Thursday is market day

Thursday, February 19

Didn’t I say I wasn’t doing a blog today?
How can I not? Today turns out to be such an interesting, varied day that I must share it with you.
Quite often we don’t leave for town until after lunch but it’s in the morning when all the action takes place, and often we find the stores closed at 2:00 pm. We remembered, that on Thursday there is market in Jocotepec. We have a huge shopping list from my friend Gill, who is planning a Mexican Fiesta this summer. She wants five different varieties of dried Chiles. Ancho, Cascabel, Guajillo, Chipotle and Pasilla.
I didn’t even know all these sorts existed. Today we learn what they look like.
We stop at several stands to find all the chiles we need. Gee, Gill, what did you get us into. It’s not easy to find everything, but after some searching, we end up with bags full of the stuff.
We stop at several vendors and when I see all the fresh fruit and vegetable I want to buy it all. At these prices? It’s a joke. Strawberries: 5 Pesos a kilo. (That’s $0.50 for my Canadian friends and less than 30 Euro cents for the Dutch and Spaniards). Cucumbers, 40 Pesos a kilo. A large pineapple 12 Pesos. Grapefruit, 4 for 6 Pesos.
We’re very tempted to buy one of those colourful baby chicks for 10 Pesos, but then we won’t be able to use the shower anymore, because that’s where it would have to live. I wonder how they colour them like that. Do they put dye in the food or water? These poor things probably won’t live very long with that poison, especially the red dye. But they’re so cute. Some even have a little cap.
A man offers me something that looks like fresh peas. They have a truck load of twigs that each have a dozen or so peas pods on them. But each pod only has one pea. They are standing at the truck pulling the pods of the twigs and placong them in a large barrel to sell. “They taste really good, boiled in salted water” the man claims. “But who is going to take the peas out for me?”, I ask.

There is plenty of fresh fruit already cut up, ready to eat. There is mango, Pineapple, papaya, even coconut and chopped up cactus leaves. A healthy snack I would say.
When you’re in Jocotepec, you must try Birria de Chivo. (Goat stew). With this hot weather I would rather have a fresh salad, but in town, at these vendors that may not be a good idea. So Birria it is. I watch grandma as she pulls the little pieces of goat meat out of the roaster in the oven and chops it up. Then the red tasty sauce is poured over it and presented to us. It’s delicious. I would love to buy a couple of packages of the spices used for this stew.

There is still so much to see around lake Chapala, and we seem to have so little time. Why is it that while in Mexico everything takes twice as much time?
We haven’t been on the Malacon in Jocotepec yet and heard that it is beautiful.
That’s no lie. It seems that every village along the lake is upgrading their Malacon and Jocotepec’s is the nicest. The end of the pier has a beautiful statue, which, at the bottom is framed with a set of hands which also look like fish on the other end.

There’s always someone fishing, either with a string and a bend needle, on which they stick a piece of tortilla, or with a net. To our surprise, the kid that casts his net, pulls up a number of small fish with it in no time. He throws them back in the lake though.
We stock up on more groceries and at home we BBQ some chicken. This is one of the first evenings we are home before dark and are still able to spend some time outside and enjoy a nice glass of Sangria. We both agree; Life is good. Especially in Mexico.