Everywhere we have lived has its destination for buying cultural gifts for friends and family back home in the US. Each city where we called home has had somewhere to take visitors to get the necessary local souvenirs. And, every place we’ve settled in has had a market that I will have frequented often. In fact, every place we’ve lived has had its tailors, cobblers (I do not know the modern name of this job), and jewelers that I tend to frequent.
This is Marco, and he has been helping me repair all sorts of my broken jewelry. I had been able to fix most of my baubles, but when it comes to metal work, I’ve needed a jeweler. Marco is so kind and he does excellent work, plus he charges a very fair price for repairs.
El Mercado Artesanal la Mariscal is filled with all sorts of goodies: ponchos of course, super soft blankets, furry llamas, all sorts of stones and even more types of jewelry. The vendors are mostly indigenous men and women. One can buy chocolate, coco candies (good for climbing high altitudes), coffee, and liqueurs. There’s even great artwork that we’ve found down there gracing our walls at the moment. Suffice it to say tons treasures or tchotchke–depends on how one looks at it–can be found at The Artisan Market of Mariscal.
By far this is my most favorite plant here in Ecuador. Pampas grass can found everywhere. There are even florists selling the grass dried and in various colors; it’s just beautiful. When we are driving around Ecuador, we often see this grass blowing beautiful like feathers along the landscape. It’s just gorgeous.
And of course, any leopards I see–not in the wild of course–I stop and take a picture. Wait to you see the leopard outfit I’ve got ready for my next post!
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