Shopping at the Beira Mar by CactusJim
The craft market at Beira Mar is open every evening from 6 to 10 PM and is filled with all kinds of great crafts for sale. They have a little bit of everything there for sale. They have foods, clothing, wood carvings, linens, paintings, etc. etc. When you find something you want to buy... do not buy it right off.... ask the vendor the price then move on. 99% of the time you will see your item again at other stands and it might be of better quality or you might like it more that the first one you saw, do not worry you can always go back to the first vendor later. Now ask the prices of the item from some other vendors... are you ready to buy now? Alright, offer the vendor at least half of whatever they are asking... seriously, these guys buy these craft good from markets in the interior for a fraction of what they are selling them for. Anyway you get the general idea... have fun at the craft market you should be able to leave there with some unique treasures and have a story about the shopping experience to remember.
Oh and remember that this is a area full of tourists... so guess what else it is full of... yeah thieves... if you stay in the well lit areas and do not flash your money you should not have any problem. The police there will not help you, so just be on-guard yourself, the cops know who the thieves are and get a kickback at the end of the night.
Oh take your money in small denominations and separate it in small amounts in different pockets. Leave your purse or handbag at home.
Do not go there with a load of 50 Reis bills and then broker a deal with a vendor.. just in time to hand him a $R50 to break.
