San Cristóbal de Las Casas Shopping

What a pleasant way to discover Mexico other than the colors and smells of real local food..!! Dont be afraid to mix with locals, where a vaste number of different indigenoust groups makes the majority in this part of South Mexico.. The tianguis or flea market is the must place to be.. flowers, seeds, all types of mole paste, fresh ground or pure coffee beans is everywhere,you can even select your own chicken and have it kill for you.. OK maybe not, as well you can buy live animals like chicken, goats, dunkeys among other little delicacies(bugs)...you´ll be surprise to find saffron for the cheap price of 100 pesos (14 dls)a kilogram, cannot believe it..mexican candies, tamales , fruit, veggies and cheese among other treats for your senses

What to buy: Try everything from candies to esquiles o chapulines( salty and crunchy bugs), tamales and please dont forget to buy fresh coffee and cacao tablets(chocolate)

What to pay: depends on market price, depends what you buy and always remember to bargain a little bit

Dont know the name no more.
as i already met some people who s camera was stolen i thought it would be smart to burn my pictures on a CD every few towns i visite.
If you walk on the zocalo from cathedral to st nicolas into calle Real de Guadalupe. it is on the right side in this street. (if i am right there is a photoshop left too. but that didnot burn cds.
I didnot find it really cheap. It costed 50 pesos but it was ready in 30 minutes.
So meanwhile i went to book a tour in the same street.

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Everything you could want at the crafts market by the church.

What to buy: Where to start! Seed necklaces are a good buy to wear or as ornaments (I've put them in a bowl at home). Lots of textiles, shiny bead keyrings and little Zapatista dolls. There's also stuff from Guatamala.

What to pay: It pays to shop around and you can haggle a bit too. I looked at all the stalls selling seed necklaces and eventually bought 6 strings for 10 pesos each. Bead keyrings cost 20 pesos each and you can get 3 brightly coloured textile purses for 40.

My favourite souvenire from Mexico are the differner paintings on leather. Actally, the motives are burnt into leather and then painted (or not).
Motives usually represent Mexico, it's history, culture and nature. Most common are Aztec & Mayan calendar.

From what I've seen these handicrafts are tipical po this part of Mexico (Chiapas) as I haven't seen them anywhere else.

What to pay: It depends of the size, from 20 - 300 pesos. You can handel for the price.

Here you can buy only craft made by local indigenous people. From blankets, hammocks, textiles, clothes, paintings on leather (my favourite), different souvenirs... Everybody will surely find something he likes.

What to pay: Bargain!

This local market is where you can buy beautiful clothes that are emboidered by the locals. Each village has a style of its own when it comes to embroidery, which is how the local people can tell where you are from. It's absolutely amazing what they can do.

What to buy: You can buy many things here, including shoes, sarapes, dresses, rebosos, and all kinds of linen for tables, etc. It is a wonderful place to wander through, and the prices aren't that bad either.
The girl in this picture is wearing a reboso, which essentially is a long blanket that you can carry your child on your back. My wife has one of these and says that it's very comfortable and easy to put on.

Visit the colorful market places. There are actually two types of markets, one which is located by the cathedral that sells local good from around the area, and the other sells all kinds of different foods. The different aromas and sounds make for a great way to enjoy the local culture!

What to buy: I love helote, which essentially is corn on the cob (on a stick) covered with mayonaise, and sprinkled with parmesean cheese and a little paprika. UMMM, umm. It only costs around .50 cents and is well worth it (and won't make you sick!)