Buying at the Mercado

In Mexico there are the grocery stores and than there's the Mercado....Grocery stores are usually chains looking very much similar to what we are used to north of the border. Mercados look more like our farmers markets, however they are everyday, not just one or more days a week.

Today Carlos decided that we need some fresh veggies, so off he went with his backpack to the main market, called Lucas de Galvez, downtown. It's about 3 miles south of us so it's a bit of a walk, but it's also something that he enjoys doing. I've gone with him many times, but not today as we had a workman at the house doing some installations of smoke detector, towels bars and other basic items. The mercado is a feast of color, noise and smells and can be overwhelming on a hot day. However today is one of those perfect Merida Days when it's only mid-eighties and there's a slight breeze.
The Mercado is much more than a veggie market, you can eat lunch, have your shoes resoled (while you wait), buy a machete, a dog, some clothes and have a key made. But today we only needed some vegetables!

Carlos returned home with his bounty and this is what he bought... 5 carrots, 7 potatoes, 1 large avocado, lettuce, a large cabbage, three green peppers, 5 roma tomatoes, 7 white onions, and three limes. The cost for all? Just under $6.00 US. Fresh and delish, Mexican style.