The mercado, though crowded, was a treasure trove of souvenirs to be taken home to
family
and
friends.
Silver glinted as the sun peeked under the thatched roof. A bracelet inlaid with turquoise, coral and other brightly colored stones would be perfect for
Mom
and could be had for a song. The vendors refused to let a customer walk away without lowering the price further and further till a deal was struck. For me a silver chain, with tiny bells that jingled as I walked, was irresitible on my tan ankle.
After the market, we began working our way through town.
Danny
suggested that we stop for fish tacos and
Pacifico (really cool site if you like to explore)
before moving on to the stores. The delicious spicy tacos required mucho Pacifico, but hey, I was on vacation, and darn it all, you can't drink the water!
Inside a little village of shops, Shelly spotted a carved onyx chess set to take home to her boys. As she opened the tiny drawer beneath the board to find the men, I wondered whether my brother,
Jamie,
or his son,
James,
would enjoy one.
After the village we came to another small center with what turned out to be one of my favorite shops,
Dos Lunas.
Here, I dug through a barrel of sarongs until I found the perfect colors for my sister, Laurie, to wear over her bikini. I couldn't believe that I also found some of the tiny clay fruit that my sister-in-law,
Linda
collects. Maybe I'd find something for my niece,
Devon,
another day.
After a full day, we loaded our packages into our jeep rental and headed back to our Perlita. Terry began blending a pitcher of
margaritas.
"Where shall we go tonight?" It was clear the party was just beginning.