Imaj pozitif Ayiti

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/shop-like-a-local-in-port-au-prince-haiti-114310664204.html



Shop Like a Local in... Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Leah Ginsberg
Leah Ginsberg
Lead Editor
March 24, 2015


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In this Yahoo Travel column, we scout out what to buy around the globe. These are the places where insiders go to find their treasures — and the best deals. After all, who doesn’t want to know how to shop like a local?

Shop Like a Local in... Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Haiti at sunset (MichelleWalz/Flickr)

Haiti and the Haitian people have had a rough go of it in the last few years: political unrest, a devastating earthquake, epidemics of cholera and chikungunya. But now the country is experiencing a revival of sorts — rising from the ashes once again with hopes of becoming the tourist destination it was in the 1940s and 50s. Haiti is lush with natural beauty, but in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, it’s the food, art, and culture that will make you fall in love. And of the best ways to support the country is for visitors to put their money into the economy, according to Jeff Russill, vice president of innovation at G Adventures, which launched a new tour called Highlights of Haiti last month. So here’s how to shop like a local in Port-au-Prince.

Related: Shop Like a Local in… Bali



The Iron Market

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Iron Market (Leah Ginsberg)

For an authentic shopping experience in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, start at the Iron Market (or Marché en Fer). The original market, built in the 1890s, was destroyed by the Haiti earthquake in 2010. However, working with historians and architects, the city has rebuilt the place exactly as it originally looked, but of course shiny and new now.

This indoor market is divided into two areas, the craft section and the food section.

In the craft section, you’ll find scores of wooden (usually mahogany) bowls and sculptures made by locals in a nearby slum known for its woodwork. If the merchants peg you as a blanc (an outsider), prices will start as high as $35 for a decent-sized bowl, but after some bargaining, it shouldn’t cost you more than $5 (everyone takes U.S. dollars) and an animal or human figurine, maybe $2 or $3 more. There are also woven baskets and hats (about $5 to $7, which the locals often wear), paintings (anywhere from $7 to $35 depending on size), and bracelets and necklaces made with beads and materials like shells and castor seeds — don’t pay more than $1 each for the basic ones. More intricate versions go up from there. You can also find beauty products, hair weaves, and more.