Market Economy

In my previous post, I glibly suggested that one grin and bear it when being exiled to Moscow. This comment was made while under the influence of high speed internet access. Upon arriving in Moscow, and for the following five days, we had no internet access, and I realized the naivite of my positive attitude, and the doomed-before-it-even-began goal of my blog which was to write daily! Hah! Nevertheless, we now have (spotty) internet access and the reporting shall commence! 

Later on I'll go back to such delightful nuggets as "How to not travel with 2 small children to Russia," or "Packing Tips 101." However today I'd just like to post a shot or two of a Russian "rynok" (market), which, in this early fall/late summer season displays some of the colorful vegetable, fruit and human characters at these markets. No one declined a photo. My strategy was to photograph several of the vendors from whom I'd just bought peppers or beets. How could they possibly say no? 

This was the Danilovsky Rynok, a covered market, more expensive on the inside, less expensive the further from the center one ventured. My friend and I trawled the outer two rings, bargained a bit and each got a canvas bag-full of plums, spinach, apples, onions, grapes, and more. This is the "Russia" experience, or "former-Soviet" experience -- here one encounters herb vendors from Samarkand, Uzbekistan and tomato vendors from Azerbaijan. Some with gold teeth, some with smiles, some with scowls, some beckoning to try their pickled cucumbers....Mom Voyage!