Culture: La Merced

Mexico City is home to over 300 marketplaces. Many are dedicated to one type of product, such as flowers or fruit, while others are a grab-bag of plain old junk. Regardless of content, you can learn a lot about Mexico City (referred to as El DF in Mexico) in its marketplaces. Your quickest dose of culture can be found in a bustling city mercado.

When I travel I make it a mission to visit the main markets in the city. Having a checklist to go through in El DF, one made the top, La Merced. La Merced, the largest market in Mexico City, is an infamous marketplace known for seedy characters and prostitution. The marketplace is more of a neighborhood, as the main structures are surrounded with street commerce for miles.

To the west lies the historic zone of El Df. To every other direction lies its own respectable seedy neighborhood.

The La Merced marketplace was established in 1594 as a monastery marketplace. Over the years the area has developed into the massive marketplace it is today.

La Merced has proven it can withstand the trials of time. It has survived fires, competition from other markets, and police raids. The outdoor markets that are attached to every side of the main market hall are illegal, yet through persistence and bribes, have survived.

La Merced has become infamous for prostitution. Mainly criticized for under aged prostitution, as prostitution is legal for adults in La Merced, as it is considered a regulated zone. Police can be seen standing within arms distance of working prostitutes.

Raids have been conducted to crack down on underage prostitution, yet very rarely.

La Merced is said to be one of the cheapest zones for prostitution in El DF, as services can be had for as cheap as $8 USD. The prostitution has never caused excessive violence, except in 2007 and 2008 when over 12 women were murdered.

I had spent considerable time attempting to research La Merced, yet eventually came to the conclusion that there is just not that many people who have written about the place. Westerners do not visit the market very often, and Mexicans who do not live nearby, don’t care about it.

After my first visit to Tepito I decided to make my way on the metro to La Merced. I was surprised to find the metro exited into the middle of the mercado. Giving me no time to get myself together, I just started walking like I knew where I was going.

I realized quickly if I didn't keep my sense of direction I would get lost quickly, as at first all I saw was fruit, fruit, and fruit and my mini-compass, which I had bought at Wal-Mart, was a piece of crap that failed me in my time of need.

I wandered the narrow hallways, dodging out of the way of speeding vendors and buyers with shoulders full of fruit and fresh foods. I saw nothing but hard working citizens for as far as I could see. I had no idea how one shop could distinguish itself from the thousand others selling the same thing.

Getting tired of high school aged boys bumping me as they hauled-ass around the narrow halls, I decided to get out for the time being. I headed back to my hotel, vowing to return another day.

A few days passed as I soaked in other parts of the city. I finally had the urge to try La Merced again.

I returned mid-afternoon this time, emerging from the metro again. I walked more confidently through the hallways, bumping high school aged boys instead of letting them bump me first.

Walking through the crowded alleys I ran into no threat. Any time I felt like someone was tailing me to close I'd take the subtle-confront method. I'd step aside acting like I am looking for something in my pocket, then rapidly lock my eyes on the possible stalker, usually making them uncomfortable as they pass by.

Regardless I always keep a few tricks up my sleeves when it comes to self-defense. I have a fancy for pepper spray pens and compact knives, not to mention a couple fisticuffs locked and loaded at all times.

By now I had spend considerable time in the market place. I had seen none of the infamous hooker lineups that I kept hearing about. I circled around the backside of the main marketplace on Rosario street and headed north. When I got to the end of the action I took a left going west until I hit the main avenue in the area, EJE 1 Circunvalacion.

Having given up on seeing the lines of prostitutes I figured I would head north out of the area. As soon as I looked forward I noticed about two dozen girls in tight pink and red dresses lined against the wall. Turns out they hang out on the main drag.

I started walking slowly up the main avenue, observing the prostitutes lined up on the street. The girls were spaced out about 4 feet on each side of the walking area for as long as I could see. From this viewpoint it looked like there could be well over 200 prostitutes working at this time.

A few potential customers would stop and chat with the girls, yet I saw no money exchanged or any women leave their positions. Every block or so had its own hotel, which the women used for their services. Some overlooked the street, while some would be nearby in an alley.

I had the eery feeling of people watching me as I slowly walked up the street. It turns out I was right. Men, who in all likelihood were pimps of sort, would sit or stand at open windows in some of the buildings on the second floor. They clearly were keeping an eye on their women and all who passed. Paying them no attention, I kept moving.

The women looked un-energetic, standing there in skin tight dresses and heels, almost in a daze. Police and businessmen walked by, paying the women no attention. Not once did I see a prostitute haggle or try to sell herself. They simply stand there.

I walked close to a mile, with no break in women lined up. I crossed the street and headed back going south on the same avenue. The population of working women was not as high, but fairly close.

I abandoned my plan to take out my professional camera and take photos of the women. The watching men from above may have helped in that decision a bit.  I opted to try to take what photos I could with my phone instead, deciding I didn't feel like getting into a confrontation with an angry pimp.

I walked down Circunvalacion for a bit longer, hoping to see some type of action. I was in amazement that this many prostitutes were working and nobody seemed to be even paying them any attention.

While some sources have stated (and re-quoted on Wikipedia) that one-third of the prostitutes are underage at La Merced, I highly disagree, at least from my observance on my two visits. Many of the prostitutes look to be of mainly indigenous decent, coming from southern Mexico states. These women often appear much younger than they are and stand very short in stature.

While I agree some were clearly 16 or 17, they were far and few between. La Merced may be a host of some underage prostitution, yet it is not blatant.

Deciding I was content with my visit of the area, I booked it west on Salvador, heading back into the historic zone as the sun set on another Mexico City day.