Markets, masseuses and con artists

Visiting the Rosebank Rooftop Market is a must for everyone at least once in their lifetime as a local South African, and for any visitor to our beautiful shores this place is a tourists mecca.

Here you can get anything from beaded keyrings, magnificent artworks to clothing and accessories for all shapes and sizes.  For antique and collectable lovers, this place is a virtual paradise. And when you stroll past the pop up food court, the aromas that bombard your senses are enough to get anyone’s gastric juices flowing.  A shoppers heaven.

At a loose end this past Sunday I found myself drawn to visit again and after strolling past the stalls and purchasing a couple of really non-essential items, I came across the vendor offering reflexology and massages.  I can now say that I have experienced another first in my life, and that is having the most sublime shoulder and neck massage, lying prone on a masseuse’s table, in the middle of a market, by the blackest of black Congolese man and I have to say it was the best massage I have ever had.

Now being totally relaxed and I am using this as an excuse, as I pride myself in not being too gullible, my next stop on my way out of the market was a palm reader. At the time in my relaxed state, I thought why not – he was a kind looking older gentleman, who invited me to sit down. I wasn’t going to give anything away about who I was or what I did in life and what my future plans were, let him tell me.  His hands were gentle when he cradled mine and we exchanged names. He closed his eyes and held my hands and seemed lost in thought. And the first words out of his mouth was “You have experienced quite a few traumas in your life” – my thought – “Hasn’t every one”. I just nodded and smiled.  The next 10 minutes were a jumble of self help quotes and observations that could pertain to any living soul on this earth.  I asked him “okay now that you have told me what you have “seen” about my past life, can you tell what is going to happen in the future”, his reply “No I can’t do that I am not a fortune teller”!  And that was that.  My biggest mistake here was not asking him before he started how much he charged!!!!!!!!!! I had to fork out R 400 for 10 minutes of garbage – I was conned.

So as a heads up, you have to visit the Rosebank Rooftop Market but DON”T stop off at the palm reader.