El Mercado: Introduction
As you have seen in the pictures, artesanía covers a lot of different crafts that depend on the area and available resources. For instance, in many areas silver is abundant and lines the bazaar shops. In other areas, leather and wool products can be found in homes and are available for tourists due to abundance of such materials. These crafts will often reflect regional values and history.
In the open air markets, such as the one in Otavalo, it is pretty customary to bargain for the items you are going to buy. The vendors expect it and are accustomed to it, so it is wise for tourists visiting these areas (Mexico, Central America, South America) to learn about the practice so they can get the best deal for their money.
You are generally wise to purchase the items you want to buy at the markets in the local currency (whatever the country's money is) and you are wise to never pay the first price mentioned to you in these markets.
So, how does this work? That is what we are going to talk about in this Section.