Are you in town for the weekend? Well! Here is a new option for you to visit and enjoy!
The new artesans market located in Plaza de las Garantías Sociales is ready for all visitors with a different taste for authentic stuff.
This market, descending in a way from the other artisans market by the National Museum has a significant difference and it is the fact that all the products sold in the stands are made by the people who are selling them.
What do I mean by that? (You may ask)… Well! It happened to me once, on a cruise trip… I bought a magnet in Barbados, a little rasta man with a drum and the word Barbados on top. Next day, as the cruise advanced, I found exactly the same souvenir with the name Antigua on it…. Made in China. Of course the magnet broke right after I put it on the fridge, hence I cannot show the picture. But it gave me a lesson… Mostly all souvenirs are made in China… And so the question is, if Costa Rican, Guatemalan and Panamenian souvenirs are exactly the same, and they are all made in China, Are they really souvenirs?
Not really. They are a commercial treat that replaces the local efforts in a cheap deceiving way. But even more than that… They are not good quality as they are made in an industrial line far away from pride and love for their work.
The answer of a true souvenir then, lies in the hands of the local artesans that do make their products by hand and coming from pride, satisfaction and passion for their art.
In the market you can find from chocolates to purses, from dog jogging clothes to soothing medicinal pillows. A bit for everyone in a place where you really want to buy everything!
So, let’s make a tour by this past weekend artesans market, and the promise that I will keep on writing from the next ones.
Chocolates, peanut butter and honey
Coming from Guacimo (On the Caribbean side) and the Central Pacific side they are selling peanut butter, honey and organic chocolates that are truly delicious!
Worth the visit and super worth to try some!
Glass beauties
In two of the stands I found some beautiful artifacts made in glass.
One coming from San Marcos de Tarrazu that makes glass and stones jewelry and the other one right here in San Jose, mainly for home or hotel decor.
Bothe very well done, with high quality standards.
Tea, Jam and... yes! Puppets!
One of the things that stroke me of this “feria” was the amount of healthy and delicious goodies that I found. Among them I have to talk a bit about Doña Rosa, who is from the nearby town of Moravia and makes this delicious jams… of unsual flavors… Not advocado or beans, but chia, tomato or piña colada. In the sweetest packages also!
And “Many Infusions” which are also infusions made with different sorts of plants for medicinal purposes. So I bought, for instance an infusion of apple and orange which is really good for weight control and tastes really well! They also sell the most creative “infusors” which are the sort of nets that you put the leaves in to soak in water.
And another stand, that I cannot pass, and that was in the same sector was the one from Don Enrique Barroso, a most creative puppeteer with all sorts of puppets, from animals and figures to cartoons and movie characters.
Tomorrow I will go on with this serie of Artcrafts in San José, talking about medicinal pillows, hands off bags, grape seed medicines and recycled materials bags… among others… The “feria” is bigger than it looks!
