Much of Mexico and all of Guatemala is a land of volcanoes. The small country of Guatemala (it is the size of the state of Ohio) has over 100 volcanoes. Volcanic ash over centuries apparently enriches the soil. Check out this zanahoria my son is holding up in a Guatemalan market.
And now you know what my letter Z stands for. A little stand near my apartment in Xalapa sells fresh-squeezed juice of various kinds: orange, mandarin, beet, mixed green vegetables, and carrot. I love carrot juice and my order is always jugo of zanahoria.
This bag holds one kilo of juice and costs 35 pesos (2 USD). As you can see with the pineapple in the background, the volcanic soil grows nice large fruit as well.
Let me tell you something about the love affair between Mexicans and their zapatos, which is my other Z word. There are more shoe stores in a mall than any other kind of shop. Entire blocks of downtown areas are given to shoe stores. Mexicans love their shoes. Many of them are made in the country, in their own factories. If you want unusual or fancy sport shoes, for example, come shopping in Mexico.
These are covered in silver glitter and so fun to wear. The shoes below are made from plastic but look like white tennis shoes. They have no laces, just slip on and off, especially great when one has to walk outside during the rainy season, as they repel water and are easy to wash and keep clean. I bought them in Merida. I've never seen them anywhere else.
I also have a pair of sport shoes that are a shiny gold, fancy enough to wear with a long skirt, as in this picture from my son's wedding. We are both wearing unconventional zapatos. I'm also wearing an ankle brace from a fractured ankle bone, which determined my decision for flat comfortable shoes. Gold ones worked well.
Whenever I'm in America and wear shoes bought in Mexico, I get compliments. "Love your shoes! Where did you get them?"
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