For tourists who want a custom made souvenir of their Andes Holiday, simply sketch out what you want, along with the size, and establish a price.  It will be fare value, and representative of many of the talented crafts people of La Mesa.  Watch as the piece is made, or continue your visit through town?

Many of the shops where the crafts people are working, do not have signs, so don't hesitate to ask directions.  Most of the objects made here and in other pueblos are sold to shops in the cities, such as Mérida,  For this reason you can bargain for a lower price with the craftsman who made the article. You may feel however, that explanations or the demonstrations that many crafts people are willing to share is easily worth the asking price?  You be the judge! 

Another popular craft is the making of dolls from leaves of dried banana plants.   They cut, bend and shape the fiber into lifelike miniature dolls which make fine gifts for children, for doll houses or as Christmas Tree ornaments.  The price, considering the time involved and the experience of the craftsman is a true bargain.

Plant and vegetable fibers are common materials in the making of baskets, handbags, hats as well as beautiful utilitarian pieces such as area rugs, place mats, hot pads, entrance floor mats, etc. Mothers, who first learned from their mothers, pass the craft down to their daughters and granddaughters.  In some pieces, the design can be traced back generations.

When you see the work of the clay artist Sra. Daysi Padilla, who is famous for her fat characterizations of Christ, the Saints and the National Hero, you might ask her why?  Her response is disarmingly simple and honest: I see them this way from  visions and emotions which come from my mind and my soul.