Mercados

MERCADO CENTRAL

Mercados tell you a lot about the people. El Mercado Central, all the way down Esmeraldas Street on Pichincha, sells fresh, and I do mean fresh flowers of all kinds. I buy my bunch of half a dozen gorgeous, fragrant roses here for $1.00.

Besides flowers, they feature meat and fish, which I skip and buy from the mall supermarkets... but their organic super size fresh produce saves me a bundle. I especially like their cantaloupe - big as a small watermelon - onions, green peppers or whatever I need at the moment.

I don't drink their juice here because I'm not sure of their water quality though.

Since it's on one of their "be careful" zones, if you feel safer going by taxi, by all means do so. Personally, I walk.

MERCADO ARTESENAL MARISCAL SUCRE

Two blocks across from El Ejido - The Chosen - Park, down the street from Hotel Colon, steps away from El Espiral, Mercado Artesenal Mariscal Sucre reigns in the rain or in the sun.

Once you know, I mean really know the exact location, you can sprint down from La Colonial.

Sometimes I hop on the trole - trolley. Two stops and I'm there... almost. At least, I'm at El Ejido Park. Of course, how many stops depend on where you board. Then I just keep walking.

I follow one rule anywhere in the world I'm not familiar with: Ask at any store for directions if you think you're lost, or catch a taxi. It helps to know where you're going!

You know you've arrived when you find yourself surrounded by almost everything in El Ejido Park on the weekend and so much more.

The sunburst mirrors, leather clocks, and tahua miniature carvings tickle my desires. Tahua, a vegetable ivory, used to only provide buttons, but now carvings of a menagerie of animals have exploded.

Very interesting and welcome gifts to give to anyone on your list any time cling to walls just waiting to jump into your shopping bag in exchange for cash. Any occasion lends an excuse for a gift.

I take care of all my Christmas shopping in the mercados of Quito no matter what time of year. The prices propel my heart to sing, "Oh, the money I saved, ka-ching, ka-ching."

EL EJIDO PARK MERCADO

The other mercado of two mercados (coming from Otavalo) within walking distance from each other claims attention first.

Tents stretch across the park like a giant caterpillar every weekend offering everything from Otavalo up north.

Any taxicab driver knows his way to El Ejido Park even though they may not understand English. Ejido is pronounced ehido. Never forget to check that the taxi exhibits a big number on the windshield, the name of the cab company on the side, and that he charges according to a running meter that starts at zero.

From any park entrance, paths lead to the long train of tents that display Panama hats made in Ecuador as always, scarves, ponchos, capes, leather wallets and coin purses, alpaca goods, wood carvings, among hundreds of other things.

Artists display and sell their masterpieces or copies of other masterpieces all along the sidewalk as you follow the art from either direction of this highly commercial and popular park... why else would it be El Ejido (the chosen)?

Sometimes soothing Andean music resonates throughout the area as musicians at the entrance to the mercado play intermitently, hoping to sell you their CD's.

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