Mercado centro at Cd. Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico

In the United States, flea markets have become popular in the last 30 or so years, as they are very informal, offer great bargains, and provide endless opportunities for people watching. For most Americans, a visit to a flea market is more of a novel experience, rather that the place where you'd conduct much of your daily business, and make many or your household purchases. Most Mexican cities, including Cd. Victoria, have a Mercado Central, located near the center of the city, that occupies a city block, where locals purchase everything from hardware to vegetables, and everything in between. As long as we were exploring the streets of Cd. Victoria, Tamaulipas, we had to visit the Mercado Centro, or central market place.

Left: The busy Mercado Centro, as it appears on the side facing Calle 15. Right: A colorful vegetable and souvenir occupies a booth on the lower floor.

Mercado Centro is located at the corner of Calle 15 y Calle Ocampo, and occupies a whole city block. It's a two-story building that contains souvenir stands (since Cd. Victoria doesn't really cater to tourists, do the locals purchase souvenirs? ...) jewelry stands, tee-shirt stands, butcher shops, hat stands, juice stands, and just about everything else that you can imagine. Just about anything that you care to purchase can be found at the central market place.

Left: These two cute girls were fascinated that I was snapping photos, and asked me if I'd take their photo. Naturally, I readilly agreed. Duh! Right: I asked Jerry to snap a photo of the author, hugging the two cute, girls.

Stands, booths, and street vendors spill out to the city streets, making the area near the market quite congested with people, places and things. As you walk along the sidewalk, just outside the market, you'll have vendors on both sides of you, calling to you, and offering to you their fine wares. If you linger, some can be quite aggressive, and tug at your shirt and say things like "Señor, Señor, mira que tengo..." and other such terms of endearment... You just have to say something polite, such as "Grácias, pero, no, and you must say it gently, but firmly. It's all part of the game, and the mainstay of the culture of México.

Left: This friendly lady operates a candle booth on the second level, and her candles smell good enough to eat! Right: The smiles of the local merchants are priceless, as this pretty lady demonstrates.

We had the opportunity to explore the entire mercado, all one city block and two stories of it. Naturally, I kept my camera busy, as I was snapping photos of nearly everything I could see, because the pulse, and everyday life of average citizens of Mexico fascinates me. As we were walking by a booth that sold an endless variety of cowboy hats, a couple of young teenage girls spotted my action. They asked me if I'd take their photo, and since I love to take photos of beautiful women, well, what was a guy to do? I also got Jerry to take a photo of me, hugging these beautiful young women. Oh, to be single, and 30 again, with lots of time on my hands in Cd. Victoria!

Left: This gent scowls for the camera, behind the counter of his carniceria, located on the second level of the mercado. Right: Carniceria Sultana Jr. is closed for the day, but their sign proudly displays the fact that they sell barbacoa on Sundays.

If you want to really see what a city is like, visit the local mercado, as you'll get a chance to meet, and get to know the locals. I treasure the experience that I had at the Mercado Centro in Cd. Victoria, as besides the fact that I got to have a photo taken hugging two beautiful women, I got to mingle with, and get to know some of the citizens of the beautiful city of Cd. Victoria, Mexico.

Left: Jerry and Rodolfo bargain with a lady selling spice, on the outside of the mercado. There are many outside booths that face the street, and are located on the elevated sidewalk. Right: A view of the street from the elevated sidewalk of the mercado. This is Calle 17.

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