Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Two Families (Dos Familias) Meet at the Mercado


With Geoff safely back from las montañas, we organized a full family outing to the Wednesday market at Valle de Pablo, which we scouted yesterday, without the market going on.  We had Sebastian drive us in the van.  As we did not get started until 10 a.m. he had actually told his esposa where we were going today, and it is only about 15 minutes from here. Elizabeth, although an Oaxacan, had never been to this market.  It was fun to be surprised by meeting up with his wife and 2 ½ year old son Axel.  Elizabeth was carrying a nice green pot with a chip out of the lip.  I asked Sebastian about it, and he said Axel had pulled it off a display and they were now proud owners of a new slightly damaged pot!

Eliza is always fascinated by other small children and she kept a close eye on Axel.  She paid particular attention when he was eating a nieve (snow cone).  We continued on through the market.  So I can clear this up for you, all the villages usually have a covered Mercado (which we visited yesterday), but on their weekly market day all the streets are closed off and vendors of everything set up tables  and displays on both sides of the streets, with the shoppers going  down a middle aisle.  You can buy fresh fruit, clothes, hardware, toiletries, and just about anything you would want.  It is very colorful and festive.

As you might expect, with the Warren and Froh ladies training Eliza to become a super shopper, the day turned into “Spoil Eliza Day”.  The first purchase and negotiation was at a children’s hat stand.  She now has a very fashionable new straw hat.  Next was a stop at the Zapateria (shoe store), as all the ladies with me are into shoes, especially Eliza. She tried on several pairs, but none fit her properly. Crisis! Fortunately, just down the street was a vendor with an adequate supply of Eliza sized shoes.  She now has a beautiful new pair of sandals.

Along the way Sebastian showed Mary Ann where there was a pineapple vendor who sold really cheap.  We ended up with three pineapples (20 pesos for 3 = $1.58) so now we had really heavy stuff for Sebastian and I to carry (he is also burdened with stuff his wife has been bringing to him!).  Mary Ann gave one of the pineapples to him, as we certainly don’t need three, I think to make him feel better about being one of her burros.  We have all violated Sebastian’s rule of not buying until on the way out, so we are not carrying heavy bags!

After more fruit purchases we start walking out and guess who reminds us about getting nieves (Oaxacan snow cones) so we backtracked to the snow cone stand, which had tables available to sit and eat the dulce. Elizabeth and Axel join us there. We could have kiss of the angel, tuna, lemon, burned milk, and mixed nut flavors.  Eliza and I had lemon and Geoff had tuna (not atun which is the fish).  Both were great and Geoff thought he would get to finish Eliza’s but she, the great eater that she is, finished it all.  All this filled up 3 hours and back to the casa for swimming time.  I think our future is eating pineapple!

Eliza with her new hat
 
Sebastian, Elizabeth & Axel
 
Getting nieves (snow cones).  Yumm!  Tuna
 
Quirky Living Note
 
Want to buy (or sell) a car? -  When we went out on an excursion on Sunday, we found car after car lined up on the carretara facing with front to the highway.  Apparently, Sunday is your free day to sell or buy a car and pay no tax to the government.  Thus we spotted an area between our casa and Oaxaca downtown where this is permitted without penalty.  Sebastian, one of our casa managers, explained to me that if I had just known about it in advance he could have bought a car for me, and then sold it at the end of the month and paid a lot less than what it cost to rent a car.  Hmmm, must be inside information!
 
 
Sunday Car Sale.  Bargains galore.

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