toy market.

On a more superficial note, another wonder of Nairobi has revealed itself. Toy Market, near Valley Arcade and off Ngong Road, presents hundreds of small second-hand clothing stalls every Saturday. If you arrive early, you can expect good prices, “the first customer of the day.” While I am not always a fan of haggling (call it colonial guilt), you can half the proposed price and work your way up to something reasonable. Sweaters, like new, for $2; Armani leather shoes in mint condition for $10; still new H&M discards for $1-2, business slacks with a pressed crease still intact, for $5. Every possible era of European fashion exists in these small wooden structures. My prize being a well-loved red leather jacket for $12. And if you are like me and hate the activity of “shopping,” you can always celebrate supporting the local economy, shunning the rather stupid mechanism of international aid through clothes donations, and engage in a bit of environmentally-friendly recycling. On top of clothing knick-knacs, you can find an excellent assortment of books, jewelry, vegetables, sunhats, pirated movies and music.