What for many is not more than hovel not only serves as a support for hundreds of families throughout the national territory, it also serves as a micro-space for the preservation of our traditions and support for the quasi-artisan creation of an infinity of products that range from the gastronomic to the utilitarian.
The next time you see one of these “barefoot entrepreneurs”, if you can: stop, and buy anything. While for you a small purchase does not mean much, for them it can be THE one that ensures that day’s bread at their table.
This, by the way are called “pilón” and they are wood made mortars mostly used to make the garlic into paste and, the bigger ones, either to make huge “mofongos” (a dish that mixes friend pork skin with fried green plantains) or as a piece of decoration.
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** @Marichams I love all of them are they made of wood??**
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Yes @Male2019 they are all made out of wood, how are they called in your country?
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** @Marichams we call them morteros to crush spices!!l love them they are very useful**
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Hello @Marichams ,
Thank you for sharing this amazing photos and those sincere few words with us.
I completely agree with you in everything that you said, such people need support from us.
PS: I’ve never seen such huge wooden mortars before, really amazing!
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In Spain they also call it “mortero” here in the Dominican Republic they are called “pilón” or the plural “pilones”. Which material are they made from back there where you live @Male2019 ?
Thanks @BorrisS for you comment!
I feel constantly humbled by street vendors because they literally go by foot and take up hours and hours of sun, rain and wind to earn an honest living and support their families… I made that observation to myself and thought that maybe some others Local Guides might need that simple and friendly reminder too.
Sometimes, while we take some things for granted, we forget how important our “small” contributions can be for others. We somehow get disconnected from the powerful idea that we can, indeed, make a difference in someone’s life at least momentarily, and it might be as easy and simple as supporting their entrepreneurial attempts, -regardless of- and specially when they are small.
PS: The HUGE ones are for decoration, I can recall seeing one located at the façade of a restaurant that sells “mofongo” a Dominican dish famous for being made in mortars. Now that I think about it, I guess you can fit my 5’0 feet tall inside of one of those, hahahaha 
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