On the other hand,\u00a0Colombian markets<\/strong>\u00a0are also everywhere<\/strong> – pretty much in every neighbourhood around the country. They\u00b4re dirty, loud, and often at the mercy of the elements. Their structure and organisation are ramshackle. The vendors there are kind of gruff, if not a bit rude. There aren\u00b4t any shopping trolleys.<\/p>\n So, you may be justified in asking me, oh Gentle, Astute and Possibly Confused Reader,\u00a0what exactly is my problem with malls?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Well, at the risk of being\u00a0unfairly labelled a hipster<\/strong>\u00a0(totes not, btw\u00b4sies, brah), I\u00b4ll let you know. My problem, my Gentle, Astute, and Possibly Confused Reader (do you mind if I call you GAPCR for short?), is that even though Colombian malls might actually be pretty good examples of malls, there remains one small detail.<\/p>\n They\u00b4re still malls.<\/strong><\/p>\n A mall, no matter where you find it, is a spooky example of what have been dubbed “non-places<\/a>.” Just like a 7-11 or an airport, once you get\u00a0lost in one of these shiny-white spaces<\/strong>, you could be pretty much anywhere around the world. Or,\u00a0nowhere<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once you\u00b4re at your local market, there\u00b4s no mistaking that you\u00b4re definitively and unavoidably\u00a0there.\u00a0<\/strong>From the mud on your shoes to the incessant cries of “a la orden<\/a>,<\/strong>” there\u00b4s absolutely no mistaking that you\u00b4re part of a local community – at least for the time you\u00b4re there. You\u00b4re firmly in a local space bursting with its unique personality. You don\u00b4t need a little arrow on a massive, confusing and impersonal sign telling you that “YOU ARE HERE.” It\u00b4s palpably obvious that you couldn\u00b4t be anywhere else<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It\u00b4s generally the case that the livelihood of the person<\/strong> you buy that delicious granadilla from at your local market is closely tied to the continued existence of that particular stall. Compare that to a giant supermarket in its impersonal mall, where the relationship between the owner of the chain and the particular employee serving you is about as remote as it\u00b4s possible to be<\/strong>. They might as well be in Mexico. Actually, they probably are.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n “Do you want fries with that?” “Do you have a points card?” “Cash or credit?” \u00a0You\u00b4re not going to hear any of these rehearsed lines at a market. Sure, a fun game to play is to see how many times you hear\u00a0that famous “a la orden,” but, following on from the last point, I defy you to find me a more genuinely Colombian phrase<\/strong>. After that greeting, you\u00b4re on your own. You choose your own shopping adventure. Instead of the institutionally-instilled uniformity of your transaction at a mall, you\u00b4ll get a truly personalised, personal interaction. It could be gruff sometimes, but it\u00b4s a heart-felt gruffness<\/strong>. No fake smiles, or “thank you for shopping at”s here.<\/p>\n You may still ask, “why is that a good thing?” “What\u00b4s in it for me?”<\/p>\n Well, GAPCR, in the grand style of Derek Zoolander, let me answer your question with another question:\u00a0“do you know what a \u00f1apa is?”\u00a0<\/strong>Once you\u00b4ve worked out the awesome significance of this little word, I challenge – nay! double-dare – you to\u00a0ever\u00a0<\/em>be the happy recipient of such guileless generosity in a mall. It\u00b4s common custom at pretty much any market here to get a little something extra with your purchase<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n To continue answering your (admittedly selfish but) perfectly reasonable question, let me just point out that\u00a0markets are way cheaper than supermarkets<\/strong>. It\u00b4s a little crazy, but it\u00b4s often the case that even your little local cornerstore is going to be cheaper than that massive “convenient” supermarket over there in the mall. As for the comparison between markets and malls,\u00a0forget about it.\u00a0<\/strong>There is no fair comparison. And, especially if you get there in the morning, the produce is going to be way fresher and better<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here\u00b4s another reason that crappy little local market can make you feel good.\u00a0If you frequent it,\u00a0you\u00b4re\u00a0directly\u00a0<\/em>supporting a Colombian farmer<\/strong>\u00a0or producer.\u00a0<\/strong>And, believe me, they need –\u00a0and deserve<\/strong> – all the help that they can get right now. With no intermediaries or giant corporations involved, it\u00b4s cheaper for you, and better for your farmer.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Even ignoring all those above\u00a0points, there\u00b4s no denying that\u00a0Colombian markets are totes amazeballs.\u00a0<\/strong>If you\u00b4re in Bogota, for example,\u00a0you need to go to Paloquemao<\/a><\/strong> at least once, just for the experience – even if it\u00b4s just to take photos. Other markets that also double as tourist attractions in their own right include the massive, baffling Bazurto<\/strong>\u00a0Markets<\/strong> in Cartagena (of course, keep an eye on your personal items here), or\u00a0Bombona\u00a0<\/strong>in little old Pasto. Even if – or especially if – you\u00b4re just passing through, there\u00b4s no better way to get an insight into exactly how Colombia is than heading to such markets.\u00a0Buy some fruit<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>while you\u00b4re there. It\u00b4ll make you happier<\/a>. <\/p>\n All in all, I guess my title to this is a little unfair on the poor old mall. It\u00b4s not really that they\u00a0suck<\/em>, it\u00b4s just that they seem to, when compared to the mighty awesomeness<\/strong> that is the traditional, humble Colombian market.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The beaches may be crazy, but what Colombia\u00b4s major cities seem to be crazy about is their malls. Even though these centres of commerce are rather liberally dispersed throughout each metropolis and reach frankly titanic proportions, you\u00b4ll still find them absolutely choc-a-bloc any given Saturday. Their crisp white interiors generate an air-conditioned atmosphere of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88889,"featured_media":10664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[35,19,3,115,4,66,65,1346],"tags":[2867,2102],"yoast_head":"\nBE Where You Are.<\/h2>\n
![\"you](\"http:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/you-are-here1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nDon\u00b4t Follow Someone Else\u00b4s Script.<\/h2>\n
![\"ron](\"http:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/ron-burgundy.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nYour Market Is Better For You.<\/h2>\n
![\"Paul](\"http:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Colombia-Vacation-Day-2.jpg\")
<\/a>Your Market is Better For Colombia.<\/h2>\n
![\"seecolombia](\"http:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/seecolombia-staff-jump.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nMarkets Are Awesome.<\/h2>\n
![\"Bazurto](\"http:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/cartagena-mercado-bazurto-2.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n