Local artesans and farmers travel into Chichi from the surrounding Mayan villages on Wednesday or Saturday, camp out that night, and then join one of the craziest markets you'll ever see the next morning.
It wasn't that the market was necessarily huge (there are probably others that cover more ground), but it was more that it was set up like a giant maze of tarp-covered stalls selling literally everything you could want or need: fruits, veggies, meat, live animals, clothing, shoes, jewelry, toys, wooden masks, purses, yarn, kitchen utensils, and all types of tourist souvenirs. The cobblestone pathways were tiny, and they wound from one vendor to the next. I rarely had any idea where I was, and about every five feet I passed another street, jutting off with another 30 stalls. It was like I was walking through the world's biggest, most never-ending craft store. :)
Any interest in buying a live chicken?
Iglesia de Santo Tomás
Smaller church opposite Santo Tomás
Such a cool view of the market-covered central plaza!
El Arco
That brightly colored row of buildings? The cemetery. Crazy, huh?
So Sunday I woke up early, caught a bus to Chichi, meandered my way through the crowded market for a while, visited both churches, snapped photos of the crazy-colored cemetery, allowed myself one purchase (jelly shoes -- see the next blog entry haha), found an adorable breakfast spot, wandered the market a little bit more, then decided it was time to head back on a bus. I was back here by late afternoon.
Great town, great must-see market, great trip. Definitely a great day. Enjoy the photos!
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