Monday, October 4, 2010

Sunday Tianguis in Colonia Popo

We've been dining al fresco lately on the roof garden, and yesterday during breakfast, Nick eyed the red and pink lonas, or tarps, that are characteristic of only one thing: a tianguis (from the Nahuatl word, tianquiztli, for day market). I turned my head left, lonas. Turned my head right, lonas. This was a tianguis of enormous proportion -- and two blocks away.

The joy I get from going to the tianguis is kind of unexplainable. Why I get so excited about mangos or leafy greens or guavas, I don't know, but there are perhaps a few of you who can understand. We are the types that buy beyond what we can eat, then go home and proudly display everything on the counter like we've just purchased pieces of fine art. When the spouse comes home and sees the harvest, he/she asks, "Don't we already have like fifty other types of cheese/chilis/bread?"

Each tianguis is unique in what they offer. Some focus on fruits and vegetables; others do food stalls, furniture, antiques, cars, etc. Ours is more like a US strip mall -- it has a little of everything with over 300 stalls spanning about 10 streets. Here is what's inside our strip mall:

Walgreens

Goodwill

Pro-Cuts

Krispy Kreme (actually not donuts but mini gorditas de nata)

Sally's Beauty Supply

Guacamolería/Aguacatería

Nick came down with mall-itis and became disorientated at the sight of all that there was to buy. So, probably, on future Sundays, I'll leave him to watch football while I gorge myself on fruits and vegetables and barbacoa tacos.

4 comments:

  1. I wanna go to your tianguis!!!

    We have a tianguis here in town for the next couple of days, with nothing but dishes, coffee cups and all kinds of non-electrical kitchen supplies! I think I'm in Heaven! :)

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  2. I wanna go to your tianguis!

    Some other interesting puestos at the tianguis were the eyebrow threader and the nail salons. The only thing they're lacking is a massage parlor.

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  3. I love your take on "strip malls" - sooo perfect!!! I have never looked at them this way, Thanks for opening my eyes!!!

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  4. I loathe malls and strip malls but LOVE tianguis shopping! No frills, taxes, advertisements, or complications. Just plain folks buying and selling. :)

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