Bus Stop Paletas

During the punishing Austin heat last summer I was fortunate enough to have a taco cart near my bus stop that sold handmade paletas for a buck each. I would arrive at the bus stop fifteen minutes before the 338 arrived with two bucks in my hand. One buck for the bus, and another to indulge myself with paleta.

I would hold the cold plastic sacks in my fists the way a northerner would hold a mug of hot chocolate on a cold day. Then I would bite a hole in a corner of that hand-tied bag and suck out the slush. If I sucked furiously, I would usually be able to finish the whole thing before the bus arrived.

At one point I tried all the different flavors. The proprietress made leche, chocolate (which was spiced with a little bit of chili), lemon, and grape. I think leche and chocolate tied for my favorite.

But now I no longer use that bus stop, and the taco cart has moved to somewhere else, I know not where. But while you’re out and about, keep an eye open for a cart that has a sign in the window that says “Helados”.