
A stout lonesome figure, decked in black dress pants, and a white button-down shirt, stood erect in the scorching sun as he directed the steady stream of Saturday morning traffic, mixed with busy downtown shoppers that lined up at the pedestrian bump waiting for him to signal their turn to cross the street with a small whistle that dangled from his parched lips.

To some, it might seem like an ordinary day job, but for the traffic warden, his job was as important as any other as it traverse the fine line between order and complete chaos, among the surge of buyers that rushed to the San Ignacio market day to take advantage of the best deals in town.
But even as he whistled, and wipe the sweat that trickled down his forehead with a small rag, the crowd continued to intensify as shoppers, and even tourists seemed to be magnetically drawn towards the colorful tarps, that stood side by side, providing shade to the vendors that were shouting prices to potential customers that fingered and inspected their products, before setting them back down or placing them in their shopping bags to take home.

Even as the options appear limitless, the strong aroma of barbeques, greasy fast food options, and other local delicacies are the first to attract anyone with an empty stomach or anyone looking for cravings to satisfy. For me, it was the spicy Mexican tacos that sizzled on a nearby grill, that beckoned out to me to pull up a chair and take a sip of refreshing watermelon juice. While I waited for the vendor to serve up my tacos on a huge platter my eyes roamed around to the other nearby stalls, as I watched tourists and locals as they also became mesmerized by the aroma of their favorite food. Others mechanically walked by, stopping in only to read the colorful menus or take a glance at what others such as myself were eating, before walking by and disappearing in the crowd.
Finally, after about an hour of gathering my courage to brave the hot afternoon sun, I decided to get up and take a short stroll around the market to find deals so that I could stretch my money. That wasn’t a problem as I poured through a wide assortment of clothing, shoe, perfumes, kitchen utensils, hammocks, arts, paintings, plants, and local products at the best prices. After I was through picking out what I wanted, I also snatched up a couple of flowerpots, local jams, jellies, and tasty pepper sauce to add to my pantry at home.

With several shopping bags, touting behind me I finally decided that it was time that I pick out some fresh vegetables and so I made my way to the nearest stall that had some of the ripest tomatoes and biggest sweet peppers that I have ever seen. I chose some fresh beans, cucumbers, and cilantro. Before I could forget I also snatched some ripe bananas, oranges, and pineapples to take home with me.
As I waddle back across the pedestrian bump, a group of fishermen, who sat underneath a big umbrella, with their white icebox bellowed out to me, “come and get your fresh fish and seafood before it’s sold out.” Not needing another reminder, I walked over and snatch a couple of my choice before walking away to flag down a taxi.
By the time I passed back over the pedestrian crossing, it was already after 1p.m, the traffic had already slowed down to a slight trickle and the traffic warden appeared to have taken refuge underneath one of the shady trees, determined that the worst was over and that everyone could safely handle themselves from there.