Long aisles are devoted to green-glazed and natural beige pottery from the village of Atzompa and the famous polished black pottery from San Bartolo Coyotepec, spun to perfection on the Zapotec wheel, an overturned clay saucer, or made by molds into little ducks, owls, rabbits, birds, and necklaces (wear two or more at once).

In between the pottery stalls are painted wooden animals in a myriad of the acrylic colors, small leather goods (wallets, belts, wonderful bags), wooden stirrers, chocolate whisks and giant mole spoons, native blouses and huipiles. There is another locally-made pottery used in many Oaxaca homes called “criollo”, which imitates ware from Central Mexico with bright splashes of blue, red and brown on a white base. Inexpensive and cheerful, it is a modern interpretation of good ceramic ware from colonial times.

If you need a pair of tennis shoes, come to the Abastos Market; or party decorations, a suitcase, a haircut, saddle for your horse, or anything else you want in life. Perhaps you’ll be tempted to never leave the Abastos, spending your life there as most of the vendors do. Even sweethearts are available, at least in jest: vendors will offer pretty foreigners their son, cousin or even husband, sitting behind the eggplants with a hint of acquiescence in his grin. Humor is ever-present in the market, a light grease that smoothes the way of business, of exchange. The Zapotec women, all avid conversationalists, know how to rule their territory, and the best way to enjoy their market is to banter with them in good humor as you bargain and buy.

The Las Casas and 20 de Noviembre Street sides of the market are devoted to handicrafts and things the tourists like: sandals, straw hats with bows and ribbons, bags, hammocks, tinware to hang on Christmas trees, small black and green pottery jars, necklaces, and figures in the form of animals, musicians, angels, and birds. They hang in strings from the awnings, with palm and fiber baskets, hammocks and a hundred other things, swinging out in temptation.

The north side aisles are packed with small stalls selling some very choice regional textiles including traditional shawls in wool and in elegant, beautiful “silk” (actually a specially treated cotton); huipiles elaborately embroidered, and gay blouses covered with flowers. Especially beautiful and easy to wear are the huipiles or tunics from San Pedro Amusgos on the Pacific coast in a variety of delicate designs and fabrics, some with geometric flowers, some with animals and scorpions. These garments take months to weave on backstrap looms; they last forever and give a woman grace and dignity.

One aisle south are the “mercer’as” which sell a circus full of items from sewing supplies, wallets, plastic toys, and marbles to the famous Oaxaca cutlery, highly polished and engraved with proverbs or your name...knives, swords, sabers, cutlasses and kendos fit for a gentleman or a pirate; letter-openers for a modern businessman. Miguel Mart’nez and the Zavaleta Brothers, who have stands on this aisle, both sell and manufacture Oaxaca cutlery, and their workshops are open to visitors. On adjacent streets the mobile vendors “ambulantes” and shops abound, and one can easily locate a pharmacy, hardware store, stationary store, newsstand or money exchange.

Many visitors like the ‘tianguis’ open-air market in Tlacolula best after those of Oaxaca. The handicrafts are abundant, there are live animals from rabbits to oxen, and the Zapotecs and Mixe of the area appear in their regional costumes with all the family, making a day of it. The market stalls line one side of the pretty little plaza with its arcades, bandstand and picnickers, and wrap around the colonial church where life-size sculptures of martyred saints line the walls. The churchyard fills up with tethered goats destined for the barbeque, village ladies swinging baskets full foodstuffs, and families assembling to go home. The food is good in restaurants across from the back wall of the chapel. About three o’clock starts the packing up of the hammocks, metates, pottery, and leather goods that await buyers somewhere else. Tlacolula and Ocotlán are towns less than a hour from the city, and the markets recommended for their colorful authenticity.