Friday Lunch Trip

When Ernesto told me yesterday morning that he was going to check out the Mercado Central (central market) in downtown.  He wanted to buy some fish and shrimp for ceviche. I asked him if he could wait until 1130 because I thought that we could grab lunch there too.  We tried to go a couple weeks ago but they are closed on Sundays.  It was a 2 second bus ride to Paseo Colon, where the market is located.  We had to walk a few blocks and passed several little clothing and shoe shops and I made a mental note that I must come back with Kate so I can spend more time looking around.  I did make Ernesto stop in one store with me and I bought the cutest BLUE shoes. Look! Ok they aren't really patent leather, but a good imitation!  At $15 Im pretty happy with them! I also ended up getting 3 shirts....one matching my new shoes!  This is my fist time shopping in 2 months....not TJ Maxx but still satisfying!

I took this next pic, because it struck me as funny that all this construction was going on and people are walking right in the middle of it.  You would never see this is the US.  It would be totally blocked off.  That bulldozzer there....right in front of Neto, is pushing a big pile of concrete. 
Here I am at the entrance, I love the bright orange.

There is so much color here in San Jose, it’s a “hodge pogde” as my mom would say…but it all seems to go together! This Mercado is different than the Pavas outdoor fruit/vege market that I go to on Saturday mornings.  Inside is a maze of narrow isles selling everything you can imagine.

We found our shrimp right away, along with 5 million choices of fish and meat. We even bought our fish, a firm White Marlin already picado, so that saves a lot of time!We found our shrimp right away, along with 5 million choices of fish and meat. We even bought our fish, a firm White Marlin already picado (cut), so that saves a lot of time!

Of course they have all the fruits and veges too.

I told Ernesto, THIS is where we are shopping from now on, THIS is fun, THIS is why I love Latin America…and THIS is where locals shop/sell so we will be supporting the local economy instead of Walmart! There was a vendor selling dried herbs and home remedies.  Aleiments were listed on paper with the treatment written below.  Ernesto read about sinus problems (for you Mom) 

......and the remedy is to mix 13 herbs, including rosemary, sage, eucalyptus, leaves of avocado y hibiscus, ginger…and a few others that I don’t know what they are:

Anyway let these soak in vinegar for 24 hours and then inhale for 15 before bed.  Do this 22 days consecutively.  Let me know if that works for you. We also saw little parakeets and chicks, they were so cute. Look at the little black baby chick…

This shop was full of cages of crowded chickens ……and 4 puppies??  2 Wieners and 2 Huskies surrounded by chickens……I didn’t like that so much.

Since Im a hat girl, I stopped at a shop selling different kinds.  I scanned all of them and zeroed in on my favorite. 

Problem was that it was a mans hat who was also shopping for a hat and he set his down on top of the other ones.  I begged him to sell it to me anyway, it was so soft and looked good on me too (wink wink)  He didnt give in to my begging, but he did talk our ears off for the next 15 minutes.  Then when Ernesto and I sat down to eat lunch he passed by and saw us...he sat down and had a coffee while we ate.  He had a lot of god stories....maybe one too many.
I had my old reliable casado for lunch and Ernesto ordered oya de carne, which I helped him eat....especially the yucca....I love yucca!
After lunch we stopped at a really cute cafe inside the market... almost too cute, it was out of place, but very inviting.  The girl is schoolong Ernesto on the different coffees they sell, we bought a bag of their richest....Terrazu. Muy rico!

Every lunch should be this much fun!  We will surely make this a regular stop. This is my favorite place in San Jose so far.