you see stalls where people are cooking chapatis etc and right in front women are selling used clothes.

Tocks' youngest son, who is 3 and  just a month younger than my grandson, is helping decide on which lemons look best.

I ended up buying papaya and watermelon as well.

Tocks, is part Nigerian, part British and married to a Ugandan. I love listening to her British accent, we''ll be getting together for tea sometime soon :-)

This waterfront area is bigger than I had realized and so full of life and color.

Back at home I weighed my fillets and have approx. 1 1/2 pounds. Total cost $7.38.

Not sure what the prices are at HEB supermarket these days but this is so much more interesting than the sterile environment, gloved hands, quality controlled temperatures and clean, white wrapping paper. Let's not forget the signs that tell employees to wash their hands.


Now about that lesson I just wrote on Typhoid. Hmmm...
Well at least I will be thoroughly cooking my fish. I just need to decide what to make. Will it be fish tacos, fish strips, baked fish or Fish Masala. Bet you wish you  were coming for dinner, huh?