The Belen Market

Below the city of Iquitos is the village of Belen. In order to walk down into the village, most people pass through the Belen Market, which is pretty well known for being a large market in South America. The conditions of the market, however, would send my mom to an early grave. All of the meat that is sold is displayed without refrigeration and is honestly probably never refrigerated. All of it is sitting out on the tables, most times in the direct sunlight. However, most of the meat does sit inside the building but that does not mean that it is any more sanitary or cool. There are rows and rows of raw meat sitting, waiting to be taken away by the people who live nearby. All of the meat is handled with great care and caution of course. Just kidding, that does not happen at all. Everyone touches the meat with their bare hands, picks it up, looks it over, and either puts it back or buys it. Then, they continue on their way. No washed hands, no chloroxing the sink and anything else that may have been touched by raw meat. Also, flies are a necessity to make the meat seem so much more appetizing. If the flies don't like it, why should we? Other parts of the market contain numerous types of fruits and vegetables. Some that are familiar to my American diet and most that aren't. I tried a type of fruit that tasted like a very sweet melon and was as sticky as super glue. Also at the market is a row of vendors that sell every medicine remedy you can think of and many you never knew about. Most are in liquid forms and are bought/sold by the bottle. This includes everything from ultra viagra to love potion that is said to make a person fall in love with the drinker with just a handshake. Many people also bring their handmade crafts to sell. This greatly includes skulls of animals, anaconda skins, blankets, hammocks, painted wood characters, etc. And finally, there are the men selling the name brand items that may have been stolen in order to be sold for a cheaper price. Most of these things are Nike or Adidas shoes, soccer jerseys, soccer cleats, or anything else with a name brand recognized by the majority of the world...

Stay tuned for the Village of Belen.