I don't know how it is for you guys, but one thing more satisfying than finding a hidden spot in the middle of nowhere, is finding a spot hiding at plain sight and actually being able to explore it.
This sunday I went to the city center to visit the Christmas Markets and I ended up very disappointed. Christmas markets are not what they used to be, at least in Puebla, Mexico but most likely everywhere and this is just because of one global player: China.
The Christmas markets in Mexico used to be full of magic: Ornaments for your house, decorations for the tree and the garden, gnomes, little baskets with snowmen that played a song when you pushed a button, lights from all colors - and some even with songs attached when connected - that would last ten years, tree balls from all shapes, colors, and textures... you get the point.
This time I stumbled upon crap made in China all over the place and everything looked so cheap and tacky I just didn't feel like buying anything, but that's a story for another post.
I was leaving the downtown area by foot because finding a parking spot in the city center is virtually impossible, and just as I was thinking damn, this was a wasted sunday I realized I was in front of a small alley with a simple yet promising outlook.
Casa Vintage (go left, follow the sign)
I followed the sign, a sign that most likely nobody saw, because the little alley was deserted and it appeared almost as if it was abandoned (and some parts of it were indeed more than abandoned, just purely neglected and turned into a gigantic trash can).
First, I had to go through a very sketchy looking hallway with little to no real support, the wood supporting the ceiling looked as if it would yield at any moment, but my curiosity was stronger than my fear to the unkown, and I kept going. As you can see, there's light at the end of the tunnel...
And I reached the entrance of what looked like an old vecindad, which roughly translates to poor, ancient, full of people shithole of a tiny neighborhood with no entrance (or way out) other than the one you are entering. This is where the poorest people live, and most of the times not even the law dares to enter, but this was in downtown Puebla, how dangerous can it really be? Besides I don't look like a tourist so, I'm good.
Look at how many people live in that little place, these are the power divisors (you know, so everyone gets charged what they consume, I don't even know if there's a word in english) for all the individual households.
Afterwards, it seems like the scenery gets better, and I could see the same sign I saw at the beginning of this little journey, about 300 meters inside from the main door that overlooks the street.
Can you imagine my shock after seeing there are street art pieces on a second floor? I have no idea who can actually see them, perhaps this was a place with high traffic and more people who cared about how things look and feel. Right now it's a shitty place, but I bet it was magnificent back in the day - whenever that was.
The path started to get shifty again, but I wasn't planning on going back... and I'm glad I didn't... The pictures speak for themselves after this.
Pretty cool huh? Who could've imagined there was an authentic antiques bazar on top of that shithole? Not me.
Take a look at every picture, there are truly amazing pieces there. From old bicycles to old furniture, vases, pots, milk dispensers, old mirrors and whatnot.
I wish I could stumble upon these little gems more oftenly, but I'll take as many as I can get. In the meantime, I hope you liked this little trip which is hardly urban exploration, but it feels the void.