Shopping!

Men can just skip this blog, unless you want to know where to buy fabulous shoes and purses. I thought that I would give a quick summary of where to find the best items, since we`ve nearly finished all the countries now. I had a great time shopping as we`ve travelled, and some locations have great bargains. The only thing to be careful of is the body type of the country you`re in. For example, expect everything in Italy to be short and cut for curves. In Japan, the clothes are cut to flatter a slim build. Plan accordingly. And be warned about local concepts of beauty; I got laughed at and called fat numerous times in China for having curvy hips and big feet, so be prepared to handle the criticism while you shop.

(Two leather purses I bought in Argentina.)

For leather, go to Italy or Argentina. Argentina has purses, jackets, equastrian gear, shoes, and especially knee-high boots, for a quarter of what you would pay in America. These things all come in a rainbow of colors and you can find something really original. In Italy, jackets and purses are the usual shades of brown, but personal tailoring is available in every store. And you can commission an item, right down to the kind of leather.

For dresses, go to Greece, Italy, and Japan. The dresses in Greece are exactly what you would expect- flowy and beautifully gathered and draped. I put Italy in there because it`s the home of designers like Gucci. There's a million interesting dresses and other clothing there. In Japan, the shirt dress is very popular right now, as are pleats and shirred waistlines. And there's always the modern kimono, which is sold everywhere.

(Lower necklace is an amber and braided silver museum copy of 1000 b.c. Greek design, above is a silver Celtic design from Island of Skye.)

For interesting jewelry, try Peru, Chile, Greece, China, and New Zealand. Peru and Chile produce good jewelry because silver, unique stones, and shells are plentiful there. Examples include lapis lazuli, spondelis shells, and serpentine. New Zealand has a strong Maori tribal representation, and their symbols are popular to wear. China has all you could ever want in jade and fresh water pearls. There's many high and low quality grades available so you don't have to spend a lot to get beautiful jade jewelry, knick-knacks, and art pieces. In Greece, copies of museum jewelry are common, and most of these are stunning because they are bold and hand made. Really, anywhere there is or was a tribal or ancient civilization there will be a rich tradition of jewelry design.


(A jade bangle from China, a Maori symbol for safe passage over water on left and on the right a spondelis shell necklace from Peru.)

For handicrafts, China, Japan, Peru, Solomon Islands, Egypt, and Morocco are best. I won't go into everything, but I'll name one thing in every country: China has silk rugs, Japan has calligraphy, Peru has alpaca everything, the Solomons makes great wood carvings, Egypt has lots of stone carvings, and Morocco makes rugs and brass lanterns.

(A jewelry roll made of silk from Japan)

For 2D art like paintings and sketches, I like Italy, Egypt, and Japan. Italy is wonderful for street art, especially watercolor. Only buy from people who actually sit and paint in front of you though, to avoid buying a look-alike print. In Egypt, you have to buy a papyrus sketch of heiroglyphics. If you look for the nicest stores in the market, you can find local artists and quality pieces. Again, beware of the crappy print look-alike. Japan has a history of silk screen printing and rice paper or card stock reproductions of Edo period (ancient Tokyo) art.

I hope you enjoyed my shop-the world guide. The only thing I never found was a decent pair of jeans that fit, but then who finds those anywhere? -Anna