Mario, a living story-book
Mario is one of the veterans of the market. He came 39 years ago, exactly in summer 1977.
In his beginnings he worked leather, but since many years now he sells silver, together with stones and jewelry.
How has the market changed since those years?
In former times there were no stall structures like today in those times we put our few products on scarves on the grounds of the Punta Arabí Club, now the market has become much morge bigger witha lot of more people and also became more commercial. "Like life itself," he comments. When we started there were around 150 or 180 stalls in high season. Now there are currently more than 550 stalls and hundreds more on the waiting list.
What means the Hippy Market for Mario?
It is part of his life and history. Since 39 years he almost has not missed one Wednesday with his stall at the market and the thousands of tourists who come to visit him. So pleasantly it is part of his personal history.
What means to be hippy for Mario?
40 years ago being hippy was to break with the establishment. Today most are framed in ecologicals non profit organisations and practice a form of life related to nature, based on important values such as freedom, tolerance and respect.
What does he miss of those times?
Ibiza in those years was much safer and we lived in total harmony with he the ibicencan farmers. We had almost everything outside in the fields, leaving the houses open. This tranquility and is what is missing nowadays.
Also the democratisation of the parties. Mario explains that in former times Ibiza was much more democratic, and tells us that in recent years it has been transformed into a VIP style.
Now there are coming a lot of people who do not share anything with anyone, just go from Vip to Vip"
He tells us yearningly how in those years in the 70ies you could dance in a restaurant with film director Roman Polanski, German actress Nastassja Kinski or a known Formula 1 racer sitting in a table next to you.
Now they separte so much that the people go crazy and chase them to sign them autographs.
Before, nobody bothered them, they all went to the same places and the same beaches. Ibiza was peace and tranquility and this is what he is missing the most of those times.
Anecdote:
Mario tells us about the very special and funny parties at the discotheque KU (now Privilege). To promote their parties a group of 4 or 5 people passed through the market on a little cart with wheels and a kinda like soundsystem on it and gave away many free tickets for all the people and sellers.
Once they made a special hippy party and invited all the sellers for having food.
"They prepared some excellent roasted chickens", he tells us.