alc1974

Hi! I'll be off to Peru next week, any suggestions on souvenirs to buy?
something uniquely peruvian

thanks in advance!

emd3

What part of Peru are you going to? The baby alpaca woven goods are wonderful- not just sweaters, but hats, rugs, wall hangings, etc. Also, I found the silver jewelry, esp. with enamels and gemstones, to be very high quality and much better than I thought it would be. You can find Incan and Peruvian symbols in the jewelry, which makes it very unique. Also, the woven textiles are incredible and very unique. And the leather items area also much better than I thought they would be. You should have no problem finding unique, quality items to bring back. Take an empty suitcase or duffel and go to one of the local markets.

There is a seed in the Amazon portion of Peru that is made into jewelry, keychains, etc. It is red and has a black spot on it. Huayruru seeds. Very unique.

Pisco is a big item.

here is a preview of kinds of items you will find:
http://tinyurl.com/cagajc

mlgb

The ladies on my list liked the small purses made out of manta cloth or old handwoven materials, the boys liked the flutes and Inka Kola T-shirts. The handwoven belts are inexpensive and are good gifts as are the carved gourds. For myself the things I wish I had bought more of were larger high quality textiles and silver jewelry.

althom1122

I bought two alpaca sweaters for myself, one for my sister, alpaca gloves without fingers for a friend (wish I'd bought several more pairs of these! beautiful designs). Also bought a hand-carved, hand-painted wooden bowl, a woven wall hanging of an Inca calendar (love it!), and some jewelry. You can find great souvenirs at really reasonable prices. I wish I'd bought about twice as much as I did! Oh, and two woven handags, a flute, and a gord instrument. Wish I'd gotten one of those funny hats with the earflaps.

eenusa

Chullos (the funny hats with the flaps) are very popularl; alpaca sweaters are reasonably priced at the markets, as are gloves and socks; tapestry handbags, table runners, and wall hangings are also interesting, colorful souvenirs.

mlgb

Be careful with the chullos...they can be scratchy if the wool is coarse. I don't know if washing them will help.

bmcentire

Just Shop. Everyone will bargain so do not pay the first quoted price or price on the item. Of course all above comments are right on the mark. Be sure to be careful w/alpaca blankets as most are 30% acrylic. Alpaca wall tapestries are supurb in Cusco. Colorful 3/d handmade. We bought one and met the artist. Watch out for the cheap versions. You will see your "original" handing all over the place in Pisac! Purses, backpacks, Inca silver jewelry, etc. are all great. We had to buy woven bags to get all our loot home! I love my bag more than anything else I bought. When we got back to the airport we found the prices almost triple of what we paid. Remember the best places are the farthest stalls from the bus stops, train stops, etc. and also shop late in the day. The bargains are great!

althom1122

Oh and I forgot to mention... my daughter knits, and she bought a bunch of baby alpaca yarn. She wanted an alpaca throw and couldn't find what she wanted, so she decided to make one herself. We got it in a yarn shop in Cusco.

NurseSally

I read to be careful of acrylic in alpaca goods. How do you tell?

althom1122

One way is price (the real stuff is fairly expensive). But that's not a guarantee. I visited an "alpaca factory" - a large store that looked like a warehouse on the outskirts of Cusco - and a woman there had various samples and described the difference between various qualities and how you could tell. Sorry to say I've forgotten the details, but there have been other discussions about it here that you might be able to find. And there's also baby alpaca (first trimming) vs regular alpaca - the former being softer.

althom1122

Most of what you'll find in the street markets (if not all) is prob not 100 percent alpaca. In the nicer shops, you can probably be more sure it's genuine. I say, though, if you LIKE the sweater (or whatever it is) and think the price is reasonable, that counts for something!

mtmckain

I bought silver earrings for friends with Inca designs which they LOVED. I paid about 1/2 the original asking price by bargaining. My teens bought the hats but try them on to make sure they aren't itchy! We didn't really care if they were genuine alpaca, just so they looked Peruvian!

JeremyinFrance

Something a little different. I was in a market for locals and found something that looked like a very large pipe, but no holes. My Peruvian friend explained it is used to scoop out rice from a saucepan so that it forms a nice little dome. You friends probably don't have one of those...
http://www.jeremytaylor.eu/Peru_2002_1.htm
http://www.jeremytaylor.eu/peruvian_food.htm

Eddwarm

Currently in my window seal of my study rests a small beautiful decorative vase of pottery. Every time I look at it-- my mind returns to the airport in Lima. On my coffee table lay two small figures of cloth and feathers which I procured in Machu Picchu which I shall have tastefully framed and placed on one of my walls.

Beautiful and unique items abound. The "price has been right, too!" In the market at Machu Picchu, I bargained, something that I abhor.

So, depending on your knowledge of what the recipients would like, meander and view and purchase what meets your fancy and would meet theirs.

spanishschool88

alpaca stuff is realy great for a souvenir!