LA SURTIDORA DEL CENTRO. puerto vallarta, mexico

 

Various Mexican hand embroidered & woven tops.

Otomi embroidered pillows & woven bags

A wonderfully friendly saleswoman displaying one of my favorite Otomi embroidered textile for a photo op.

Embroidered handkerchiefs & doilies!

 

I happened across this shop when walking near my hotel, and what a find!  These are the kinds of shops I really cherish…full of traditional handmade products, items of days gone by.  It does not have the ambience of the boutiques I highlighted in Sayulita, but there are little treasures to be found nonetheless. Also, I love to feel like I am discovering something special, it’s the hunter in me.  🙂  I bought a dress, handkerchief, and some small embroidered gifts…definitely could have bought more!

 

LA SURTIDORA DEL CENTRO: Morelos 256, colonio centro
puerto vallarta, mexico.  phone: 222-1439

postcards from puerto vallarta

Me on the Malecón

Loving the people and their various poses.

Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe

There are other Mexican beachside cities that I prefer over Puerto Vallarta, but there are a few food and shopping gems to be found here.  Also, I have a soft spot for hilly towns by the water for some reason…maybe they remind me of Hong Kong, one of my favorite cities.

EVOKE THE SPIRIT. sayulita, mexico

 

Last but not least, my favorite shop in Sayulita…Evoke the Spirit!  A space so beautiful it looks more like a gallery than a shop, with beautifully designed & made products to match.  And if you visit the shop, please be sure to say hi to Santos, the Huichol yarn painter in residence.

A very special thank you to Evoke the Spirit’s owner & designer Brittney Borjeson, who was so welcoming and helpful during my trip!  You can see more about Brittney and her shop in Domino magazine!

EVOKE THE SPIRIT: 12A Jose Mariscal, Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico

ARTEFAKTO. sayulita, mexico

A beautifully curated shop selling textiles, clothing, home goods and more.

ARTEFACKTO: avenida revolucion #40-C, sayulita, nayarit mexico 63734

ORIGENES: DAVID LUNA. sayulita, mexico

If you appreciate tooled leather like one of my best friends, Taylor, does, this shop is for you.  I fell in love with a couple of things here…may have to send them an email soon!

ORIGENES: calle martin s/n entre navarrete y malecon, centro sayulita, mexico.  +52 13315443282. pepekabande@gmail.com

REVOLUCION DEL SUEÑO. sayulita, mexico

 

 

A cheeky shop with colorful products mixing modern and traditional Mexican flair.

REVOLUCION DEL SUEÑO : 55 calle manuel navarrete, colonia centro , 63734 Sayulita, Nayarit, Mexico

postcards from sayulita, mexico

 

 

Back after a long hiatus…and with the perfect town: Sayulita!  I just returned back from a few days there, and had to write about it.

Sayulita is a small Mexican surfing town not too far north of Puerto Vallarta.  This rustic beach chic hotspot for expats is home to some great eateries and boutiques.  Will be posting a few highlights later today.

How I got there:  I was staying in Puerto Vallarta, so I took a bus from the bus stops on the street in front of Wal-Mart.  The bus ride takes about an hour…not the most enjoyable ride ever, but I like to travel like a local sometimes.  The windows and door were wide open and we were barreling along.  What more can you ask from a 35 peso (<$3 US) ride?

Upon arrival in Sayulita, the bus drops off on the main road…from there you just keep walking until you find something interesting.  PS-That shouldn’t take too long.

BAKTUN: THE END OF AN ERA

Fortunately for some & unfortunately for others, the world did not end today, 12/ 21/ 2012.  Ancient Mayans did not actually predict an apocalypse today, but rather the end of an era.  I am currently smack in the center of the supposed apocalypse, so I thought I should just go with it.  This & the following two posts are a few things I have seen today, in homage of baktun.

CEMENTERIO. playa del carmen

The cemetery at Xcaret in Playa del Carmen was an unexpected place where I spent the most time.  The time & creativity used on each memorial was wonderful, and it was so much more personal and heartwarming than the traditional gravestone.  In addition, the crypt was beautiful, with a wall of wax made by the drips of the previous candles.  Beauty in the simplest of ideas.