The fruit/veggie van

Many neighborhoods in Salvador have the joy of the fruit and veggie guys that drive by on a weekly, or in some places daily, basis. These guys have either white VW vans or pickup trucks filled with fruits and veggies that you can buy for a lot cheaper than in the store. Plus you only have to carry them from your front door to your apartment! What a great deal!

Here is today´s buy: 16 bananas, a bag of sweet potatoes, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, passion fruit and a papaya. The grand total? R$9! That´s $5.63US with the current crappy exchange rate of R$1.60 to $1US. Keep in mind that on my first visit to Brazil in 2004, the rate was R$3 to $1US. Also, food prices here have been increasing, and lots of folks are complaining that everything is so expensive. But in my gringo mind, this is still an incredible deal. Bon appetite!!!