Evening star., 1941-05-11
Travellers Can Find
Magic in Markets
OF Mexican Towns
There's q Welcome to
Buyers and Non-Buyers
If They Wish to Linqer

MEXICO CITY, May 1O.-"Little
merchant. little merchant. what will
you purchase? Why not buy my
bowl?"
Because don't need it"
but see how pretty. senorita."
The American fingers it appreci-
atively and begins to weaken.
"Cuanto vale?"-how much?
Fifty centavos, senorita," cheap,
barato." The bowl is a lovely piece
but too large to De conveniently
carried home. The American shakes
her head. And when the vendor
finally understands that the Amer
lean will not buy it, not even for
40 centavos, she asks in puzzled
tone, But what is your hurry? If
you don't buy it, at least we might
talk"
Practically any vendor in a Mex
lean market would just as soon talk
as sell. The traveller is welcome to
buy, but if not, he's welcome just
the same. One of the best ways to
understand the Mexican people is to
mingle with a market crowd and
become part of the throng that is
VlvaclouSly buying and selling, eX-
changing anecdotes and discussing
local gossip.
Flowers and Fruits.
Mexico City residents purchase
their foodstuffs in neighboring mar
kets scattered throughout the city,
and each is known for its distinc-
tive specially. If the visitor wants
to buy exquisite flowers, so dazzling
ly fresh that the dew still clings to
them, visit the San Juan Market,
where the street can hardly be seen
for the flowers. There, too, are dis
played luscious, exotic fruits. If it's
textiles the tourist wishes to pur-
chase. he should visit the Lagunilla,
where the glittering China Poblana
costumes dangle overhead, their
myriad SequinS refracting a million
lights, like tiny stars in a tropic
night. At the Merced you can buy
anything from secondhand bottles
to flrst-hand clothing. In practi-
cally every market the traveller can
purchase taWny leather goods. beau
tiful sea-blue glassware, colorful ma
tive textiles and pottery.
Although every day is market
day in the metropolis, only one day
week is set aside for going to
market in the villages. On that day
barefoot Indians travel many weary
miles on foot and on burro to sell
their produce and to exchange the
news of the past week. At fiesta
time, when all markets are spe-
cially large and animated, trav-
elers have an excellent opportunity
to pick up unusual handicrafts for
gifts and souvenirs. ..
Toluca Market Famous.
The Friday market in Toluca is
famous for its fine basketry, serapes
and embroidered belts. In the fish
ing village of Patzcuaro, the island
ers come to market by boat. At SUM-
up the placid waters of the lake
are alive with dugout canoes loaded
with TaraScans proudly bearing
their strings of cleaning fish, their
lacquer and petates to market. In
TaXco's charming little market place
exquisite hand wrought silver and
brilliant serapes gleam in the sun
light like treasures of the Aztec
past
There's magic in the markets
strange people, costumes. sights and
smells amid piles of golden fruit,
finely woven baskets, FURNISHED
copperware and shining pottery and
lacquer. Even if shopping is con-
sidered a chore, a Mexican market
often reveals born shopper.
Shopping is fine art. and Mexican
markets are happy hunting grounds.
Missing the market when in Mex
leo is like visiting Niagara and for
getting to look at the falls. Mexican
markets are like that.