South American Markets: A Retail Adventure

Location:
Ecuador

Shopping, Markets, Crafts

By Janet Day

In need of some exotic retail therapy? Grab your wallet and head to South America, where bargains abound in the artisan markets, centuries-old crafts are still practiced and negotiating for a better price is considered good behavior.

Ecuador is an easy starter trip for first-time South American shoppers, especially for North Americans. The capital of Quito is an easy flight from Miami. The currency is the U.S. dollar. The English language is widely understood and spoken.

The Otavalo market is about a two-hour drive northeast of Quito in the lush, green Ecuadorean Andes. Markets are held every day, but the biggest is on Saturday, when craftsman, merchants and artists from around northern Ecuador set up booths in the main square and dozens of side streets. Beaded necklaces, musical instruments, pottery, hats, sweaters, ceramics and paintings spill out of tents and off of tables as vendors cry “lady, lady, look at this.”

But the market’s fame -- and that of the Otavalo Indians -- comes from the weavings. Miles of vibrant textiles in sheep’s wool, alpaca or cotton light up the market square. They’re turned into rugs, shawls, blankets, hammocks, jackets, hats, vests, table covers and skirts, or paired with leather for belts, bags, wallets and shoes.

Quality varies from stall to stall. Some weavings are mass-produced with uniform patterns and a thinner yarn that may include synthetic material. Hand-woven textiles tend to be made of wool or cotton and are smaller, heavier and rougher.

Each has its own use and charm. The cotton blankets, known as “mantas,” wash well and retain their color. (Ask the vendor for “algodon” to find the cotton weavings.) They don’t pill or fade, even after several washings and rounds in the dryer. Wool rugs withstand wear better than synthetics.

Prices vary, but expect to pay $10 and up for a good-quality weaving large enough to use as a table cover. Hammocks start at about $15 and rug prices go up from $25 depending on size, quality and content.

Haggling over prices is expected. Anyone paying the asking price will end up being the afternoon’s gossip among the merchants. Negotiations generally result in a price about a quarter to a third less than the original. Bulk discounts are easy to get, so buy more than one if you see something you like.

Unique to the Otavalo market are brightly colored oil paintings of pastoral or religious scenes on wood or leather items, including boxes, trays, wall hangings and pieces of furniture. The styles are primitive -- similar to Grandma Moses in the U.S. -- and depict everyday life in rural Ecuador. Look for works that are signed by the artist -- signatures add authenticity if not value. Prices can range from $5 for smaller-sized art to $100 and up for large paintings.

Small molas -- reverse-quilted, brightly colored fabric images of mythological creatures made primarily in Panama or Colombia -- are finding their way to the Otavalo market as Colombians cross the border a few kilometers away. Molas are prized by fabric artists and quilters in the U.S. The raw-edged fabric squares can be found for $15 or less at Otavalo, far more affordable than prices in Panama or the U.S.

Otavalo is surrounded by small communities specializing in a single type of craft and offering tours of some artists’ homes or work areas and local shops. You can locate weavers, and purchase their goods, in the villages of Peguche, Agato and Iluman. Many weavers are learning or returning to the backstrap loom, natural dyes and historic patterns of their ancestors.

San Antonio de Ibarra artists make carved wood items including furniture, religious figures and statues, picture frames and chess sets pitting the Inca against the Spanish conquistadores.

Zuletta is known for its residents’ detailed embroidery of flowers and abstract designs on tablecloths, napkins, other linens and clothing.

Cotacachi is home to dozens of leather artisans making jackets, vests, pants, handbags, belts and briefcases from leather or suede. “

There’s a range of very well-cut bags beautifully made out of leather,” said Nicholas Millhouse, a U.S. resident who owns and operates Hacienda Cusin at nearby San Pablo del Lago. “And very good suede jackets for $120 that would be about $600 in New York.”

Inspect everything closely before purchasing. Zippers are often of low quality, but can be replaced back at home. And note that anything with an overwhelming smell of leather preservative will not lose that smell over time. Look for items without a strong smell. Take time, shop carefully.

The villages can be reached by taxi from Otavalo. Some of the area haciendas, guest houses and hotels can arrange guided tours.

Artisan markets flourish throughout Andean South America and each has its own flavor and specialties. Intricate silver jewelry, ceramics, textiles of patterns different from the Otavalo weavers, walking sticks made from rams’ horns, soft baby alpaca sweaters and warm wool shawls can be found in the small towns and markets of Peru.

The Pisac Indian Market, a cab ride from the Inca capital city of Cusco, is open on weekends. Cusco also features vendors selling handcrafted goods on the side streets around the Plaza des Armas.

Small markets in the parks of Miraflores, a suburb of Lima, feature local painters. Large markets dot the Miraflores side street with vendors selling everything from woven bracelets for a few cents to fine jewelry.

The markets around Arequipa, in the southern Peruvian desert, features clothing made from alpaca, even softer baby alpaca and the cashmere-like vicuña.

Artisans and merchants in downtown La Paz, Boliva, crowd into the sidewalks and cobblestone streets near the Cathedral and up the hill to the Mercado des Brujas (Witches’ Market) to sell local weavings, colonial silver, herbal remedies, good luck charms, hats, bags and belts. Marketplace rules for bargaining apply in the street markets as well.

Further south, near the whitewashed Bolivian town of Sucre is the Tarabuco market, famous for its variety of weavings from indigenous people, including mythical creatures in black, red or purple wool and lighter-colored detailed depictions of everyday scenes of crops being harvested, soccer being played and laundry being washed. Some of these weavings can cost hundreds of dollars in the shops and textile museum, but small examples can be found for less than $20 from market and street vendors.

More utilitarian weavings can be found in the town of Uyuni, which sits at the edge of the largest salt flat in the world -- the Salar de Uyuni in southern Bolivia. Locals tie the large square textiles around their shoulders to transport everything from laundry to hay to infants. The Uyuni weavers incorporate their names into the weaving in strips running across the center or edge of the blanket. The bright-colored weavings can be purchased from stalls along the town’s main street on market days for less than $10.

Chile has less of a weaving culture than Ecuador, Bolivia or Peru, but the markets in the southernmost South American country provide a wide array of silver and copper jewelry and decorative items, works of lapis and other gemstones, paintings and folk art.

Santiago, Chile’s capital, is home to the Mercado Central and Iglesia San Vincente’s los Dominicos artisan market. Ceramics, hand-crafted copper frames and pressed flower trays alternate with stall after stall filled with jewelry.

The artisan markets of South America provide a way for tourists to meet and mingle with the locals, conduct commerce and find unique souvenirs or gifts. Some markets cater to tourists, have slightly higher prices and open only on weekends while others, mainly in small towns, are incorporated into daily produce and livestock markets.

Hotels and visitor centers can usually provide information on the markets. But as in most cities, the taxi drivers may be the best source of information on where to go and what to buy.

Further Information

Travel tips: Consider staying at any one of Otavalo's haciendas: Cusin, Pinsaqui, Las Palmas, etc. In other countries, look for pensionnes or hostals that are small with personal service.

Must see/do at this place: Give yourself plenty of time to explore markets. And if you see something you like, buy it as it may not be there the next time.

You should avoid here: Common sense goes a long way --protect valuables; always be in control of your wallet, pack, purse; establish taxi fares before agreeing to travel.