Mercado Presidente Abelardo L. Rodriguez

Mercado Presidente ALR

My first open air market in Mexico City was a pleasant surprise. Based on the sage advice of a friend, I try to follow a raw vegetable diet. For a Gringo travelling in Mexico, uncooked vegetables are generally a bad idea. But I learned from the locals of a solution used to soak and disinfect veggies for fifteen minutes. So far so good. The local supermarkets here carry substandard produce. Likely because they are owned by WalMart. But the open air vendors know their produce. They know the farmers, where it was grown, how to prepare it and they are friendly. I met a very nice lady named Isabel who knew her Bracela from her Rabino. She offered so many tips on the vegetable, was willing to stop work and leave her stand to point out where the meat market was (I might be eating raw, but I still find room for cooked chicken) and an overall friendly person. It felt good to talk shop in Spanish. I told her about the benefits I discovered on a raw diet, while she explained how Mexicans cook. Isabel explained that although I am eating my vegetables raw, that I should not leave without tasting some of the Mexican delicacies.

Isabel hard at work
This was a great shopping experience for me.  Not only was I able to find a great selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, but I also met some nice people.  Others were not so nice - their loss.  My cache of great veggies was only about $5 USD.  A quarter of the price I would pay in the supermarket at home.  Plus, all of the money went to local merchants and farmers, none of it to WalMart.  My meals will taste so much better knowing this.












Ole!    Mole!

I also found a spice market that had our different varieties of mole.  Mole is traditionally Mexican.  It is usually made with red chilies, chocolate and peanuts.  I love mole, but the carbs are just too much for me.  










































Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ballet Folklorio de Mexico

Image
Today I went to the Ballet Folklorio de Mexico in the Palacio de Bellas Artes.  It was fantastic. The highlight of my trip so far. Why you ask?  Because of the beauty and the symbolism and storytelling performed in dance. Let me start out by telling you I was using much of my meditation experience to get the most out of the ballet.  I’ve been training myself to be in the moment. By doing this, I can see what’s really happening not distracted by what’s going on around me. I see how the performers feet move gracefully on the floor. The expressions on their faces. The way the lace dresses move on the ladies. But most importantly, it allows me to tune in to the story being told. Being in the moment allowed me to ignore all the tourists in the room taking photos, even though they weren’t supposed to. It also allowed me to overlook some freeloaders who snuck into the auditorium under the guise "that they were just simply there to see the building." Unfortunately, they were Amer...
Read more

Valentines Day Dates at Frida’s

Image
   On my last day, also Valentine’s Day, I went to the Frida Kahlo museum. Not knowing a reservation was required to get in, I was unable to attend the museum. The museum was full for the day, so there’s no way to see its wonderful exhibits on this trip. Fortunately, a group of three ladies were inquiring about the Valentine’s Day special event the museum was having for couples in the evening. There they were, three young ladies, looking to attend the museums in the evening, and I was a single old man, but still the fourth missing link needed to make two couples. So we quickly got our phones out and make a date. Jen would buy one ticket. I would buy the other. Together the four of us were going to see the Frida Kahlo museum no matter what it took. As you know, from reading this blog, I’ve been traveling alone.  The main point of this Mexico trip was to exercise my independence.  To see if I felt comfortable traveling alone again after so many years of traveling with ...
Read more

Go Deep in LIfe

Image
I tell others that I am not afraid of anything, but at the same time, I realize I am not a risk taker.  I was reminded of this today as I went for a swim in the ocean.  It was a beautiful overcast day.  Calm southwesterly breezes flow gently across the ocean and greet me with a kiss of salt air.  I am standing on the shore, half naked and gently walk until I am knee deep, then plunge myself down into submersion.  I lose my balance and the swells playfully toss body around like an old rag doll.  I submit to the power of the ocean as part of my aparigraha ….. letting go.   Suddenly I notice an older group of three, two women and a man heading into the water.  They are moving at a brisk pace toward the end of the shallow shelf into deeper waters to swim.  I ask myself, as a child, I used to body surf, swim and loved getting into deep water.  What’s holding me back from doing this again.  Where did I lose this child’s adventurous spirit...
Read more