El Mercado. It's Spanish for "The Mercado".
Good thing we have it since you can't cross the border in Laredo anymore to go shopping lest you get kidnapped. Only thing missing is the Mexican beer; ice cold and dressed with popcorn salt, lime and a napkin neckerchief. And I bet you could even ask for that.
Spent the day with Mama Juana, DD and Clo-Flo. Shop after shop of blankets, tiles, baskets, pots, tortilla presses, dresses, guayaberas, fake flowers, 1 tequila/2 tequila/3 tequila/Floor t-shits, pressed 
tin light switch covers, cobalt rimmed hand blown glasses, cantina signs, Frida Kahlo woven plastic shopping bags, Selina homages, copper rings made while-u-wait, Mexican wrestler masks, smooshed cowboy hats, air-brush tattoos, little girls singing Mexican pop songs and friendship bracelets. Most stuff is priced pretty much the same so it doesn't really matter where you buy something if you like it. If you can remember where something was that you wanted, more power to ya. Strangely, I didn't find the blankets I really wanted until the last shop we were in. Go figure.
Touristy or not, we went to Mi Tierra for lunch. The other place (that I can't even remember the name of 
right now. One moment, caller...... La Margarita!) was recommended by someone, but for the real El Mercado deal, go to Mi Tierra. They have a great bar, yummy margaritas, fantastic bakery, unbelievable decor in each room and the food is pretty good. I thought I loved their rice until I realized it tasted like Rice-a-Roni. There's definitely better Mexican food in San Antonio (Rosario's, for one), but if you're in El Mercado, do as the El Mercadoians do.
Is anyone else freaked out that this looks like Michael Jackson with a booty?
All in all, a family-fun filled day! Even if my two-year-old niece made us stop and listen to the pan flute while she played her "pitar". And ate a tortilla.
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