Tent City Revisited: Two big markets

In 2018 we were in Oaxaca. The zocalo, the hub of activity in the center of downtown was a forest of tents. This is purportedly not a rare event for Oaxaca due to its status as one of the poorest states in Mexico, and the willingness of ethnic groups and professionals to campaign for better living conditions. The willingness of the government to embrace people’s right to protest plays into this. People are allowed, perhaps even encouraged to gather en masse in order to be heard in their campaigns for social change.

For the first weeks we were here there were no tents. Suddenly, it seemed, the zocalo is a forest of tents again. I have been told it is due to the teachers campaigning for better pay. I have also seen signs that seem to indicate that it may have something to do with conservation and particularly with water. The water issue appears to be predominantly an infrastructure issue. Oaxaca can get large amounts of rain in season. They need the capacity to store it. Either way, the tents have returned. It all appears to be perfectly peaceful.

A block south of the zocalo begins a two block stretch of two huge artesan markets, Mercado Benito Juarez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre. Each is a square block in size. Between them there are about 800 vendor stalls. There is food, arts, crafts, clothes. Most of it is wares that are made and grown in the mountain communities surrounding Oaxaca city. A street divides the two markets and that street, on one side is nothing but choclatiers who make and sell their chocolate products on site. Some of them even offer classes for those who want to experience chocolate production. The colors in the markets are wonderfully stimulating. I’ve taken pictures, but I do not know how they can possibly convey the immensity of the markets. Hopefully you can appreciate the colors.

I rarely buy clothes, but I have been wearing a belt for years that started falling apart in the year I bought at Macy’s. I bought a true leather belt of the type I used to buy in Mexico. From experience I know this won’t fall apart.  It cost $14, the Macy’s belt was about $40 as I recollect. That kind of savings is normal in Mexico. My hour long physiatrist appointments cost $25 and she is a fountain of knowledge. An hour of one on one Spanish conversation lesson is $20. The plate of tomatoes in a beet puree pictured below is $10 at Levadura de Olla. Try finding these prices in the US.

Finally, I leave you with a picture of another hum drum church.