We jumped on the big green bus that traveled from the Golden Zone to downtown Mazatlán. The trip was a cacophony of sounds, sights, and sensations ranging from the bright colors of the streetside stalls to the jostling of the riders as they did their best to stay upright in the moving conveyance. Talking, laughing, shouting, and even a musician with his pipes and guitar who played for us. I took it all in, enjoying a bit of bustle after days by the sea with only the sound of the ocean and sometimes a Bossa Nova song drifting in from the restaurant nearby.
The bus turned inland and began into town joggling up and down the little hills. No longer the glamourous resort facades, but one- and two-story buildings with stucco fronts and rusted ironwork lined the streets. Turquoise, fuchsia, sun-yellow to honor the colors of Mexico.
Making our way off the bus at the mercado, we passed by the street vendors with their fruits and candies, leather goods, knockoffs, cheep children’s toys and sunglasses to enter the shade of the block-wide central market.
The Pino Suárez Market*, better known as the Mercado, is a fascinating place to shop. Made up of single stalls run by various vendors, you can find anything from the proverbial soup to nuts. A Galleria hosts shops selling clothing, knickknacks, and other inevitable tourist trappings. Along the narrow aisles, fruit and vegetable stands, as well as booths with eggs, cheese, and dairy products, sit alongside shops with more usual grocery wares such as salsas and Fabuloso household cleaner. A man sells cactus pads, both whole and diced into pieces known as nopalitos. The market is so fun to explore and maybe a little bit scary.
*Mazatlán’s Mercado Pino Suárez, opened in 1900 as Mercado Romero Rubio, is a historic iron and steel market designed by Alejandro Loubet, known as the “Iron Palace,” and later renamed for assassinated VP Pino Suárez; it’s a vibrant center for local life, commerce, food (fresh produce, meats, seafood, juices), souvenirs, and a key part of the city’s historic downtown, reflecting French/European architectural influences and a hub for authentic Mexican culture and culinary experiences. ~Google Overview
I bustled Jim through the meat section as quickly as possible, trying to ignore the pigs’ heads and other animal parts while holding my nose against the smell, but soon enough we came to the area we were looking for, the produce section with its array of vegetables and fruits, many of which were grown locally.
We perused the stands with their stacks of oranges, peppers, onions, guayabas, and more, trying to decide which one we wanted to buy from. Though we’ve been to the market many times over the years, we still managed to get lost among the warrenlike aisles.
Choosing two stands that offered what we wanted, I let Jim take care of the payment. I’m so thankful for his quick ability to figure out the money aspect from the bright-colored Mexican bills and coins.
We bought a rack of tiny bananas that taste slightly of pineapple, a papaya, a poblano pepper, white potatoes, smoked marlin (a Mazatlán specialty), mangos, a fat carrot, candied pecans, and medjool dates. All that and a few things I’ve forgotten to list cost around 300 pesos.
Various coconut concoctions, my favorite!
The herb shop.
So tempting, though I have no idea what flavors.
We took a Pulmonia* back to the hotel with our full bag of goodies, ready to embrace the quiet roar of the ocean once more.
*A Pulmonia in Mazatlán is a unique, open-air, custom-built taxi resembling a large golf cart or stripped-down VW Beetle, offering a fun, breezy way to see the city, especially the Malecón (boardwalk). These iconic vehicles, named for a playful warning that their open sides might give you “pneumonia,” provide panoramic views, serve as taxis and tour vehicles, and often feature vibrant designs, loud music, and disco lights for a lively local experience. ~Google overview
