A few weeks ago I decided to use my Saturday and go for a walk. Though Maseru is not that large a town, there are a number of areas I had never visited before. My only goals: score some sweet local music, find a decently priced Aranda blanket (a key part of the national costume), and get some nice photos. I succeeded on the first two counts, and I will let you all decide on the third.
One thing I definitely noticed in my wanderings was the presence of a tiered economy for basic goods. Maseru has three ShopRights, decent sized grocery stores with a wide selection and clean premises that would not be out of place anywhere in the US. The next step down is any of the multitudes of Chinese-owned groceries scattered throughout the market section of town. Smaller selection, more irregular quality, not quite as clean, but cheaper prices. The final step down is the market stalls and guys with wheelbarrows selling only one or two goods. No selection, very irregular quality, clearly unhygienic (especially the meat), but you cannot beat the prices. Every once in a while you seen a crystal clear example of the tradeoff between cost and other factors (convenience/selection/cleanliness) and it was interesting to see it laid out so clearly. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of people in Maseru patronize some mixture of the Chinese-groceries and stalls, trying to stretch what they have as far as it will go.
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