Dutzi: Worth a Detour

Ariane Dutzi has opened a beautiful new shop in a big old house on the Calzada de los Frailles in Valladolid and but if you aren't passing through you can shop online or see a selection of her bags at the Coqui Coqui boutique on Calle 55 x 62 & 64 in Merida.  All of the bags are made of natural materials by Mayan men and women and most of the materials are reclaimed or recycled.  

Flip Flopped

Merida is a haven for cheap shoes which are perfect for your halloween costume if you are going as a drag queen or prostitute and yet amidst all the glitter and plastic there are a few hidden gems worth looking into.  B&G Atelier is an artisanal shoe shop owned by a local woman who spent 20 years in Switzerland and studied shoe making.  It's a great place to have custom sandals made.  Visit their Facebook page or read about them in this article in The Yucatan Times .  I love the sandals that Hacienda Montecristo  makes from leather and rebozo which are available in their factory store in Valladolid or in Merida at the Coqui Coqui boutique or in Paris at Merci. They also make collections for J Crew and Club Monaco.  In the central market you can find a handful of shoe makers that make very nice Huaraches on recycled tires soles and from experience I can tell you that they do stretch out a lot.  Just follow your nose to the fried fish vendors and avert your eyes from the cute puppies in cages. For a more colorful version of the Huraches sandals check out the Color Amor Talent Store on Calle 55 x 60 & 62.

Ki'Xocolatil Mexican Belgian Chocolates

Expat's and locals shop at the little factory shop in Pensions or the boutique in Montecristo because that is where you'll find a selection of bon-bons that make your head swim. In the downtown location they only sell a small selection of chocolate bars and tablets. Drop in for a hot or cold chocolate drink or dessert with coffee. But it's worth seeking out the wider selection at Rosas y Xocolate hotel or the full range at the other two Ki'Xocolatil locations.

"In the Mayan and the Nahuatl languages, the word Ki-xocolatl means: delectable chocolate. This name was chosen in honor of the two great pre-Hispanic cultures that dominated the cultivation of cocoa plants, and passed it on to modern man. The Olmecs as well as the Mayas were the first to cultivate cocoa, which was used to prepare a drink offered in their religious ceremonies. Cocoa beans were later used as a monetary medium of exchange in commercial dealings. Later, the Aztecs mixed cocoa with spices to convert it into a drink for Gods and Kings."

In less than a month the Chocolate Museum will open in the Ruta Puuc between Labnah and Xlapac. Of course the owner's of Ki'Xocolatil Matheu & Stephanie Brees are behind the plantation and museum.

Pensiones: Calle 5-D #313 x 38 y 38-A
Centro: Calle 55 No. 513 x 60 y 62
Montecristo: Calle 49 x 32
 #215, Local 17, 
Colonia San Antonio Cucul
Hotel Rosas & Xocolate: Paseo de Montejo x Calle 41

Casa Montejo

Haciendas Mundo Maya has a new shop in the recently restored Casa Montejo on the Gran Plaza in Merida. In addition to crafts from the Yucatan they have items from many of the other states of Mexico. A nice selection of books on Mexican crafts as well.

Coqui Coqui Perfumes in Merida

The new Coqui Coqui boutique has opened in Merida with a selection of perfumes and candles and soon the boutique will include the collection of accessories Hacienda Montecristo which is sold at Barney's in New York. The spa will open in 2011.
Legend says, that during the colonization of the new world, the Franciscan monks, while entrusted by the Queen of Spain, picked flowers, woods and exotic herbs together within the Mayan natives in the remote land of the Yucatán Peninsula.
So many species were found, that the monks, little by little, began to create a large botanical catalog, giving rise to the most original eau de cologne, emulsions and lotion formulas, as well as introducing perfumes mixed with essential oils, using native flora from the Yucatán Peninsula.

Travel + Leisure Global Vision Award for Artisan Revival

Travel+Leisure
Artisan Revival: The Haciendas, Yucatán, Mexico
When development company Grupo Plan began a painstaking restoration of colonial estates that once anchored the Yucatán’s sisal industry, it had little idea that its five beautiful hotels (from the jungle-shaded Hacienda San José to the stately and manicured Hacienda Temozon) would end up revitalizing entire areas of rural Mexico. The properties inspired a wave of community-focused tourism. Today, folk art collectives sell handicrafts both to the hotels and directly to the wave of visitors they are now attracting. Meanwhile, a cultural center and hotel-sponsored initiatives promoting health and literacy are allowing these once-depressed communities to take a larger role in determining their own future.

Take the Trip: Each of the Haciendas has an on-site boutique selling local handmade goods such as carved horn necklaces and Mayan cotton hammocks.

Let there be Lighting

After working on several large design projects in Merida and not being able to find nice lighting fixtures or furnishings we decided to something I swore never to do again. We opened a store. A little store by appointment only. A couple of years ago we closed that venue but we still have a few lanterns in storage or we can special order them. One can see a selection of the lanterns and lamps here . Email us for a price list.