Los Ambulantes are street vendors. They are a common part of Mexican culture. It has been noted that the worse the economy, the more ambulantes walk the streets. It is truly impressive what we have seen and heard being sold on the streets here. Talea likes to echo the local tricycle-pedaling elote (boiled corncob) vendor. As he rides through the streets with a wash tub full off steaming cobs, he shouts "¡Eloooooootes!", then Talea shouts out her refrain. They are both attention-getters.
The particular titles of the ambulantes pertain to the product they are selling. For example, the fellow selling tacos on the corner there is the taquero. Talea´s elote-hawking friend is an elotero.
This is my growing list of items I have seen pedaled on the streets: corncobs, tacos, brooms, jewlery, candy, prayer cards, shoeshines, newspapers, churros, hamburgers (a great local version is called mulcos), chimichangas (sandwich), burritos, molletes, icecream, quesadillas, nuts (sold around town from wheelbarrows. I once approached a wheelbarrow-nut-guy and asked him where I could get some nuts in town. You had to be there), camote, tortas, tamales, and lottery tickets. The list grows, and this is just the stuff that is sold. I´ll save my list of services that are offered on the street for a future entry.
Para servirles,
Pepinodero
No comments:
Post a Comment