Ixtapa - gifts to bring home
 

Going to Ixtapa in Feb. looking for interesting/unique gift ideas to bring back...any suggestions??

Mexican blankets always make great gifts!! Buy an inexpensive woven plastic tote bag and you can pack them back easily as additional checked baggage. People love to receive them & it helps support the local vendors and economy.

Thanks Cha Cha. They will also come in useful for a cold midwestern girl! Do you have any approx. cost...~~20 dollars...also, is it best to buy them in a shop or at a market.

U can't go wrong with glassware!

Agree on the glassware, you can't go wrong with glassware or any of those beautiful hand painted plates. I have a collection of those that I hang on my wall, they are absolutely gorgeous!<BR><BR>Other suggestions: any of the Mexican folk art is fantastic. I love the hand pounded tin mirrors, which are very expensive in the states. Handwoven hammocks are very nice. Oaxacan hand loomed rugs are beautiful. Anything silver is always nice. Black Oaxacan pottery, and vases. <BR><BR>All of the above are available in the mall area in Ixtapa centro, or this incredible folk art place (can't remember the name, but it is next to the restaurant &quot;Coconuts&quot;) in Zihuatanejo. Also, another great folk art place is right across from the &quot;stalls&quot; or touristy stands in Zihua...I picked up tons of rustic wormwood crosses there, and they have many good gifts to buy.<BR><BR>Hope this helps...<BR><BR>Oh, how I love everything about Mexico ;)

I've bought a lot of nice things in Mexico over the years. In terms of items that are easy to carry, I find that decorative pillow cases are great - they look wonderful and they pack up easily. I've also bought masks, pottery, etc. Silver jewellery is inexpensive - nice earrings, etc.

Remember if your going to buy glass or pottery you had better bring bubble wrap.. One of my wonderful purchases in Mexico was two caftans by a well known designer, Puelo..and a lovely hand painted dish I think from Tonala which I treasure. Among other items I have bought was a brass shoulder bag, a rain stick, the rugs, hammocks, straw baskets and work from Sergio Bustamante...I'm sure he has a studio in that area..The best presents are handmade..whether it's a dress that is hand embroidered or a piece of local art.. My house is filled with crafts from all our trips.. and I remember from who and when..lol

The problem with glassware, pottery, plates, etc. is the obvious one~ of breaking trying to get them home... that's the beauty of blankets!!<BR><BR>For Cookie, our original poster, in PV blankets sell anywhere from 50 to 300 peso but there is a big difference in quality (real loose weaves, nice tight weaves, weird fabrics or 100% cotton or wool... also smell them *really*, some cheap ones are cured w/ kerosene or something nasty like that).<BR><BR>I buy from the people I like the best, to tell you the truth, rather than who's got the lowest deal.<BR><BR>My favorite beach vendor started negotiation at 300 peso but quickly dropped to 150. That price stood each day when he came around (we ended up buying 4-5 between my friend &amp; I last year). Buying two of the finer, tight weave ones this past December, I gave a lady in a stall in the park 230 peso each.

Blankets are too predictable. Buy a beautiful painted plate instead, or take the bus to Petalan where there is a wonderful gold market. There are also beautiful embroidered shawls, skirts, blouses at Lupita's in Zihua. Or how about Mexican chocolate, or vanilla beans, or a fine tequila?

tansy... blankets are &quot;predictable&quot; and tequila's not??? ;-) although I'd consider both useful!<BR><BR>what am i going to do with a beautiful embroidered blouse once i get home?<BR>

cha cha -- tequila is only predictable if you're getting the cheapo tequilas in duty free, or some kind of cabo wabo crap. You'll notice I wrote &quot;fine tequila.&quot; There are many types of fantastic tequilas in Mexico. Kind of like going to Scotland and bringing home a wonderful local scotch -- not a bottle of Black Label. <BR><BR>You don't have to do anything with the blouse except WRAP it -- after all, the original poster was asking about gifts.

no need for us all to to be in agreement ;-)<BR><BR>i think we've given the OP some great ideas for her question! i'm sure she can figure out what will suit her and her friends best.<BR>

Thanks to everyone! Lots of great ideas. If I come across anything very different, I will post it here! Muchas Gracias!!