The Madina Market

We are in our last days in Guinea, and in between our final drumming and dancing classes, many of us want to buy some gifts and souvenirs. And this means a visit to “the market,” one of the great pleasures and wonders of any trip to a developing country. Of course, much of Conakry is an open-air market to some extent – most of the major streets are lined with both indoor shops which open directly to the street or tents and blankets in which vendors sell almost anything one could want. But here in Conakry, there is one market that stands above all others, the one we have referred to as “the big one,” the Madina Market.

We have passed through the neighborhood surrounding this market before, so we knew of the incredible number of people that gather to trade here. Some of us were a little nervous about heading into such a large and seemingly chaotic crowd. Nevertheless, we headed out on Monday morning with a couple of our Guinean guides to see what we could find.

We drove in a taxi to the neighborhood near the market. To get to the market, we had to walk across a bridge that went over a set of railroad tracks and a busy autopiste. The bridge is lined with vendors on both sides and so many pedestrians that it is very difficult for vehicles to get across. They honk their horns almost constantly to clear a path. From the top of the bridge, you can see additional stalls along the railroad tracks, and you can also see the nearby main soccer stadium (the one they currently use, not the new one they are building near our house), and in the distance the four spires of the Grand Mosque. Looking towards the market, a large building surrounded on all sides by numerous stalls, you can see another mosque, with two very tall spires.

Some of us stopped as we crossed to look at bootlegged DVDs and other items. We then descended the other side and entered the market. It is a mass of humanity, many of whom want you to buy whatever item they are selling. And they could be selling almost anything, from underwear to motorcycles. People shouted “fote” and “boss man” to get our attention and to attract us into their stalls. Others wandered around carrying their goods, and poked us and pushed items into our faces.

The Madina Market is not really oriented towards tourists. This is where many residents come to buy the things they need on a daily basis, and also where other retailers come to by the things they sell in their stores. Consequently, we didn’t see too much that we needed to buy, especially given that we will be leaving in two days. But we wandered around for a good two hours, nevertheless.

There were several of us together, which meant if one person wanted to stop to buy something, a process that takes awhile given the need to look for the best item and to negotiate a price, the rest of us were left standing around. In typical fashion, the Guineans showed great hospitality by providing us with chairs or benches to sit down in the shade while we waited. People here are very attuned to others and seem to know your needs without you even asking. Some also asked us what we were looking for and offered to go and find the items for us.

We eventually tired of all the people, and some ran out of money (the best way to dissuade the many vendors – telling them “I’m broke” usually, though not always, sends them off looking for another buyer), so we bought some soft drinks from a young man carrying a tub of Cokes, Fantas and other beverages, then we walked along the highway back to the bridge and across to find the taxi that was waiting for us. While this was a very interesting cultural experience, I think most in our group found it cumbersome to have to negotiate so much just to do some shopping. Having to weave through so many people, especially in Guinea’s relentless heat; having to say “no” so many times to unsolicited sellers; and having to negotiate a price on very purchase are all tiring. We are happy for the relative simplicity of shopping at Krogers or WalMart, where strangely in many ways our choices are much more limited and prescribed. I think in a country like Guinea with so many poor people who don’t have a lot to buy, having to negotiate all of this at the times they do shop is not such a great burden, but in a high consumption country like the United States, where shopping is a recreational activity, the Madina Market system would not function very well.