A Shopping Adventure at the Juarez Flea Market

The Juarez Flea Market is only open on Sundays. You are of course welcome to come any other day of the week, but you won't find much to buy, sorry. You can expect it to be quite crowded, as pretty much all of the locals shop here. Once you come, you'll see why. We start our journey by taking any bus travelling south in the golden zone that has the word Juarez on it. Look for it either on the windshield or on the display at the top of the bus. Ever since the train ran into a bus a few years ago because the driver was playing his boombox at full blast and never heard the whistle, the transit authority and insisted that boomboxes are a no-no. However drivers are still allowed to express their creative freedom by assembling a diverse collection of precious items and affixing them to the interior of the bus. Stay on the bus about 5 minutes after you pass Soriana's, at the Plaza Mazatlán on your left. When you see a store on your right with a large blue Nestle's sign painted on the wall, and the Taquieria El Toro across the street on the left, you can get off at that stop or the next one. The next one is better, but you'll miss the tortilla making shop pictured here. There is a Bital bank on the left hand side of the next stop. Get off there if you missed this one, and make a note of where you are. After you are off the bus, walk a few steps on the same side of the street and in the same direction as the bus was going. You'll come across a fragrence shop, where the nice lady behind the counter will be happy to mix you up just about anything you little nose could desire. The prices are unbelievable. Shampoo and Deoderant is $2US, Body gel is $6, and After Shave is $4. We walked out of there with the following treasures. A Gucci cologne, and shampoo, a Paco the waiter cologne (Jack swears that Val can't keep her hands off him when he wears this one.) An a Chanel #5 cologne and shampoo. Total cost, around $20US. Of course you can sample any fragrence before she mixes it up for you, to make sure you like it. Now walk to the end of this block and make a right. Of course if you walk past any shop that strikes your fancy, the owners will be more than happy to do some business with you. Walk down about two blocks. You should be able to see the huge Mexican flag over the hill in the distance. When you get to the giant statue of the head of Benito Juarez, you've arrived at the entrance of the Juarez Flea Market. So now I can hear you asking, what kind of stuff do they have here. Just to give you a flavor of the place, I collected a bunch of photos of the various merchandise available at some of the stalls. This is just a random sampling, I assure you the actual selection is much larger. Personally I bought a pair of Converse high top tennis shoes for less then $30USD. There were of course a few items worthy of special mention. When we first got there, the outdoor hair salons weren't doing a booming business, and the proprieters were a little on the shy side. As my grandmother used to say, Ein schöner rücken kann auch enzücken. But things picked up a little later. Everyone seems hard at work now. The salon is convienently located right next door to the food bazaar, but fortunately the wind blows in the opposite direction. Speaking of food, there is plenty available here. Now here is question for you: How can you tell that the honey is fresh? Val's favorite is the hot dog. I had a bite and it was very tasty. Jack and I succumb to the donuts, where were very filling. Getting home is easy. Make your way back to the Bital bank where you got off the bus. Then continue walking two more blocks in that direction. The bus you need to catch stops just across the street. If you're not sure, ask the driver if the bus stops in the golden zone. Have a great day, and enjoy all your treasures.

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