Canucn

There are plenty of designer clothes and gift stores in the three large shopping malls of the hotel zone. Prices are lower but sales pressure is higher in downtown Canc£n where two indoor markets are located on Av. Tulum. 'Se¤ora, Se¤or, where are you from?' 'Like to look at some blankets?' 'Best price, cheaper than K-Mart,' vendors call out to entice you into shopping at their stalls. This constant come-on is a source of irritation to those more accustomed to searching for sales help at home. In Canc£n they never leave you alone. It may help if you realize just how hard things are economically for people in Mexico. Most of the vendors can't afford to stock the stalls they sell from, so most have their goods on consignment, which can be tough, especially in a country where the wage averages only US $25 per week and gringo dollars can mean the difference between just being poor and abject poverty. And with hundreds of competing places to shop, perhaps you could be a bit tolerant of the high pressure and accept it gracefully as part of the shopping ritual. Usually a firm, 'no, gracias' discourages further patter.

We're less inclined to be hard bargainers because much of what we buy is already cheaper than it would be at home. A seasoned negotiator offers about half of what's asked and settles for a price somewhere in between. We still bargain in the markets and even at hotels, but our realization of the economic inequities between most tourists and the average worker in the Yucat n tempers our desire to bicker for a quarter of an hour just to save a dollar. But we never allow vendors or taxi drivers to cheat us. Always shop around or ask the tariffs first - a good habit anywhere.

What we do buy in the Yucat n are things not readily available at home. We'll buy some ground chili powder, anchiote paste and a bottle of honey on every trip. There are also unique gift items we can't pass up. Silver and gold jewelry are cheaper in Mexico so we always look for the unusual. Large hammocks, hand woven of string, are the traditional bed, couch and crib in the Yucat n. Made of nylon, cotton, silk or sisal, mostly in the state of Yucat n, they are extremely comfortable once you get used to sleeping in them. In Campeche, wooden model ships are hand-crafted, featured in a great Maya arts and crafts store in the Centro. Chetumal has an artisans' shop with carvings and crafts that combine Maya and Caribbean influences from Belize. Pottery is always a good bet, the Maya were known for their skills. Tree of Life candelabras, made in central Mexico, are elaborate and beautiful. Frequently used at Christmas, they depict the fall of Adam and Eve and are decorated with a snake, angels, leaves and flowers in bright colors. Also check out hand-painted laquerware and woven baskets.

Once you leave Canc£n you will see Maya women dressed in their traditional white cotton shift dresses called huipiles (WE-peels). They're colorfully embroidered around a square neckline and hem. A white cotton lace-trimmed underskirt (ternos) peeks out demurely below the hemline. The embroidery on the huipiles of Quintana Roo is geometric and abstract, while in the Yucat n it is done in cross-stitched floral. Silk or cotton shawls (rebozos) are also part of the traditional dress.

Men's business dress includes short-sleeved embroidered and pleated light shirts, called guayaberas (guy-ya-bearas), that are worn outside the pants. This traditional shirt is common throughout the Hispanic Americas, where it's generally too warm to wear ties or jackets. They usually come in pastel colors and white. A good place to buy these are in the mercados and stores in Valladolid and M rida. There are several shops along Calle 59 in M rida, including the well-known Jack Guayaberas, where you can also have them made to order.

Panama hats are made in the state of Campeche from the fibers of the jipijapa palm. They offer good protection against the strong Yucatecan sun and their fibers breathe, allowing the air to keep your head cool. Types of fiber, closeness of weave and suppleness determine the quality. The best ones are fino - a fine weave of thin palm fibers. The middle and fine grades are durable, pliable hats that, once flattened, tightly rolled and stuffed in a suitcase, can be ready to wear again with a sprinkle of water. If you're going to Campeche, street vendors and shops in Merida and Isla Mujeres will be happy to sell you one. Buy the best you can afford for both comfort and long life.

Shopping Downtown

Plaza Garibaldi. This market on Av. Tulum, at corner of Av. Uxmal, contains stalls of serapes, tablecloths and traditional clothing, gifts and crafts.

Plaza Mexico. The market at Av. Tulum No. 200 is a cluster of 50 handicraft shops.
Ki-Huic. The biggest market downtown is in the center of Av. Tulum between two banks. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (some take a siesta), this streetfront and indoor labyrinth of stalls is the city's oldest with 100 vendors of gifts and crafts. Good bargains can be struck here but be prepared to haggle if you like what you see. You'll be 'eagerly invited' to enter each shop.
Plaza Bonita, Av. Xel-H , near the post office, is a attractive outdoor mall that looks like a little village street, right next to a Mercado Municipal. This is a favorite shopping and eating area of local residents. Upscale goods but low prices.

Mercado in SM 23. The large triangular block behind the bus station at Av. Uxmal and Av. Tulum houses a market that local workers frequent. Gringos are scarce here but bargains are not. Gifts and clothing.
Supermarkets downtown are the San Francisco de Asis, in the middle of Av. Tulum; the Comercial Mexicana, at the circle of Av. Tulum and Uxmal; and the Chedraui, at the corner of Av. Tulum and Cob . They're good places to stock up on water, food and miscellaneous necessities. All three double as department stores, but Chedraui has the largest selection and a good bakery called La Hogaza. Take an aluminum pizza tray and some tongs and pick what you desire from the open racks. The sales clerk will add it up and bag it at the register. Bakery goods are very inexpensive. Another notable bakery is La Baguette, on Av. Uxmal.

There's a large Ace Hardware on Av. Tulum south of the city center (% 98/87-68-00) and a Sam's Club (the US- based membership club) is tucked behind Av. Yaxchil n and Av. Labna, near the Telemex microwave towers. If your annual membership is expiring soon, think about renewing here - it's cheaper. They offer a list of stores and restaurants that discount with a Sam's card.
The hotel zone has a tiny convenience store on the lagoon side before you reach Club Med.

Shopping, Food

Plaza Flamingo, Km 11 Paseo Kukulc n, is a pleasant mall with a good variety of shops. This was our favorite in the hotel zone, with the best fast food.
Plaza Kukulk n, Km 13, is an American-style shopping mall. Expensive but with a large choice. Food court and good restaurants.

Plaza Caracol, Km 8.5 across from the Convention Center. The largest mall in Canc£n with over 200 shops, including designer specialty stores.
Plaza Mayfair, across from Hotel Americana, features more restaurants than stores in its open courtyard setting. Food prices are reasonable but check the drink prices. We felt cheated big time by having to pay US $2 for a glass of water and US $3 for a beer that costs 65: downtown. There were lots of two-for-one drink specials at a price that's twice what it should be. Sidewalk spray paint artists draw a big crowd in several of the outdoor malls. Their paintings are quite clever and very cheap.
Coral Negro Mercado de Artesanias, Km 9 across from the All Star Caf , is a Mexican-style artesians' mercado with a fancier outdoor handicraft gift section that imitates a village square.
Plaza Nautilus, located at Km 3.5 on the lagoon, is a favorite of American shoppers with 70 assorted stores.
Isla Mujeres. If you take one of the party boats or hotel-zone cruisers over for shopping, rumor has it that the boat owners have an interest in some of the stores and restaurants they 'recommend.' We've heard that some guides on the way over even caution gringos to stay or shop only in a certain area at what the say are the 'best' places. If they say this - it's a lie. La Isla is virtually crime free and all the shops are cheaper than most on the mainland. If food is included in your cruise price, you'll miss some inexpensive and delicious dining opportunities in town.

Isla Mujeres

The shops of la Isla offer better deals than those in the hotel zone and that's why boatloads of sunburned shoppers descend on the island daily. There are many to choose from, but noteworthy are the following:
Casa Isle¤o, a custom-painted T-shirt and shell shop run by Henrietta Morris de Avila on Guerrero across from el Cuba Ron Restaurant. ­Qu B rbara! (How Barbara!) is a designer and manufacturer of comfortable custom tropical clothing, located on Matamoros.

Van Cleef & Arpels jewelery is on Av. Morelos at Ju rez. Another prominent jeweler is Rachat & Rome in the pink building on Av. Medina across from the ferry dock.
Paulita's, on Av. Morelos in front of the police station, will lure you in with their large collection of arts and crafts and wide variety of incredible collector's masks. Across the street is Valentina Artesanias, owned and operated by native islander Blanca Rosa Schmied de Ramos. On Ju rez, the owner of Artesanias Arco Iris, Alejandro Trejo, comes from an area in central Mexico that is known for its hand-woven blankets. He features some unique weavings.

Artesanias El Nopal sells Mexican folk art and women's co-op crafts at the corner of Guerrero and Matamoros. Boutique Elenita, on Av. Hidalgo No. 13, has nice gifts and crafts but their ad in the Islander loses something in translation: 'Wallets and Bags of Skin.'
There are several mini-supermarkets, the largest of which, Benitos, also has a small inexpensive eating area on the z¢calo. Others are Capricornio on Matamoros near Rueda Medina and Ciro's on Guerrero. Besides some trendy caf s that offer delicious baked goods, the island's only regular bakery is on Madero near the corner of Ju rez.

Playa del Carmen

For shopping, the stores of Playa's Av. 5 and surrounding sidestreets offer an eclectic assortment of hand- made pottery, arts and crafts both local and from all over Mexico, gifts and New Age paraphernalia.

The 5th Avenue walk way stretche for 20 blocks and you will find an assortment of wonderful art work, clothing shops, Silver jewelery and amber.

Shopping in the Yucatan - Additional general information

The peninsula's Yucatecan artisans produce some of the finest handicrafts in Mexico. Hamacas (hammocks) are a major item, as are huipiles and guayaberas (traditional clothing) and huaraches, leather hand-tooled sandals. Masks, baskets, pottery, Panama hats made from jipijapa palm leaves, gold and silver jewelry, leather crafts and belts, wood carvings and colorful party platas - all can be found in Merida's major shopping area, the municipal market, south of the Plaza Mayor and on Sundays in the park bazaars. For handicrafts, try Casa de Artesanias on Calle 63, between 64 and 66. They have a wide selection of folk art and regional crafts. Watch your valuables when you're in the crowded mercado area. Although not a common occurrance, we once lost a camera to pick-pockets here. El Arte Maya is upstairs on Calle 60 between 63 and 65 facing the Plaza. Also try the Crafts Market in the green mercado building at Calle 67 and 56. When you're in the mercado here, or in any country village, pick up some copal, a sticky resin incense in colors ranging from pale yellow to deep amber, and used by the Maya for the last three thousand years. Shave thin slivers off the lump and burn or, even better, place a small amount on a lighted charcoal cone. It gives off an evocative, earthy fragrance that is redolent of myrrh, musk and pine. You'll probably find it in a stall that sells religious items.

Long before Columbus, Yucatecans slept on hamacas strung from wall hooks or outside between trees. When Spanish conquistadors arrived, they quickly recognized the advantages of hammocks and incorporated them into their night life. Comfortable, durable, portable and easy to clean, they make safe cribs for young babies. The best hammocks made in Mexico are from the Yucat n and in Merida - the heart of hammock industry - they are sold on almost every street corner. They make great gifts and, once you get used to lying in one, you'll be drilling holes in your bedroom walls for the one you bring home.
Hammocks come in four sizes: sencilla (single), doble (double), matrimonial (queen-size) and matrimonial especial, the largest of all. Singles are really for children. Most tourists are amazed at the size of singles and some can be convinced into believing singles are queen-size by an enthusiastic vendor. Genuine matrimonials are about 16 feet long, one third of that being the main body. They should weigh an average of four to five pounds.

To check the weave, hold the hammock loosely in your hand and gently spread the strings apart. Spaces between the weaves should be no bigger than two inches or so. Good ones will have double or triple string weaves. It should also have a hundred or more pairs of strings (brazas) at each end gathered into the hanging loops and these should be thick and tightly wrapped.
To see if a hammock is long enough for you, grab it at the edge where the body and the end-strings meet and hold your hand level with your forehead. The opposite end of the body should touch the floor. Most of the colorful ones that you see for sale will be nylon (the best choice), although cotton and silk are sometimes available.

Hammocks are in great abundance in Merida and you will almost certainly be approached by a vendor. Despite their aggressive sales pitches, they're not all out to cheat you. But don't shop only by price. Quality counts, so ask to see the best first. You'll probably find a better selection in the mercado at slightly higher prices. There are also some excellent shops that deal almost exclusively in hammocks where you can try out the goods before you buy. La Poblano, at Calles 60 & 58, has always been highly recommended. It's worth a visit just to see their extensive inventory. Open Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. Also recommended is the family-run Hamacas El Aguacate on Calle 58 at 73. Or you can drive or catch a bus to see them made in Tixkokob, a colonial town east of the city, where a large percentage of the hammocks for sale are hand-made in family workshops.

For jewelry look in La Perla Maya on Calle 60 No. 485, or Las Palomas, also on Calle 60, between 53 and 55. A Sam's Club is located in the north of town off the continuation of the Paseo Montejo on the way to Progreso. There's also a big suburban-style shopping mall out that way. A Sears department store is on Calle 63, between 56 and 58. Several men's clothing shops are along Calle 59, including the well-known Jack Guayaberas, where you can also have comfortable guayabera shirts made to order.