Markets
Apart from some notable exceptions, such as the famous market at Otavalo , you won't necessarily find much in the way of artesanias at most others. After all, markets are where locals come to do their week's shopping, meet friends, catch up on news, and sell their own produce. Such places are often the linchpins that hold many dozens of remote communities together and there's always a hint of fiesta at these weekly gatherings, even if an undercurrent of tough negotiation flows beneath the cheer. While you might not find much more to buy than some exotic-looking fruits and vegetables, half-a-dozen chickens or a new pair of nail-clippers, the real thrill of traditional highland markets is to be present at the week's most important social occasion. Making a purchase at a market is a skilful art that's second nature to locals, who can make their customers think they've got a bargain no matter how much they've paid. In craft markets, you should generally expect to find lower prices than in shops, but only if you haggle. Offering to pay far less than asking price, looking both uninterested and extremely knowledgeable, and threatening to walk away are tried and tested _techniques for getting the price down, but it kills the fun to argue endlessly over a few cents near the close of a deal. Everyone should have a smile on their face when the transaction is completed
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