M-m-m-m--m-MARKET!!!

On Saturday, me and a group of friends took a trip to London's Borough Market, one of the biggest marketplaces in the city and a major hotspot for many Londoners and tourists looking for a great place to grab some lunch or produce for a later meal. From the outside, it doesn't look all that big, but it's the moment you step inside when you realize just how massive (and crowded) the place is. It's quite daunting to say the least, especially coming from someone who is used to the small, local markets on the Fayetteville square, which pales in comparison.

It has the complete atmosphere of a bustling market, right down to the wide variety of smells and ethnic cultures that you'd expect to find in a big city market. One moment you're smelling fish, the next you're smelling pastries. It's quite a treat to the senses, and easily overwhelming to your brain and your wallet. If you let your stomach get the best of you, it is much too easy to spend much more cash than you intended on miscellaneous items. After spending many minutes walking around, I finally decided on what to eat; a Malaysian curry dish. It was very delicious, and left me very satisfied. It was also pretty cheap! The great thing I noticed about the market was that buying lunch there was much more economically logical than buying something from a chain or restaurant. My meal was only 6 pounds, which was much cheaper than I had anticipated. Once my friends and I had all purchased our food, it then became time to struggle to find a seat. This was no easy task, with lunch hour being one of the busiest times in the city. After spending a good number of minutes looking around, we failed to find a decent quality seat and instead chose to sit by the sidewalk. I've learned real quickly in London that sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. It was quite an interesting (and stressful) experience, but definitely worth it for the quality, all natural food that you can only find there. If only Fayetteville's market had half as many options!