What a Wander Round Town will Teach You (Part II)

The Main Market

There will sometimes be a central market quite near the plaza and then a sort of country market – often called Mercado Campesino – further out. This second one is a terrific place to learn Spanish words for fruits and vegetables. They are lively places where you might feel overwhelmed at first by the volume of movement and the vast arrays of exotic foodstuff. Try and find a place to eat or drink which gives you a view of the action while you soak it up and find your feet. You are likely to come across vendors here who used slang words which you haven’t yet learned in class.

The University

This is a great place for bumping into interesting young folk after your Spanish courses for the day are over. In my experience South American students are among the people who are keenest to strike up a conversation with a gringo and help them out with new words. If you are in the mood for a bit of a party then these are also the people who will be able to tell you where to go. The first locals I spoke to here were University students. After trying to shake them off for about half an hour I decided to go with the flow and didn’t regret it one bit.