The Tianguis at Lo de Marcos, Mexico

The Spanish word "Tianguis" is a new word for me. Then again, there are lots of Spanish words I don't know. We were told there would be a tianguis in town on Saturdays, and I had the impression it was a marketplace. I now understand the term to mean a temporary market, rather than a permanent one. Holding a tianguis is relatively new to Lo de Marcos, having first been established here just over a year ago. In the state of Nayarit where we're living, there is a list of tianguis and farmers markets ranging from north of us to as far south as Puerto Vallarta, most on different days of the week. Undoubtedly, we'll visit more than our local one, as we really enjoyed our visit today.

First let me introduce you to Memo, modelling the t-shirt. By the way, it says "Make art, not war" - difficult to see in this photo with the colours used. Memo is the volunteer who leads various walks and hikes in the area for anyone who cares to join him. I'll be ready for my first early morning walk on Monday, and I'm sure you'll hear about it!  

If possible, I usually ask permission before taking a person's photo, especially when it will be shown on the Internet. I'm also aware many people in poorer countries expect a tip when you take their photos. So, I asked the man in the photo below if I could take his photo, and he replied "Sure ... for 100 dollars". At least by the price, I knew he was joking. I did check with the organizer though, telling him this funny story. He assured me no vendor would expect any payment for photos taken, which was nice. I still checked with each person, when it was easy to communicate. I'm practising my Spanish here, but I have my limitations. Sometimes it's done by merely pointing to my phone, holding it up, and saying "OK?". That works too!

This lady wasn't so agreeable to having her photo taken, but I think it was more out of modesty than anything. I tried to get her attention, and although she glanced over she would quickly turn back. I would have loved to have taken photos of her at better angles, but I try to be respectful. She was standing there, weaving (or whatever it was) those hammocks, and I found it interesting to watch her fingers deftly work away. 

This was one of the more traditional vendors, but I was taken by the blaze of colour that hit me. I think it was more impressive in person, but I'm sure most people are familiar with the beautiful colours of Mexican products.

This one caught my eye because of the sign "creating jobs for Mexican women". Given I didn't want any soap, I didn't want to take up the person's time, but I was pleased to see the job creation, especially for women. We saw a similar stand when we house sat in St. Thomas, where quality products were made by local women. It's unfortunate in this day and age we have to fight for a decent living, and specifically for women, but the need continues to exist.

By the time I reached this stand, after taking time at the previous one, I missed the lady's explanation to Greg of her products. I know Greg seemed impressed by the health benefits of her products, and that's good enough for me. Sorry I can't tell you more. I guess you'll have to find her at a local tianguis.

Now we've come to my favour stand, and it wasn't even because of the food! This man, Edgar, was just a joy to speak with. His Spanish pronunciation was so clear that as I eavesdropped on him talking with the man ahead of me, I could understand most of their conversation. I admit I knew the context, as they were talking about bread, but it felt so good to be able to follow a conversation in Spanish. He later explained the man is Italian, so he spoke clearly to be easily understood. 

He helped us with some Spanish words, and I encouraged him to consider starting a Spanish school for the English-speaking visitors who winter here. An English-speaking lady was nearby and was trying to pick up a word or two of Spanish. He said his love was for making bread ... and for his love, Jessi. He said they get up early to make and bring fresh bread to the markets. He was a smart man too, saying that Jessi was the boss and the banker.

If you're in this area, you can contact them at Buen Provecho! Artisan Bakery. Many people pre-order their cinnamon buns for pickup at the market; apparently they're that good!

We did an initial tour of the market, and then went home. As we live nearby, we went back for lunch, just before it closed. Our friends had a shrimp empanada from this lady earlier in the day and said it was good, so we followed her lead. We shared one shrimp and one chicken empanada, and we both drank jamaica (pronounced "ha-my-kuh"). Jamaica is made from hibiscus flowers and is supposedly very good for you; I just happen to enjoy the taste.

I loved her clay pots, where she kept the various fillings shown on the sign above.

She placed a round of dough into a wooden press lined with plastic wrap.

Then she closed it and pressed hard, forming a perfectly thin tortilla-type round. We teased her about her muscles and she laughed.

Here you'll see two empanadas being prepared. When cooked, they were golden brown, light and crispy. She layered shredded lettuce on top of them, followed by a thin salsa-type sauce, and then a mayo or sour cream type sauce. Sorry, I'm not one to take photos of food, but I will say they looked and tasted good.

We enjoyed our visits to the market, and came home with pure vanilla, cinnamon bread, whole wheat bread, and coconut macaroons. You can tell I have a sweet tooth, can't you!

This saying was on a t-shirt at Memo's stand. It made me wonder whether this statement was fitting for me. To some people, yes, to others no. It just depends how you look at things, I guess.

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Location: Lo de Marcos, Nayarit, Mexico
Weather: High of 79ºF (26ºC), low of 69ºF (21ºC)

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