So, day before yesterday we tried to buy some bananas. The banana lady was squatting up on a flower bed wall type thing, and when she saw us come up to her cart, she got off and climbed on the bike, that the cart was mounted on, and drove off. It was the strangest thing. And then the little "meat on a stick" guy next to her hopped on his bike and drove off quick and the phone card lady next to them got up and started gathering her things. Upon inquiry, she said something about the "restaurant police" and how it was time to get out of there. I guess they didn't like "vagabond" vendors. (Our phone card lady had been there over a year...but i guess she was vagabond) So, we lost our bananas...
We continued walking toward the taxi stand, when we heard a voice behind us...it was the banana lady again! In hurried gestures, she motioned us over and pointed to the bananas, all the time making furtive glances over our shoulders to see if the "police" would emerge. I looked at S. with the "well, how many illegal bananas do we want?" look. I didn't have time to make up my mind, because the "police" must have showed up. Before i could react, right there, in the middle of another "banana-money" exchange she grabbed the bananas from my hand and darted off...
There are banana vendors everywhere, we just never know which ones carry the "legit" bananas and which are just a cart ready to escape at the sign of "restaurant police".
PS: The next day, the banana lady was back at her original post as if nothing had happened. She smiled at us as we walked by...we looked around for any moving vehicles in the vicinity. With amazing subtlety and speed, the bananas were picked, weighed and the money exchanged. They tasted good...we'll be back...
