I saw a poster with a pretty calavera (skull) advertising an organic market in Teotitlan del Valle, so we stopped by there on the way back to Oaxaca from the market in Tlacolula. The market was tiny and was shrinking because as we arrived rain had just started to fall. Vendors were either securing their awnings or packing up their products. The market featured a beautiful altar; this is probably the reason for the calavera on the advertisement.
Before they all disappeared, we spoke to several of the vendors. A woman had bread shaped in animals for altars. I bought a chicken and a horse. Several people were enjoying a bowl of chicken soup. As the woman ladled it out, she asked which part of the chicken they wanted in the soup. They chose thigh. Most of the vendors had small quantities of their artisanal products. They seemed unprepared for any sort of a crowd. This, of course, proved to be quite a relief especially after the hustle and bustle of the sprawling Tlacolula market.
