Caracas Shopping Tips by carolinaEspada

Name of Shop: Centro Comercial SAMBIL (or just "El Sambil")

This is THE MOTHER OF ALL SHOPPING CENTERS!!!

I hate it. I hate malls. But some people LOVE them dearly! Some people from near by countries or islands, make a one day visit to Caracas just to shop. (Wildly). Others, from far aways towns of Venezuela, do the same thing. One day consumming madness. Love to shop. Shopping fever. Unstopable!

I cant stand it. But some people have a ball at "El Sambil". In this 5 or 6 stories high building (I havent dared to count them! Is agoraphobic! ), you can find everything that you are looking for. And you can also find things you were not looking for, didnt know they existed, dont know what they are, etc...

What To Buy: What ever you want: from local, typical and not expensive candies, to really fancy and expensive clothing or decorating items. National and imported.There is a Ferrari store, a Louis Vuittone one, an Alessi one. And among this beauty and richness, you can also find a couple of discount stores and a warehouse. There is everything for everybody.

There are restaurants and fast food places, a bowling alley, a bunch of cinemas, cybercafés, a couple of excelent book stores, gorgeous shoe stores, local craft stands, computers places, english cothes for men, italian and french boutiques. Everything. Just name it!

WARNING: there is an urban legend about this place, but no one knows if it is true. By email we were told that something really bad happened in one of their many restrooms. The suggestion is to go to the restrooms near the fast food places, because they are always crowded and you will feel safe.

What To Pay: If you are a shopaholic you will spend all of what you have in cash and your credit card will finally melt (after so much use in one single day).

If you are not, you can go for a walk, windowshop, eat an icecream, see a movie.

I´ve gone three times against my will. I feel like a tiny ant inside of a Gruyere cheese. I´d rather be locked in an elevator than walking unleashed in "El Sambil". Cross my heart.

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Theme: Other
Address: One block "down" CHACAO subway station. CHACAO.
Directions: Down the street, at the end of the block, to the left, right across the street. From the outside is 3 stories high, when you get inside you will see that there are two or three lower levels. Scary...

Name of Shop: HANSI

Whenever I travel I dont like to waste my time from one shop to another. I go to museums, art centers, parks, historic sites, restaurants, theaters, cinemas, almost everywhere... and I try to avoid shops. But... on the other hand, I always like to bring back home presents for my relatives and friends...

So... if you are like me, and you come to Caracas, you take a taxi to "El Hatillo" (dont pronounce the "H", say it like: El Atillo, Ah-tee-jou), and go to "HANSI".

El Hatillo is a cute an colorfull little town that long ago was far away from the city of Caracas. But the city has expanded so much, that El Hatillo seems to be right there. About 30-40 minutes away from downtown Caracas (by car, by bus it takes for ever). This a tourist place full of tiny stores and all sort of execelent and not so expensive restaurants. It is a very nice place to go just to walk around, take pictures, buy tipycal venezuelan candies or beads to make necklaces. It´s a great place. A little town in the middle of a huge city. Nice.

Hansi, on the very begining was a store in one of these colourfull little houses. But since it was so succesfull, the owner bought the house next by. And, later, the other house next by... and another... I dont know how many lillte houses is Hansi right now. Maybe four... maybe more. The owner has comunicated all these houses on the inside. On the outside almost nothing has changed. I looks like a typical colorfull tiny venezuelan town.

What To Buy: EVERYTHING in arts and crafts (local and also from other south american countries). EVERYTHING you can think of in one single place: wood animals carved by the indians; bows and arrows; indian baskets; hamocs; indian feather "crowns"; indian bags; venezuelan souvenir t-shirts; dried pirañas with their mouths open full of teeth (piranas?... In Venezuelan we call them "caribes"); indian pottery from a place called Quibor; "alpargatas" (typical venezuelan sandals); ponchos and ruanas (the typical coats people wear at Los Andes mountain range); coffee, real coffee!!!; sculptures, saints, plates, brass ornaments; little nativities (which people buy all year long); postcards, books, jewelry (all kinds), candies, venzuelan hats ("sombrero de cogollo"); wooden cases to keep cigars (humifiers? I dont know what they are called); and cigars from Venezuela and also from Cuba, and let me tell you, those are reaaaallllly expensive. Two years ago i saw a tourist buying a 26 $ cigar. One cigar. Ok? One.

But there a millions of things to buy here, if you like to collect arts and crafts from the places you go.

I dont. I wouldent put a dried piraña (caribe) over my piano. But I have bought them and give them away to children in other countries and they all go: WOOOOOWWWWW!!!!!!

What To Pay: That's another good reason to go to Hassi... you will find all kind of prices. From a 1 $ typical necklace, to a 26 $ cuban cigar, to a ???$ big and beatifull, wooden case for your cigar, to a ???$$ complete full size indian boat...

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Theme: Local Craft
Address: HANSI at "El Hatillo"
Directions: 30 steps -walking up hill- from the main square. All of our main squares are called "PLAZA BOLIVAR".

Name of Shop: "READ BOOKS"

2006 UPDATE:
This book store desapeared... everybody is waiting for it to "re-open" some where else. I will keep you informed.
Now, for books in English, I go to the american or english book store on the lower floor of "Centro Plaza" in "Los Palos
Grandes" area. Ave. Francisco de Miranda, closet Metro Station: "Altamira" (is MUCH easier to get to this book store, and there is an excelent coffee shop on the same shopping mall level). This one is a fine bookstore, but never as
awesome as "Read Books".

THIS IS WHAT I WROTE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO:

Is the ultimate bookstore with books and magazines in English! Also has a coffee shop, which is still an unusual thing to find in a Venezuelan library. (But we'll get there... Is only a matter of time).

What To Buy: Books in English if you need to have something to read every single day of your life.

If you want books in French, you will have to go to a shopping mall called CENTRO COMERCIAL CHACAITO (right next to the metro station called Chacaito). The French book store is on the basement.

If you want book in Italian, then you will have to go to Avenida Solano. Closest metro station: Sabana Grande. They bring the italian newspaper: IL CORIERE DE LA SERA.

What To Pay: As much as you want to read...

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Theme: Books
Address: Oh, oh, is either Street Paris or Madrid...
Directions: Tell the taxi driver to take you to LAS MERCEDES, right behind EL BINGO (a huge place where people go to play bingo. I've never been there. Dont want to. But I could go every single day to "Read Books"...

Name of Shop: In 99% of the libraries of Caracas

I was very honored and pleased when VT member Sophie Roquefort asked me to recomend her a venezuelan writer, a principal venezuelan novel. "I always read a book from the most important author of every country I go to", she said and I said: "Wow".

So I recomended her "Dona Barbara" by Romulo Gallegos. That is a must. Is a novel that every venezuelan has to read in school. And is very good.

There is a very famous mexican film (an adaptation of this novel), played by the diva Maria Felix. She was Dona Barbara. An unforgettable character. An unfogettable actress. A breathtaking woman.

Dona Barbara has been translated to many, many, many languages... so if you like reading... There.

What To Buy: "Dona Barbara": The Venezuelan Novel by Romulo Gallegos.

Pronunciation Warning: Dona is not spelled neither pronunced like that in Spanish.

It needs the Spanish letter that comes after the N and right before the O. Yes, we do have another letter there, but it wont appear in VT.

Look what it happens if I write that word:

Do?a Barbara

Did you see? Do?a, do?a, do?a...

In French and Italian would be pronounced as: Dogna Barbara. Meaning Madam Barbara, Donna Barbara.

If you speak English practice saying jalapegno, then jalapegna, then dogna. I'm really upset that I cant write properly our "egne" right here. It looks like an N with a horizontal bar on the top.

What To Pay: Not much. They have economic paper back editions, because kids have to read this book in high school.

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Theme: Books
Address: any good library
Directions: any good library anywhere in Caracas.

Name of Shop: Every single shoping mall...

If you want to wrap your presents, in Venezuela we also have beautifull xmas papers that can go from traditional to really-trully creative and original.

What To Buy: This year Ana Black, a friend of mine, designed 5 different tipes of Xmas wraping papers. Here, in the picture, goes my favorite one. A 100% venezuelan Xmas one.

What To Pay: 1000 bolívares each big paper. (1 U.S. $ = 1950 bolívares on December 2004)

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Theme: Other
Address: Shoping centers... malls...

Name of Shop: Every shopping mall

Also designed by friend Ana Black, but for those who rather stick to Xmas wrapping paper tradition.

What To Buy: We dont have reindeers in Venezuela. I love this one. His expresion is the same one you get after you drink too much ponchecrema (check my ponchecrema tip, which is our merry Xmas traditional drink)

What To Pay: 1000 bolívares (1 U.S.$ = 1950 bolívares on December 2004).

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Theme: Other
Address: Shopping malls...

Name of Shop: PARTY DEPOT: "where the party begins"

I´ve seen this kind of store in the U.S.A., but on December 24th, 2004, I was happily surprised to know that we have several of them. A "cadena" = a "chain" of Party Depot all over Caracas.

What To Buy: Everything you want to make a party, to go to a party. (And there are toys as well, even for adults).

The place in humongous and there are too too too many things in there. Stuff you had never imagined and things that you dont know what they are for (but there is always a young happy guy to help you around).

I bought two "eyes masks" with peacock feathes and other kind of less glamorous feathers, and two "marabues" = soft feathers "boas" (a light-blue-green one and a purple-blueish one). That is my Xmas present for my two God daughters. They NEED to celebrate badly this upcomming New Years Eve (they, we, have had a rough year), so we better start happy Jan 1rst, 2005.

What To Pay: More than you were expecting. Party Depot is a new place, is "hot", has many many things, imported stuff, so all of the prices are above average.

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Theme: Other
Address: Since there are several of them... Phone:
Directions: 239-6055 239-8696 (in Boleíta, this is the main one, the biggest one where I went).
944-1555 945-7779 944-3821 945-9719 (in La Trinidad)
4518997 (in El Paraíso)
But I know there is another one in "La Castellana" and in "Las Mercedes".

Name of Shop: Men stores... the nicer, the better...

Venezuelan men wear superb ties!!!

That is one of my favorite presents to bring friends, relatives and dear ones that live in Puerto Rico or in the States, for example.

I've always given venezuelan ties to my "compadre" (the father of my godson) Frank Burke M.D., who is from Washington D.C., but lives in Lexington, Ky. He named me, long long time ago, his Tie Selector. His wife (my dearest "comadre" Joannie) hasnt bought a tie for him in centuries. Frank is a surgeron. Everytime he wears a venezuelan tie, people stop him and give him a great compliment.

(That makes me soooo happy...)

What To Buy: 1. Imported silk ties from Italy and France.

2. Made in Venezuela ties with imported silks and fabrics.

3. 100% made in Venezuela. Everything.

What To Pay: A "whole lot" for the very-imported ones; a "lot" for the ones made in Venezuela with imported material; "less" for the 100% venezuelansC. Now... "a lot" in bolívares, with the US$ change is a great buy. Great presents. Fit beautifully in the suitcases.

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Theme: Men's Clothes
Address: Any "tienda para caballeros" (men store)
Directions: Visit a huge shopping mall like "El Sambil", "Centro Ciudad Comercial Tamanaco", "Paseo Las Mercedes", "Plaza Las Americas"... visit several men stores. Compare fabrics, textures, prints, colors and prices.
Everybody likes venezuelan ties.

Name of Shop: Thousand zapaterías!!! = shoe stores!!!

New VTfriend, Alan (ATUFFT) reminded me to do a tip on venezuelan leather shoes. He is absolutely right. Our leather shoes (for ladies, gentlemen and children) are trully great. Why? Because -thanks to the early XX century inmigration- we inherited the italian shoemaking ART and tradition. FORZA ITALIA!!! And... GRAZIE ITALIA!!!

Let me copy-paste a bit of Alan's email:

(...) "please research the leather shoes shopping a little more before you write.
Whenever we go down to the many many little stores in the area of the
Congressional buildings, I look for good deals on men's leather soled shoes.
But, the best quality at a great price does take some time. Even so, I've
bought pairs of shoes that rival the best Italian shoes at a fraction of the
cost. I also know that women's shoes come in a fantastic variety although the
good leather shoes are sometimes mixed in with the factory made plastic and
vinyl versions sold at the stores where the Venezuelan kids are more to hang
out.

AlanVt"

What To Buy: There are soooooo many malls in Caracas: Sambil, CCCT, Concresa, Paseo Las Mercedes, El Recreo, Centro Plaza, Centro Comercial Chacaíto, Boleíta Center...and many many many more. In all of those you can find hundreds of "zapaterías", shoe stores. All kind of shoes, styles, colors, "fashions", traditionals or not, etc... and if you change your $$$ or your Euros in bolívares, all of these trully fine leather shoes are really unexpensive...for you (not for us, venezuelans).

And there are still a couple of places where they make the shoe specially for you, a "shoemaker-made-shoe". But Ive never been to one of those shoe boutiques/ateliers, because Im sure I could not afford it.

All of the leather shoes Ive bougth in my life are either venezuelan made or italian made.

When I go to USA I buy what we call: "rubber shoes = zapatos de goma", meaning by that: tennis shoes, reeboks, sport shoes, running shoes, etc.

But FINE leather shoes, either in Venezuela or in Italy.

What To Pay: I dont know... tons -TONS- of bolívares... not too many $$$ nor Euros. You should ask new VTfriend, Alan (ATUFFT).

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Theme: Shoes
Address: Every shopping center (mall) in Caracas.
Other Contact: New VTfriend, Alan (ATUFFT)