The coolish morning called for a hooded sweatshirt, along with my long skirt and shirt, socks and shoes. The birds were pretty noisy this morning, greeting the day with an argument about who gets the front porch and the nicest tree branches.
We left at about 8:15 AM. The market opens at 8:00. Already the vendors were selling their wares with enthusiasm. Well at least some of them were loudly calling. Then there are the very quiet, sweet, women kneeling at a blanket full of items just hoping you will choose their fruit to purchase. Mostly there is just a bunch of one kind, and they like to see you buy a whole bag full.
Tonight I am making stir fry for the Quezada family, so I purchased some onions, green peppers, broccoli, and 2 big chicken breasts. Here is the stand where I get my chicken.
They are just killed that morning or last evening and not chilled, so there is no smell and the meat looks bright and fresh. Not a feather in sight. Not sure how they got every little feather off the head, legs feet. I had some last week and it was very tasty. They are corn fed, and grown at a farm, hence the bright yellow colored skin.
There are a lot of flowers in Oaxaca. The people like color and that is expressed in many ways. Not just in the flowers, but in the choice of building paint, the clothing and much of the items made by the artisans. The artisan market is much of the same items, stall after stall. Not sure why all of the basket makers have stalls next to each other, all the weavers and all the jewelry close together. Wouldn’t it make more sense to spread out? Maybe birds of a feather flock together.
These women were carrying basket loads of gorgeous flowers home. I wish I could see the bouquet each arranged to make her home look special for tomorrow, being Sunday. Perhaps she had guests coming, or maybe she was a house worker for someone with more cash to spend on the blooms, and she was making a room look nice for them.
Everyone carries their purchases home in handled bags. There are no big paper or plastic bags. Once you are handed a little baggie with your goods, you have to pack it home. And if you accumulate too much, you will have to hire a 3-wheeled motor cart to get you back to your kitchen! Mostly women just carry home what they bought, arms laden down, walking slowly. I chickened out an brought my back pack.
The big shopping is done in Oaxaca. They actually have a Sam’s Club now, and a big grocery store. Certainly not as big as a Walmart, but seems big and busy for Oaxaca. The predominant colors are red, pink, shades of blue and white for boxed items on the shelves. You can get just about anything there, except for Adams peanut butter…. Sigh.
This guy is selling corn tortillas by the kilo. I just love the scale. He is not nearly as sweet looking as the lady last week selling them, but I am sure they taste the same. They are machine pressed earlier in the morning. There is a tortilla press stall just down the road, but he has brought some over to sell and wrapped them in the white cloth, carrying them in the orange plastic box. They cost about ten cents each. I am getting choosier about my tortillas now. The really good ones are made of corn or wheat, by hand, and cooked right on the grill at the stall. There is a little tortilleria just around the corner from the birth center. I guess that would be all I needed for lunch. Am I spoiled yet?
The stalls are filled with local fruits and vegetables, along with some local crafts. No imported stuff here. There is a lot to see and I am constantly having to check myself to see I am not staring. I am totally charmed by the Mexican older women. I just love their clothing, their quiet and thoughtful demeanor and even their bad teeth. I can tell that they have led a life of serving. Each is probably a grandma with children and grandchildren. I hope that that their families loving care for them.
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