Popping into Chapala’s municipal market early one morning, my eye was drawn to a display of fresh fruits bathed in golden sunlight. I couldn’t resist pulling out my camera to snap off a few shots of the stunning still life.
Sadly, it’s hardly represents a true depiction of the Mercado, a place that once stood out as Chapala’s commercial hub, filled on one entire side with a string of vendor stalls stocked to the hilt with enticing fruits and veggies. Today a single family runs the two remaining produce stands.
While the market is still a busy place, it has lost it former charm, turning dingy over time. Two butcher stands, a poultry and dairy outlet and a florist are still in business on the ground floor, but the rest of the space is occupied primarily by food vendors.
Sure, it’s a good spot to scarf down a quick low-budget meal. Just this week I enjoyed a breakfasting of huevos rancheros and refried beans and a glass of fresh-squeezed OJ that set me back 65 pesos, tip included. But as I glanced around at the seedy surroundings I was overcome by nostalgia for the market’s better times.
Curious to understand what had happened, I scouted out Joaquín Rivera. He used to be my go-to guy for fabulous produce. He had graduated from standard merchandise to a great assortment of gourmet garden goodies and quality groceries. Late last year, he and his sibling partner suddenly vanished altogether. A few months ago they reappeared, one running a taco stand and the other a tiny grocery stall.
In conversation, Joaquín shared the family saga. His mother Doña Guadalupe was among the Mercado’s founding vendors six decades ago. Her sons joined in the business when they reached adulthood.
I asked if the arrival of big box supermarkets had driven them out of business. No, he replied, their enterprise was thriving. The brothers traded produce two ways, driving loads of products from local farmers to market in Guadalajara and returning with other produce purchased at that end. When their mother retired, her sons decided to take a break from the daily drudge.
Joaquin took off for an extended vacation to Europe. A merchant at heart, he came home to resume his occupation, now at a more relaxed pace that allows him more social activity.
He attributed the sorry state of the Mercado to neglect. The building sits on a geological fault that has caused minor structural damage. He scoffed at the current mayor’s proposal to totally rebuild it with an investment of 80 million pesos.
“You could put up a fancy shopping mall for that amount,” he said. “All it needs is a mano de gato (quick fix-up).” A top-notch engineer told him one million pesos would do to shore up the structure, install decent flooring, a better roof and new lighting fixtures and give it a fresh coat of paint.
Government officials have a penchant for high price tag projects, and we get the reasons why. So I’m guessing our Mercado will keep decaying in the foreseeable future.