Bogota — The Mercado

We love markets and I’m not talking Whole Foods.  Markets are the heartbeat of a city.  So one day, we hopped into one of the little yellow taxis and went to Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao.  It’s big, really big! By the time we got there at about 10:30, the market had been open for hours and the lunch stalls were busy preparing for lunch.  The flower market which opens at 4AM was just about ready to close but we were able to see  some of those roses!

Colombia is home to 25 varieties of mangoes, avocados the size of your head, dozens of different varieties of potatoes, fruits I’ve never heard of, fish I’ve never seen, the second largest producer of roses, and don’t forget the coffee!!

Our eyes were popping out of our heads there was so much to look at.  I was really bummed that I had just had breakfast because I wanted to eat at one of the food stalls.  And, I have to tell you, there was no smell, like the kind of smell you get from the fish department at Stop and Shop – none of that.  Everything fresh and clean!

Here’s a sampling of a busy market:

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What else did we love about Bogota?  Stay tuned and see you at the bar….