Treasure Hunting

Every time there is a market (Tuesday, Friday and Saturday) boxes of produce that is deemed unsellable is left in the square. I found out about it one my way home from class one day. It was about 6PM (the market closes at around 5) and I saw an older gentleman rummaging through what looked like trash. Slowing my bike to investiate, he handed me an avocado, in perfect condition, and I was hooked. Since then, I have been going after almost every market. You would think that the students would pounce on this stuff, but they don't seem to care. They pass by on their bikes, often looking judgmentally at the people who are doing it, who tend to be young hippie couples, older anti-establishment types, and other intelligent people in general. My grocery bill has been cut substantially since I discovered this ritual.

Here's some of the loot I've picked up:

6 red peppers, 1 Canteloupe, 2 Avocados, 1 apple, 1 tomato, 1 mango


1 cucumber, a box of cherry tomatoes, 1 tomato, 2 potatoes, 1 orange, 1 red pepper, 2 chilis, 3 canteloupes, 2 papayas, 3 peaches, 1 apple, 1 kiwi


2 boxes of blueberries, 1 box of rasberries, 2 bundles of white asparagus (there were crates and crates of these!1), 3 heads of lettuce, 4 tomatoes, 2 onions, 1 box of mushrooms, 2 potatoes, half a zuchinni, 1 banana, 1 mango