Join me for a walk to the pharmacy through gritty small town South Africa
Facing the very real danger of my cellphone being snatched, I decided to share my trip to the pharmacy with you. I live in small town South Africa, and have a small business in central town, which has become increasingly downmarket over the years. As with what I suppose is the case with most places around the world, the more upmarket shopping occurs in the malls.
on my way...
I am quite comfortable where I am. Having had a shop in town for over 20 years has made constant awareness of my surroundings second nature. Armed robberies in town occur a few times a year, but I am lucky as the shop usually has enough people in it to discourage thieves. I encourage "visiting" and it is not uncommon for customers to stay for hours.
We've had a horrible bug in the family over the past few weeks. My youngest son was diagnosed with pneumonia, but it was probably a bacterial chest infection. I have not been feeling very well for a few days, so I assume the bacteria may be affecting me. I very rarely take antibiotics, but feel in this case it is probably justified. I didn't want to go to the doctor, so visited the pharmacist, who knows me well, and will give me the medicine without a prescription.
Come and take a walk with me. Please excuse the quality of the photos, as many of them have been sneakily taken. In this area of town you DO NOT wear gold jewelry, carry handbags or cellphones, if you do, chances are you will soon be parted from your possessions. I took the risk for you!
From my shop door, we are set two shops down from an intersection. It is a quiet day in town, so there is not much traffic.
A quick view up the road, I'm not going that way.
On my way, the far away figure in pink is the slightly crazy lady who owns a nearby paint store...it must be the fumes.
I stop at a supermarket that caters for the black trade, but they have an amazing butchery and very reasonably priced meat.
Their lamb is R78 per kilo, at my usual supermarket you can't buy it for less than R119 per kilo. I will buy some tomorrow.
There is a small shopping centre opposite the road I am walking along. This used to be the hub of our town, but is pretty downmarket now. The chap in the orange jacket is what we call a "car guard". If you park your car practically anywhere in South Africa you will encounter them. They offer to look after your car, and when you return to find your car safe and sound and unstolen, you give them a tip. How well they look after your car is debatable, and they are often the source of crime. (In South Africa NEVER leave valuables in plain site in your car, always lock them in the boot.) Never tell the car guard "no thank you", you might return to inexplicable damage to your vehicle.
At this particular tree, there are often cars blasting out VERY LOUD music from their cars, as an advertisement for the sound they can supply to parties or functions.
Directly opposite the tree is a clothing store, and like many shops in the area, they attract customers with VERY LOUD music. Sometimes they even hire dancers, it is pretty cool.
The tented structure is an informal trade barber. There are numerous informal barbershops around town.
Still walking...
An informal trader on the pavement. They sell anything and everything. Earrings, pantyhose, underwear, fruit, sweets, cockroach poison, perfume, traditional herbal remedies. They are there every day, no matter the weather, and in South Africa we can experience extremes of daytime temperatures that range from 8C to 40+C, sometimes on consecutive days!
The entire section on the opposite side of the road is dedicated to foreign informal traders, often refugees, and they sell mostly cheap Chinese made bags, shoes and belts. It is a notorious drug dealing area, and I never walk on that side of the road. I even felt a little nervous taking the photo. The foreign informal traders can't mix with the local informal traders, as we have bouts of venomous xenophobia in this country.
Arriving at the pharmacy.
Got my meds.
It was almost right here that a 17 year school student landed after jumping to his death a few weeks back. The dustbin was damaged and has since been repaired.
On my way back to the shop.
Just a quick photo down our main road while waiting at the intersection. If you go down this road you will be heading towards what is called the "Indian area" due to the prevalence of Indian owned shops. It is even more dangerous in this area, and I definitely won't venture there with my cellphone. There is a fantastic dental practice in an arcade just down this road. You don't make an appointment, you just wait your turn, but they are in no way inferior to upmarket dentists and the price is so much better.
Passing the somewhat intimidating foreign informal trade area again.
More informal traders. Here they are spaced out. In the "Indian area" you can barely walk along the pavements, and there are numerous squabbles between them and the shop owners. A lot of people are against their presence in town, and they do encourage criminal elements. But I feel sorry for them and admire them braving the weather day in and day out so that they can feed their families. It is sad, but sometimes I see toddlers growing up on the streets, as they accompany their parents to "work" every day.
Traditional herbs/plants for sale.
I popped into this supermarket for a chocolate, to console myself for feeling sick!
Back past the "black trade" supermarket. This group of men are "trolley porters" For a fee they will transport your groceries to your car, or, as in most cases, to the minibus taxi rank, which is found in the "Indian area", as many black people use minibus taxis or busses for transport. These guys are hustlers, so beware!
The tombstone shop and bottle store next door.
Outside the bottle store, I am nearly back at the shop now.
Standing at the intersection, with a view of one of my favourite places in all town, Vetkoek Den. They have been in town as long as I have and I just had one of their chicken curry roti rolls for breakfast. All these years and I am still addicted.
A view down the road. Most businesses down this way are car dealerships, repair shops and numerous funeral parlours.
And there's my shop! (With the brass bed in the doorway). My husband has just arrived to offload a few more furniture pieces. We are situated in between a funeral service shop and a shop selling safety gear. On the corner is a shop offering pest control services. They haven't switched on their electricity since they opened, not a good sign! They moved there recently after the crazy paint lady moved out in search of cheaper premises further down the road.
I'm back! I took my meds and I still have my phone. I have discovered that some of my white customers are a little intimidated by the area, for instance one man wouldn't walk to a nearby atm, but opted to drive 5km to use one in a "better" (safer) area. I love the grittiness, it is REAL. I will never be a mall fan.
Thank you for a glimpse of what the outside looks like! It's a refreshing perspective to say the least. I wish pharmacies here were so friendly!
The reason I made this post is because it is the type of post I enjoy. Take a look at @l0k1 and thank you, much appreciated!!!
Good Exercise, A stroll without even leaving my Chair! What Town are you based in?
hahaha, Newcastle, KZN