Market of Markoye

Markoye is one of the last cities in the north of Burkina Faso just before the border of Mali. It’s a little city but is famous for his very big market, with a lot of people coming from Burkina and Mali to exchange their goods at this place.

Markoye is one of the last cities in the north of Burkina Faso just before the border of Mali. It’s a little city but is famous for his very big market, with a lot of people coming from Burkina and Mali to exchange their goods at this place.

One of the most impressing trades in this market is the one of the cattle: donkeys, zebus (sort of cows), goats, sheep, etc… And it’s very impressing to see all this cattle assembled in one place and all the people around choosing, negotiating and buying their animals in such an apparent mess….
But of course, there’s not only cattle on this market. You can really find any kind of merchandise, from beautiful textile for making clothes, to all kind of tools of the ordinary life in this area. It’s full of people, full of colors, full of very different smells that you aren’t use to.

And of course a lot of kids are running everywhere and asking you for something, a empty plastic bottle, a biscuit, a chewing gum or anything else. But giving something to one is not a good idea. I gave one empty plastic bottle to a kid (very important item to have for them to collect and transport water…), but as soon as he had it in his hand, a dozen other kids ran on him and tried to take him his bottle… and finally, the plastic bottle was totally crashed by them and nobody had it… And it’s the same for other things and giving the kids something is not the best solution, and if you can satisfy some of them, there will be more and more kids around you asking for the same…

Well this market of Markoye is a big experience to see the live and habits of the people of this area, and it’s absolutely not a touristic market: we were the only few white people in this place at the moment, and only a few white travelers are visiting this place. Visiting these market places made is really having an insight in the “real Africa”.

(sorry, no precise internet link available for this location…)

geschrieben von vicuna am 2008-12-11 in #Orte #people #market #kids #products #cattle #location #africa