Mercado

Happy 17th Birthday Steph!

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Nori at the market picking vegetables

Blanca tambien

Carne de Vaca (cow)

Yesterday at the market (el mercado) after lunch. It is difficult to express the colors, sounds and smells. It was so very different than shopping in the USA. First, the sights. The colors were amazingly vivid. The pictures do not do it justice. There were many produce stands with the vegetables and fruits arranged perfectly. So many different types! The corn we bought was much larger than corn at home. There was also purple corn, which is dried and used for a special drink.

Then there were the fruits. Lucuma. That was a new one for me, but only one of many. Ciruela is another. I had a lucuma ice yesterday and then we had to search the mercado for the fruit so I could see what it looked like. Heather described the tase as butterscotch. The flavor (sabor) is difficult to explain. If you have had bread fruit, then you might have some idea, only not smooth. A bit gritty. A woman in the market gave us two ciruela to try, but we have not eaten them yet.

Meat. First, I want to say, cows are friends, not food! (Vaca es amiga, no es comida). At the mercado, meat is not pristine and neatly packaged. Much of the future meat is alive! There were chickens, guinnea pigs, pigons, and quail in cages. In the states, an animal in a cage is destined to be a pet. In Peru, they are destined to be dinner! When some of the residents at Pat's Place (Heather's home) asked me if I like chicken, I tried to explain in my broken Spanish, that I do like chicken, but I am not so sure about chicken in Peru. I only like chicken that does not look like chicken. No bones, no skin, and definitely no feet or heads...

Smells. Many of the smells are related to the meat. Not pleasant. I had to remember to breath through my mouth. I suspect another aspect to the smell involves the many dogs roaming about. They don't have anyone to pick up their messes, or clean them, so they do not smell so good. My poochies are sooooo spoiled. They get groomed once a month. These dogs here are beyound unwashed. They are unleashed, unfed, and for the most part, unloved. The prevailent odor of the mercado, is stale urine and meat. Sounds lovely, dosen't it?

Sounds. There were lots of people speaking Sapnish quickly. All of the diferent animals added to the chorus. Coins clinking as they changed hands were the percusion. It is hard to remember that Christmas is just around the corner, but even in Peru, you cannot escape the ubiquitous Christmas carols while shopping. The soundtrack at the mercado was not the traditional Musack or elevator music of America, but rather, the tinny tinkling melody of a toy, likely made in China.

Today, we will be attending a baptism for one of Heather's clients, and the first birthday party of Blanca's grandson. Fuel for tomorrow's post!