I made it to Oaxaca! The stuff of legends, of endless of travelers' tales, of sights and sounds. And indeed, Oaxaca (pronounced Wa-ha-ka) does not disappoint! It is a rich and dynamic city and has a very distinctive feel to it when compared to other Mexican municipalities. Oaxaca (both the city and the state) has one of the highest populations of indigenous people in Mexico (mostly of Zapotec descent) and this brings to the city such vibrancy, colour and life. Ancient traditions are blended with more contemporary ideas, bringing about a unique and fascinating culture, very much apparent as you wander the cobblestone streets of the city. As a result of Oaxaca's indigenous culture, the state is blessed with some of the best artisans in Mexico, and it was a struggle to refrain from buying all the beautiful and one-of-a-kind handicrafts found there, from hand woven clothing to jewelley made from jade and amber.
Oaxaca is also renowed throughout Mexico for its cuisine, of particular importance to me! Tlayudas, distinctive moles, and let's not forget Oaxacan hot chocolate - all delights found only in this one particular region. The hot chocolate is especially noteworthy.....made of pure cocoa, almonds and cinnamon, and then ground up and mixed with milk.....mmmm I have never tasted a beverage so satisfying in my life. I had at least one everyday I was there. Sometimes three or four.
Oaxaca also has another delicacy not found anywhere else - chapulines, or fried crickets. You can find them (and smell them, as they're cooked with a lot of garlic and spices) being sold on every street corner. One morning, as I waited for a bus, I wandered up to the nearest street stall and asked if they sold any hot chocolate. "Hot chocolate?" I asked. "Fried crickets," the pair responded. "Any chocolate though?" I asked again. "Crickets," they repeated, this time smiling and nodding their head, as if that made it a suitable replacement for hot chocolate. Finally, on the third try, I asked if they knew somewhere nearby where I could buy some hot chocolate. Their answer - "crickets". I decided I would wait for hot chocolate.
That same day I made my way to one of the surrounding villages for their weekly market. I do love markets and their lively, exhuberant atmosphere. I knew I was in for a real treat when I got out of the bus and saw a woman on a tuk-tuk like vehicle carrying a live goat in her arms. At first this market seemed quite small and plain. But as I began to walk through the stalls, its true nature became apparent to me - a massive, tarp covered labrynth with no seemingly beginning or end. The more I tried to find my way out the more I got sucked in, caught up in the pounds of fresh produce, handmade goods or endless amounts of sweets to try. The air was filled with the aroma of cilantro, freshly cooked tortillas and smoke from charcoal fires. It had an intoxicating, fiesta-like atmosphere, with voracious Mexican music playing from massive speakers perched on every third stall, children laughing, vendors yelling as they hawked their various goods, and women huddled together exchanging the day's gossip in hushed, but rapid voices.
As I walked through a backstreet of the market, I felt as if I had entered a petting zoo gone mad - baby goats trotted through the crowds and the air suddenly filled with the sharp, piercing noise of roosters' calls. Looking around, the ground was littered with chickens and roosters everywhere. Most were alive, some were already dead, but they were all headed for the same fate: someone's dinner plate.
Later, as I sat back and watched the chaos unfold in front of me, I began to better understand the role of the market in Mexico. They're so much more than a venue for commercial transactions - they're social events, sometimes the social event of the week. They're a special, prearranged time for people to get together, interact and build community. People shop, chat, eat, and just have a good time with their friends and family. They show such an honest side of a country and that is why I love them so much.
As I sat there one older woman asked me why I had came to Ocotlan that day. I told her I came for the market. "But why?" she pressed. I explained that I found them interesting. She was baffled, aren't there markets in Canada? But when I told her we only have supermercados (supermarkets), she just looked at me, with such sadness in her eyes. I think we could do with some more markets in Canada.
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