Each Saturday morning in Basseterre, sellers rise early from their slumber to gather their wares and line the streets and the undercover markets with their fresh fruit and veges. Some keen beans start setting up already on a Friday afternoon, bringing Basseterre to life in time for a weekend of “liming”.
Much of the produce on St Kitts is imported from the US and Trinidad and, to a lesser extent, the UK. This adds to the expense, of course, making things a lot more expensive than in the US, which makes me wonder because the average salary here is not that high at all.
If you want fresh produce, you will haul yourself out of bed and get to the markets. The “official” markets are in an undercover area, while at least as many vendors line the streets, their fresh produce lying on trestle tables and on sheets laid on the ground.
Your choice of fruit and veg is weighed, and your goods added up. You select them yourself, and hand them to the vendor.
One time I had the experience of handing a woman some beans I had wanted to buy, following which she chucked a few more in. Naturally, I promptly tossed them back on the pile and said sternly “I have enough for what I want.”
How odd.
time2dance 
Interesting way to up-sell the qty of beans I guess 🙂 I love markets.
Same thing here in a way: despite rural NZ being economically depressed, people seem to have the money to pay thousands on a horse but flinch at paying $4.50 for a coffee.
Oh was she trying to give you extra beans as a bonus? How unusual!
Sorry that I made this unclear – she was trying to make me PAY for more beans! Like she had decided I haven’t grabbed enough and she needed another 10cents profit that day.