In Merkato's Menyalesh Tera, an Isuzu truck briefly pauses as a towering pile of goods is loaded for its next journey. A steady flow of pedestrians weaves through the bustling crowd, while mobile merchants momentarily seek refuge from the sun in the truck's shadow before resuming their rounds, pushing wooden wheelbarrows baring fruits and vegetables across the city. Merkato, established in the 1930s under Italian rule as a segregated trading area, now thrives as the largest open-air market in Africa. The market offers a vivid and authentic glimpse into the intricate web and diverse, simultaneous realities of a truly vibrant urban life.