There is something about a street market that makes everything look, smell and taste just that little bit better. From colourful markets on the sunny streets of Central America…
…to chilly floodlit flower stalls on London’s Embankment…
…street markets are just plain fun. There’s nothing predictable about them, which is what I love. Chaos reigns supreme. Street markets don’t have a bread aisle and a hardware section. Here, all bets are off. Freshly picked fruit rubs shoulders with the unlikeliest of bedfellows…
…such as umbrellas, drums and spices.
I think this would make a wonderful travel theme and I’d love to see your take on outdoor markets, so if you’d like to join in, create your own post about markets between now and next Friday, title it “Travel theme: Street Markets” and put a link to this page in your blog post to make it easy for others to find your post.
If next week’s WordPress weekly photo challenge is Street Markets I’ll be more than a little weirded out. 🙂
xxx Ailsa
Where's my backpack? 
Wonderful pictures. Great work Ailsa.
Thanks Arindam 🙂
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Loved seeing your photos and reading your words. I like this theme. Here’s mine:
http://50yearproject.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/travel-theme-street-markets/
Thanks for hosting!
I love Portobello Market, it’s the longest two miles I’ve ever walked through all those crowds 🙂
love love love your photos, so want to go now … thanks for sharing
Thanks jensine!
you are welcome
Wow, I so got to have that Van Gogh umbrella! 🙂 Yey for quirky finds in street markets! 🙂
Haha, me too, I’m so annoyed at myself for not snapping one up when I had the chance.
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I just nominated your blog for the Sunshine Award. Congratulations and thanks for inspiring me every day! http://newsofthetimes.org/2012/05/27/i-won-they-do-love-me/
Thanks so much for the nomination, newsofthetimes, and congratulations on yours! xxx
Love the theme! Do you think WordPress will copy you again? He He….like they did with the summer entry? I think your market post is excellent! I was torn between doing markets around the world or just focusing on one market. In the end I went with one market as there is nothing that can compare to a Moroccan souq! Here’s my entry:
http://thirdeyemom.com/2012/05/27/markets-an-afternoon-in-the-souq/
Awesome choice with the souk, looks like a whole lot of fun, Nicole. I’ll be very freaked out if next week’s WordPress theme is markets, this week was just a little weird. 🙂
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Great theme…I hope these are okay !
http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/travel-theme-street-markets/
Yum, rolling food trucks – although that poor roasting animal was just a little scary 🙂 Thanks for joining in the fun, Jo! xxx
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I hope I’m not late. Here’s my entry! Thank you. 🙂
http://projectmagellan.net/2012/05/28/travel-theme-street-market/
I was just looking through your photos, Miguel, they’re fantastic. I’m dreaming of avocado ice cream now! xxx
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Always the best place for food! Mmmmm I judge anyone who looks down on roadside eats! Great photos X
Me too, I’m all about the street food! xxx
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This travel theme was lots of fun! I went to a wild west themed market, and will definitely go back again without the boots or cowboy hat. 🙂
http://canoecommunications.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/wild-west-market-travel-theme/
Yeehaw. Those jeans scared me, but the lizards are adorable! xxx
the jeans are like a walking painting in cloth 🙂
Here’s my take on Street Markets: http://heartrenovation.com/2012/05/27/travel-theme-street-markets/
Very fun, Stephen – street market with a difference! Really enjoyed it. xxx
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And this is my humble contribution to the challenge: http://islandergirl.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/travel-challenge-the-street-markets-of-tai-o-hong-kong/
Photos were taken during our anniversary trip to Hong Kong last October 🙂
Great post, and also great info about the over-harvesting of shells. Thanks for spreading awareness, sustainable tourism is so very important in today’s world. xxx
sustainable tourism is so very important in today’s world.
>> It really is! It makes me so proud to work for a leader in sustainable tourism here in the Philippines 🙂
I didn’t think I had anything for this, but I found one! http://theretiringsort.com/2012/05/28/travel-theme-street-markets/
And, Ailsa, your images are wonderful – love the drums!
Thanks, I was sorely tempted to get one, but it wouldn’t fit in my backpack 🙂 Still squirming at your bugs on a stick! I’m so glad you found those photos 🙂
Thanks, me too! 😉
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Love your images Ailsa! Especially the first one. here is my entry: http://theurgetowander.com/2012/05/28/travel-theme-street-market/
Wonderful post, Madhu, I cannot get my head around 4,000 varieties of potatoes. Determined to try them all now 🙂 What was your favourite Peru experience?
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Hi Ailsa. 🙂 Here is my entry, Boston, once more. The photos are not new as I hoped. http://mywordwall.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/travel-theme-street-markets/
I’m going to try to visit Quincy Market when I visit Boston – is it a daily market or does it just take place on set days? xxx Ailsa
I think it is a daily market, especially around summer time. Let me get back to you in a few days after I see my ex-Bostonite of a sister-in-law. :-))
Cool! 🙂
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You are ahead of the curve, Ailsa! LOL
Here’s my entry… http://spiritualworldtraveler.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/travel-theme-markets/
🙂 Much better than being behind the curve! I just tried your link and it didn’t work, I think maybe it’s still unpublished, can you check your pending posts? Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us!!! xxx Ailsa
Try now. That was so strange! I’ve been getting likes and comments all along, but the link wasn’t working and it showed as unpublished.
Hurray, it’s working now, and it was worth the wait, what a wonderful tour through Khan el Khalili. So much fun!
Absolutely gorgeous photos! Beautiful work!
anne
Thanks Zen and Genki, I loved your photo of the rooftop garden, wish cities would hurry up and adopt the idea! xxx
Love to see those street markets whenever I am travelling.
Me too, Cardinal G, there’s so much colour and life at street markets, you can’t help but have fun. xxx
Here’s my street market photo, it’s from Shuk Mahne Yehuda in Jerusalem:
http://cardinalguzman.wordpress.com/2011/10/17/a-girl-at-the-market/
Lovely post, Cardinal, and I had no idea Shel Silverstein wrote the lyrics to A Boy Named Sue. Great song. Johnny Cash rocked it.
Hi! Thanks or the invite…………….
Here’s a link to a previous post about an umbrella that I regretted not buying from a vendor alongside a street market in Napoli………….
http://4otomo.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/weekly-photo-challenge-regret/
Nice one, I can see why you’d regret not buying an umbrella, it looked like it was raining pretty hard 🙂
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Hey there! I hope I’m not too late for the challenge… Was finally able to fix all the ‘weird blogging issues/spamming’ with WordPress, and now, I’m super happy to be back to the challenges! Thanks again for the inspiration, Ailsa! What can one buy on the streets along the beach in Brazil? Pretty much everything!! Cheers from our tropical-land! 😮
http://wp.me/p1oMvI-Yy
Hurrah for fixing the issues! Loved your post, would have definitely made some purchases along that beach – one of those sunhats for sure, the tablecloth, and I’ve always wanted a handmade hammock! 🙂
Thanks, Ailsa! Now, besides the usual arts&crafts, one can even find custom-made sandals!!! 😮
Very fun, very nice to watch… and a great way to catch the eye from that tourist/by-passer! 😮
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And I would like to add:
http://mostlymonochrome.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/walking-through-the-market/
Love it, has a very James Dean feel about it! xxx
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Hope mine isn’t too late?
Markets are fabulous! This was one of my favorites:
http://pirancafe.com/2012/05/29/a-dog-at-the-market/
Bob! Oh Bob. You went there. I nearly lost my lunch, and may need to see a therapist. :#
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Okay Ailsa – after looking at these entries I’m in! Great, great idea for a real “travel photography” post and I want to be a part of this wonderful community! Hope you have some time to check this out! You can see my post below, highlighting a few of my favorite places. Hope you enjoy and thanks again!
http://armiller007.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/street-market-photography/
Really great post, Aaron, so glad you joined in the challenge. I think my favourite is the one from Nepal with that great big sign, Way to Gandruk, and the whopping great arrow pointing off to the right. 🙂
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Hi Ailsa, Thanks for another great challenge!! I like your choices; I hope you’ll keep coming up with some. Here is one of mine (I’ll do another focused on Oman later today): http://catbirdphotography.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/travel-theme-street-markets/
Wow, you’ve seen some great markets all over the world, loved it! Those greens looked mighty tasty. 🙂
Thanks Ailsa! I have lots more pics b/c I’m fascinated by the colors and textures in street markets. Koreans LOVE their greens! 🙂
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Can I just say, I feel like I can smell what’s in your pictures here! 🙂
This is a bit late, but still: https://wheresmybackpack.com/2012/05/25/street-markets/
I love your photo challenges!
Wow, people amaze me, fil, I don’t think there’s anything prettier than a fluffy yellow little chick, but then people go and dye them bright pink and blue in an attempt to improve on Mother Nature….
Oh, exactly. They’re pretty much representative of the god-complex of the human race :p
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HI again Ailsa! I created another entry for your challenge, this one focused on markets in Oman: http://catbirdinoman.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/travel-theme-street-markets/
Wonderful, catbird, I find that part of the world so fascinating, I love seeing your photos!