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Mercado Central - Best to go early in the day to the public market - before the heat of the day works its magic on the fish shops. A great place to get your fresh bolillos (buns), Oaxacan rope cheese, vegies and fruit - or just stock up on colourful plastic kitchen items.
Seafood is caught the night before so it is fresh. Lots of colourful displays of fruit, cheap CDs of Mexican music, skinned goat's or cow's heads, whatever you could possibly need. Also the best source of Guerrero style molé that I've ever been able to find (Telomoapan style - very good stuff).
The best bolillos I found in Zihua are at an award winning bakery in the mercado. Only buy as much as you can use in a day or so since they are freshly made without preservatives and stale quickly in the warm climate. These are great with Oaxacan rope cheese. Sometimes you'll see a fellow wearing a white hat with a plastic tub covered with a cloth. He's only there for a few hours and not every day. Under the cloth he has a batch of the white cheese. Ask for a quarter or half kilo and he'll tear off a bunch into a plastic bag.
The Comercial Mexicana store is a great start to a Zihua trip to get all your supplies for the holiday. We have always had a fridge in our hotel suite so we stock up on beer, milk, yoghurt, butter, eggs, etc. in order to make breakfast and lunch less of an ordeal. Although we go out for breakfast a few times, the convenience of eating something on a sunny deck with a cup of locally grown coffee borders on luxury - at least in the winter months. The store is huge and carries everything, much like a Costco.
The local fishermen are out all night hauling in their nets for the catch. They pull up on the main beach of Zihua (Playa Principal) and sort through what they've caught. These fish are huachinango or red snapper, the local staple fish. These are great grilled and covered in a salsa diablo (devil sauce - spicy) or ajo (garlic and butter). If you have a barbecue or grill back at the hotel to use, these are the freshest fish available. Many locals and restaurant personnel are on the beach around 7 to 8 each morning buying directly from the fishermen. It's quite a scene to witness even if you aren't interested in purchasing.
Along Calle Cocos there used to be a farmers' market every morning, selling all sorts of fresh food. They have now moved in indoors to a place called 'Campesino', but you will still find local women on the street selling fresh fruit and vegetables at great prices. Go early in the day and pick up some fresh fruit, live blue crabs, and vegetables if you have cooking ability at your hotel.
On the first day of Spring (which is also Benito Juarez's birthday), the children of Zihua dress up in costumes for a parade. Very colourful and some of the costumes are incredible.
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