the globe.

The Maxwell Street Market was smaller than I thought. As I walked closer, I saw a big steel structure of about 4 meter high saying “Maxwell Street Market”, and I thought it was going to start right away then. But no. The market was a block away.

People were packing up already. I thought I’d just go around to get to know the market a bit more. There were lots of Mexican food tiendas, things I thought I would only be able to get in Mexico. I was overjoyed. Quite a few of them sell tamales, huaraches, tlayocos with huitlacoche – and most importantly the red dried mango with chilli for $6 a pound. The stall with the best-looking dried mango refused to sell because they were not allowed to sell after 3pm. Oh well. I got half pound of a worse one.

I quickly got back in track, though. I was there for work. I was there to find Things. Things that people have touched. Like apples, and other Things. So I walked on, and around.

That’s when I saw the globe. I walked on and thought about it, and walked back again. The guy said he was selling it for $12. And he has another one – a better-looking one I should say. He said, $10.

I wasn’t sure, though. So I said, I’ll come again next Sunday.

As I was leaving, I realised that at the front of the market, where I entered earlier, there was a structure, solid but made of plastic, holding 4 waterless hand sanitisers, each facing a cardinal direction. I washed my hands and then crossed the street together with a mother and her 3 children. It was then that I realised that the next Sunday I will be in Quito.