A store at the immediate Doorstep

“ZAFACON! "What was that?" I asked my wife while I was sitting on the bed. “Zafacón! "He's here again!" I noticed the clock: at 5:30 am I was still dizzy, I got up and looked out the window. To my surprise, I saw a thin little man walking the sidewalk with about four galvanized metal containers tied around his shoulders with a rope. When he repeated “zafacón” (the Spanish word used for garbage cans in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico), I realized he was collecting his goods.

It was my first, but not the last, experience with street vendors in Santo Domingo. We had just arrived the night before.

In some western countries, people often buy at the local supermarket or mall. But here in Santo Domingo, many prefer to stay at home and let the store come to their door.

The egg man arrives before breakfast. You can stack ten or fifteen cartons of eggs with thirty eggs each on your head. However, he keeps a very fast pace and doesn't even use his hands to keep that egg ride steady. Think what would happen if you tripped! But the egg man doesn't seem aware of the danger and rarely breaks as much as an egg.

The most common among street vendors is Platanero, a banana vendor. This banana-like fruit, when plentiful and inexpensive, is almost as common in the Dominican diet as the daily ration of rice and beans. Platanero can also sell cassava, a starchy root that serves as a potato substitute and is usually cheaper.

What do you need for your salad? Soon the shopkeeper or greengrocer will say "Vegetables!" Sing. On his head he carries a large rectangular wooden container filled with vegetables, herbs and tomatoes of all kinds. When filled in the market early in the morning, this concave container can weigh 14 pounds or more.

"Doesn't your head or neck hurt when you carry that load all morning?" I recently asked a sturdy woman.

“I'll probably start, but after a while you get used to it,” was his response. I was amazed at the mountain of fresh food that landed on his head and told myself that I was happy to be his head and not mine.

In addition to a wide variety of foods (vegetables, fruits, live chickens, fish), you can buy a lot of other things at the door. Do you need a mirror or do you want a sturdy vase for your begonia? Listen to the salesperson; Come early How about something for the sewing case? Soon there will be a sewing workshop with fabric, thread, thimbles, zippers, buttons, needles and more. Another retailer may offer indoor and outdoor clothing for men and women. Various household items can be purchased from another seller.

You'll likely see carts or carts full of everything from curlers and spool needles for women to books and magazines to buy, buy, or rent. Yes, you can rent a book at the door by the day or by the week.

Services are also available at the door. To repair a clogged drain or meet other installation needs, a traveling plumber will be on site in due course. Listen to their conversation. Do you need to sharpen your knives? Listen to the whistle from top to bottom. It is the sharpener who announces his presence. Does your umbrella need to be repaired? The umbrella repair shop will be happy to help you with your daily routine. How about the missing heel or the hole in the sole of the shoe? A traveling shoemaker likes to fix it.

Hawking's methods vary. Each is different and accurately describes the item or service available. Some street vendors have voices that seem to go on for miles. A woman is heard selling peeled peas for a few minutes before reaching the door. If you are in front of the house, your voice may be muffled by a conversation you may be having. To make themselves heard, some providers place their hands a few inches from their mouths to deflect the sound back and up the corners. Some buyers use portable, battery-powered addressing systems.

More than five years have passed since our arrival. For us, the messages from the street vendors have disappeared. However, we do appreciate how convenient and convenient it is to have a business on your doorstep.