March05_2010

Botanical Glossary - Home - References Cited

Central de Abastos Market in Oaxaca City, about 20 blocks southwest of the Zócalo (which is the center of Downtown Oaxaca) and across the street from the second class bus station. Most of the booths are open from about 9 AM till about 6 or 7 PM with a break in midday for an hour or so for siesta (during the hottest part of the day).

Photos - Market places in Mexico can be some of the more interesting spots to explore. In these photos, a family makes an example of the home crafted hibachi grills (in a large stack in center frame). These grills are made from scrap sheet metal that has been in large enough pieces to be properly folded and riveted together. It is common in Mexico to keep on using items over and over again until of no use. If you look closely at frame left, you will see a young child hiding on the wheeled cart behind the burning hibachi. This is a common thing: Whole families are involved with the market place and preschool children follow their parents every day and make do with the fun time resources of the market - every one watches out for each other.

Photos - Families or friends from a neighborhood will set up sections on a permanent basis (frame left) or a makeshift display (frame right) where each member of the community will come in on a particular day to sell their home grown produce. You can purchase some of the finest, freshest, tastiest fruit and vegetables here and also help out the local folks directly when you make a purchase. The lady with the onions in frame right has been doing this for years. It is more than likely the only thing she can do to earn money to pay her taxes. Fortunately, the Mexican Government understands the situation with it's peasants and makes allowances.

I know a couple in San Agustin, Offilia and Manuel who grow Carnations. That's it! Just carnations. At one time they had two fields, one with carnations and one with Arum Lilies, but they are two old now to handle the added labor of growing two crops. They spend their days tending the flowers and growing their own food, tending the goats and the cow and chickens, Offilia goes to Etla Market every Wednesday to sell her Carnations on a clean blanket spread out on the ground. That's how they pay their taxes.

Photos - Setting up her tables (frame left) in the early morning - as you can see in center frame, there are others that have their produce covered, but in most cases, the early bird gets the pesos. Some of the fruit you see here in the bigger dealers displays are also supplied by growers in neighboring territories.

Click here for more photos of Oaxaca Mexico for this day.