The Market of Actopan

Post date: May 27, 2010 4:25:23 PM

On Wednesday I visited the Market haphazardly as I searched for "La Oficina Postal" to mail my proof of travel to T-Mobile, who had been trying my patience regarding my request to waive my early termination fee. Time will tell.

The streets were packed with tarped kiosks with 1.5 shoulder width lanes between them. Nothing in this town is ergonomically designed. Car suspensions and human knees alike suffer the lashings of this rough construction, but this, in addition to the typical heat, forces one to "take it easy" and to "stop and smell the roses."

Wrinkled, shawled ladies sat at their tables, whittling needles off of cactus to sell. A cleanness greets your nose near them. Further down are several people sitting, prepared to eat, at a table where a vendor is cooking in giant skillets chicken and peppers and tortillas and the rest for tacos. Smells more than edible. Another booth is selling boquets of bright flowers. Another guy is selling whole sheep hides (wool, people), and although they were likely washed, they still appeared multi-colored shades of gray and black. Here you find truly raw materials. There's giant piles of peanuts, a tarp with mounds of corn kernels, the biggest bananas you'll ever see, and slabs of fried pork skins. There must also be a market for junk-drawer items like old second hand wrenches and screwdrivers, wall adapters to who knows what, machetes, hoe blades, fingernail clippers, and every other odd and end. There's breads, dried chili peppers, limes, candy, grapes, cherries, papayas, and other assorted fruits and vegetables. Some vendors were selling clothing, half of which were women's undergarments. Some stands sold what I assume was meant to be potpouri or incense because it was chopped as such and smelled heavenly.

It could be compared to a flea market/farmer's market but with a more raw, natural, impoverished twist.

I bought some sugary gum drops similar to "orange slices." I ended up giving half of those to Carolina, the nice english-speaking girl who helped me in requesting the police report from the police at the police station, a document I need to get some money from my travel insurance company.