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Published: July 21st 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
We went to Santiago Tianguistenco Market (try saying that just ONE time fast), which is a huge regional market that "pops up" only on Tuesdays. Like all the other markets, this is where the common folk buy what they need. It's very similar to the markets in other towns, except that it's much, much larger, covering blocks of the town, making the roads near the center impassable by car. They sell fruits, vegetables, meats, shoes, pots, pans, clothes, purses, fly swatters, CDs, rubber gloves (in red), and about anything else you can imagine. It's sensory overload. Unfortunately, it was pouring down rain most of the time, so it wasn't that enjoyable.
Even though they have tarps covering most of the stalls and walkways, the plastic sheets are a patchwork, so there's no guarantee that it won't leak in between them. And trying to stay completely dry is pointless because there are puddles everywhere. And I don't want to know what kind of organisms are breeding in all that standing water.
This particular market was supposed to be a good place to see indigenous wool clothes and crafts, but damn if I could find any. We did
Green avocado leaf sausage
Don't ask what the stuff is in the pot. Do you really want to know?see a couple of sheep in the back of a pickup truck.
It's amazing to watch people as they navigate the market. To them, this is where the action is. They seem to eat the food prepared there without hesitation, whereas we're told to be very careful (I think everyone in the group has been sick here. Some more than once.). Wandering through the market, we only see a superficial glimpse of their lives. We can't really see the despair or the joy, or the tremendous amount of hard work. It's normal life to them. They work endlessly, pushing for a sale. It might mean the difference between providing food for their children and paying the bills or going without. Who knows? I can't imagine what it must be like living their life. And I don't know if I'd want to.
Among all the colorful tarps stands a beautiful church. One of the best I've seen so far. There must have been some kind of celebration earlier because the place was full of flowers. It was nice to get out of the hectic market for a while and just sit in silence.
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wim huijsmans
non-member comment
Dear Paul, Interesting the lecture on dying languages in the world. I ever read something like that regarding languages in Papua New Guinea. I hope you had a good lunch (video) in Santiago Tianguistenco Market. I said that name 10 times and I had a knot in my tongue. After a visit to the Santa Maria del Buen Suceso I guess your stay in Mexico must be full of good events. I wish you a pleasant time. With kindest regards Wim