Hennequen Handbags & Boxes

Louise Vogel is a national treasure. You can see her handbags and baskets in the Santa Lucia market square on sundays or you can get in touch with her and visit her workshop. Here you can learn a thing or two about Hennequen and weaving.

Hammocks

They are the bane of my existance those hammock hawkers and snake oil salesmen who hang downtown around the main square. So my advice is take a page from Nancy Reagan and JUST SAY NO! Well if you cannot just say no then, say "Yo Tango" which means I have one and keep walking. Walk or Drive over to Hamacas El Aguacate a family workshop with a large selection of very good hammocks of various qualities and colors. The prices are posted and they are fair and correct. There are alot of tricky dealers around in the historic center and recently they talked our guests, Mo and Katinka, into buying a $20 usd hammock for $160 usd with some story about hennequen and vestal virgins or some such. There are hammocks made of hennequen and some made of the plant "lengua de vaca" (sanseviera). If you want one of these go see Louisa Vogel on Sunday's in the Santa Lucia Park (she speaks english, spanish, french) or go to Casa de las Artesanias on calle 63 between 64 and 66. But if you want a cotton or nylon hammock go to Aguacate Calle 58 at 73. you don't need to spend more than 20 to 50 dollars for a hammock unless you know what you are doing. Hammocks come in 4 sizes sencilla (single), doble (double), matrimonial (queen size), matrimonial especial (king size). How to buy a hammock... First of all, never buy a packed hammock without checking it. They are handmade and the craftsmanship can vary in quality. Besides, you want to make sure you are getting what you are paying for. To judge the quality, hold the hammock out by its loops and run your hand over the weave, pushing down slightly. The weave should then close under your hand in a firm fashion. If it's flimsy and your fingers slip between the threads too easily, the work isn't up to standard. The end strings can also be counted to judge the quality; a good size hammock should have at least 200 pairs of end strings. The end hanging-loop should be thick and firm, not thin and be thick and firm, not thin and bendy.

The nicest hammocks I know of come from the prison on the libre road between Valladolid and Chichen Itza! Tixcocob is the town where a lot of hammocks are made but once again you'll have to haggle.

Hennequen & Haciendas

Fundacion Haciendas en el Mundo Maya is a project sponsoring the making of crafts in the Yucatan. There is a new shop in the Casa de Montejo on the Main Square or Zocalo and another shop at the Hacienda Ochil. They sell some of the very best & most expensive products made by these crafts people. You can also see these products and many of the tallers (work shops) if you visit the haciendas and hacienda towns like Temozon and Ochil.

From the Zocalo walk over to the Casa des Artesanias on calle 63 no. 503 x 66 y 64 and compare the quality and the prices. You will have seen some of the best and most expensive items compared to the very good but very basic items available in Yucatan. This will educate you and give you a price structure for the rest of your shopping whether it been in the market stalls or in tourist and craft shops around Merida.

You'll find less crafts and less variety in the Yucatan than you'll find elsewhere in Mexico. But there are excellent Panama hats made in the caves around Campeche and there are great hammocks made in towns like Tixcopo. Embroidery is done in Teabo.
Our friend Louisa makes the best hennequen bags and boxes we have found and she is usually in the market of Santa Lucia on Sundays if you go early.

Yucatan Living's Shopping List

A list of 10 places to shop in Merida from the Yucatan Living bloggers. Thier words not mine...

1. Miniaturas Folk Art
On Calle 59 between Calle 60 and 62 is the Miniatures shop. If it's closed, you won't be able to find it, but if it's open, you'll enjoy the little shop full of little things. This shop has everything from calavera (skeleton) necklaces to masks to movie posters and tree of life candlesticks. Also a good place to find a Mexican-themed greeting card. Their hours? 10 am to 8 pm, mas o menos :-). We were recently there at noon, and they weren't open yet. Like they say, mas o menos.

2. Casa de las Artesanias
Don't be fooled by the many places also named similarly... this is the real one underwritten by the State. Located on Calle 63 next door to the Monastery (Casa de las Monjas) between Calle 64 and 66. Artesans from around the state contribute their goods here. They have products from henequen, jewelry, guayaberas and huipiles, honey, carved stone gifts, etc. A little bit of everything.

5. Amate Bookstore
s now opened in Merida! Located on Calle 60 at Calle 51, Amate Books has english-language books on anything relating to Latin America: history, art, interior design, biographies, novels, etc. They also sell masks and other handmade gift items. Air-conditioned and very conveniently located.

6. Fonart at the Hotel San Angel

High-end Mexican artesanias products can be found at Calle 49 and Paseo Montejo in the hotel lobby. Fonart is a chain of government-sponsored stores that cull the best artesanias' products from around Mexico. Here you'll find beautiful carvings, silver, pottery, textiles and other high quality items, all made in Mexico. A great store to visit even if you don't buy anything.

El Mercado the land of 1000 tomatoes

At the center of the center is the old market which is next to the new market. Upstairs you'll find bad crafts that are as likely made in China as Mexico. Downstairs you'll find row after row of the same thing in the veggie and fruit area. And you won't have the heart of the stomach to do anything but dash through the meat section. But you'll find wonderful spices and candles and copal. You'll find a photo op around every corner. Here you'll see fruits you've never seen before and vegetables you never want to see again. I find myself at the market when I need termite and ant poison. I also go there to buy the flowers that lovely ladies from the villages grow in their gardens. There are a zillion taco stands, most of them good. It's a wonderful place to be if you have no where to be.

The Flea Market in Santa Lucia

While walking around town with "los padres de Josue" Sunday I discoved two things. Almost everything I wanted to see in a shop or museum was closed. So go out early on Sunday or f'get about it. Sadly for you and me the flea market on Sundays in Santa Lucia is just about shopped out. None of the regular guys go there any more. Or at least not often. They have too many clients with all the new residents in town to sell trinkets in the park. Fortunately Ana Sabrina is still serving tacos though. Louisa was not there selling her hennequen bags, boxes and placemats but she usually is. Codice, my favorite craft store, was gone and replaced by another shop selling soap and gauzy dresses for fat old hippies. Well I'm pretty fat and pretty old and I'm a hippie too I guess but I don't need any diaphonous clothing thank you very much. We did see some nice tie-dyed dresses in the zocalo but it seems like there's nothing much to buy unless you want some soggy french fries and a T-shirt. Also the information center in the corner of Olimpio is gone too. What's a tourist to do???