Open Air Market

There are many open air markets all throughout Chisinau, Moldova. Mazes of clusters of tiny individualized retail businesses. These pictures are of the market around the corner from our apartment. The size of a city block, it is mostly covered by strung together tarps and overlapping corrugated plastic and tin. The walkways are narrow and the shops are even smaller. You can buy fish from one vendor, a tank from another and the kelp and rocks from yet another.

There are major labels for super cheap. Versace jeans for $20. Willams&Sonoma tablecloth and napkin set for $10 (This is the real deal as they are made here.) Think of a renowned label and you can find it here. Officially licensed I’m sure, which is why I had people yell at me for taking pictures. This market is a complete maze but the shopping is great. Dishes, houseplants, kitchen utensils, purses, jewelry, towels, belts, shoes, boots, sweaters, toys, hats, scarves, bras, jewelry, anything, but each from different vendors. You can try on the clothes too. A bedsheet attached to one side of the booth will be held up on the other side by the vendor. The depth of the booth is about 3.5 feet and the foot traffic is heavy. In other words, people walking by could easily reach out and touch the sheet you are changing behind. This is a different level of privacy than I am used to.

The best part, other than the amazing deals is the trusting nature of the vendors. Booths are left unattended. It seems to not be a big deal which leads me to wonder if petty theft is even an issue. With cash only and no receipts, I also wonder how accurate the bookkeeping is.

These markets bring a whole new meaning to impulse buys. If I like something there is a strong urge to purchase it because without the help of a Global Positioning System, finding my way back through the maze is unlikely. This is the labyrinth of shopping adventures.

We plan on donating what we brought here but may still need to buy more luggage for what we will want to take home with us.