there are colourful country markets in nearly every town around oaxaca . . . each one having it’s own day. one of the largest and oldest is the sunday market at tlachalula, about 40 km east of oaxaca . . . one we were told is a ‘MUST see’. so I hope that explains the ‘why’ about why am I out of bed early on a sunday morning, on a vacation day, to go shopping . . . again. well, that and the forever tolling church bells that I’m now beginning to think are tolling for me.
the market was huge, thousands of people, and went on as far as my eye could see . . . and when we got that far it went on and on with wings and areas extending off the main. we snapped a few pictures when we were sure not to offend anyone, but they cannot capture for you the smells, colours and sounds. there, one can buy anything . . . what are you looking for? a hand sewn yoke for your oxen, parts for your kitchen sink . . . maybe a new dress?, some music? batteries? toys for the children? how about a live turkey for dinner? or, would you rather have chicken? live? bbq’d? or, a home fryer? or perhaps just some baby chicks to raise yourself and decide how to feast on them later? of course, no market is complete without a large and varied array of colourful fruits and vegetables, tortillas, flowers and food stalls.
all through the market you can hear the sounds of whistles, chickens, and the hundreds of vendors shouting their list of goods and/or menus for everyone to hear.
the taste testers were lots of fun . . . not like the ones at costco. besides the sunday market, tlachalula is also renowned for mescal . . . and they push it with free samples all throughout the market. as well, food that I couldn’t even begin to describe, never mind pronounce. one i can remember, clearly, are the mounds of spiced ‘chapulines’ . . . better known in our world as grasshoppers. i can tell you, from personal experience . . . yes, another first . . . they do not taste like chicken . . . more like bacon bits . . . very salty, and can be very spicy, depending on the vendor. they apparently provide a much needed additional portion of protein in the diet of many locals.
that tasty little snack didn’t quite fill the hole in our tummies, so we stopped at one of the many food stalls . . . this one away from the main crowds. after watching a woman perform the full process of grabbing a handful of dough from a pail at her side, to pressing it into a tortilla, and then grilling it on what would be described as an hibachi if it were on one of our backyard decks, we enjoyed an order of tortilla filled with the famous oaxacan cheese and what I believe were squash flowers. she seated us at a table beside her cooking setup where there was a cabbage salad and an array of salsas. a well spent 15 pesos.
behind the market was a church . . . although in mexico, it’s safe to say there is always a church . . . it is huge and looked interesting so we walked over hoping to have a look inside . . . but forgetting it was just after noon on a sunday . . . guess what was going on? so not wanting to intrude (or get yelled at by the priest) we just left quietly and embarked on our little journey back home.
now there are a couple of ways to get there. you can pay a taxi driver about 200 pesos and he will drive you to the market, wait while you shop and look around, then drive you home. another way is to take a taxi to the bus station . . . 40 pesos, take a bus out to tlachalula . . . 24 pesos, take a bus back to oaxaca . . . 24 pesos, miss your stop and get thrown off the bus at the end of the run, take another bus . . .11 pesos, but get the directions wrong and end up in the wrong part of town, take another bus . . . you’re right, another 11 pesos, and have the driver blow through your stop but finally get off a couple of blocks later (with the help of a few locals on the bus who heard us clearly, even when the driver did not) and then walk home. guess which option we chose?
riding a bus here is interesting, as most times there is a driver and a second guy who kind of roves . . . calling out the stops and who helps collect the fares. they also allow local vendors to come onto the bus and peddle their wares . . . to a captive audience . . . and they pay the driver when they are ready to get off. everyone is always hustling here.
it was an adventure and an adventure is always worth the effort.
we finished the day with an evening stroll for cappuccino with mitch and karen our new guest house neighbours, and now friends, who are here from the Philadelphia area.
the market was huge, thousands of people, and went on as far as my eye could see . . . and when we got that far it went on and on with wings and areas extending off the main. we snapped a few pictures when we were sure not to offend anyone, but they cannot capture for you the smells, colours and sounds. there, one can buy anything . . . what are you looking for? a hand sewn yoke for your oxen, parts for your kitchen sink . . . maybe a new dress?, some music? batteries? toys for the children? how about a live turkey for dinner? or, would you rather have chicken? live? bbq’d? or, a home fryer? or perhaps just some baby chicks to raise yourself and decide how to feast on them later? of course, no market is complete without a large and varied array of colourful fruits and vegetables, tortillas, flowers and food stalls.
all through the market you can hear the sounds of whistles, chickens, and the hundreds of vendors shouting their list of goods and/or menus for everyone to hear.
the taste testers were lots of fun . . . not like the ones at costco. besides the sunday market, tlachalula is also renowned for mescal . . . and they push it with free samples all throughout the market. as well, food that I couldn’t even begin to describe, never mind pronounce. one i can remember, clearly, are the mounds of spiced ‘chapulines’ . . . better known in our world as grasshoppers. i can tell you, from personal experience . . . yes, another first . . . they do not taste like chicken . . . more like bacon bits . . . very salty, and can be very spicy, depending on the vendor. they apparently provide a much needed additional portion of protein in the diet of many locals.
that tasty little snack didn’t quite fill the hole in our tummies, so we stopped at one of the many food stalls . . . this one away from the main crowds. after watching a woman perform the full process of grabbing a handful of dough from a pail at her side, to pressing it into a tortilla, and then grilling it on what would be described as an hibachi if it were on one of our backyard decks, we enjoyed an order of tortilla filled with the famous oaxacan cheese and what I believe were squash flowers. she seated us at a table beside her cooking setup where there was a cabbage salad and an array of salsas. a well spent 15 pesos.
behind the market was a church . . . although in mexico, it’s safe to say there is always a church . . . it is huge and looked interesting so we walked over hoping to have a look inside . . . but forgetting it was just after noon on a sunday . . . guess what was going on? so not wanting to intrude (or get yelled at by the priest) we just left quietly and embarked on our little journey back home.
now there are a couple of ways to get there. you can pay a taxi driver about 200 pesos and he will drive you to the market, wait while you shop and look around, then drive you home. another way is to take a taxi to the bus station . . . 40 pesos, take a bus out to tlachalula . . . 24 pesos, take a bus back to oaxaca . . . 24 pesos, miss your stop and get thrown off the bus at the end of the run, take another bus . . .11 pesos, but get the directions wrong and end up in the wrong part of town, take another bus . . . you’re right, another 11 pesos, and have the driver blow through your stop but finally get off a couple of blocks later (with the help of a few locals on the bus who heard us clearly, even when the driver did not) and then walk home. guess which option we chose?
riding a bus here is interesting, as most times there is a driver and a second guy who kind of roves . . . calling out the stops and who helps collect the fares. they also allow local vendors to come onto the bus and peddle their wares . . . to a captive audience . . . and they pay the driver when they are ready to get off. everyone is always hustling here.
it was an adventure and an adventure is always worth the effort.
we finished the day with an evening stroll for cappuccino with mitch and karen our new guest house neighbours, and now friends, who are here from the Philadelphia area.
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