We decided not to do any excursions in Cozumel and went shopping instead.  Cozumel was touted as one of the best places to shop, so we figured this would be a good time to pick up some gifts for our friends and family back home. 

We took our time waking up and eating breakfast before finally going ashore.  For our little shopping trip, we brought our little shopping coupon book that we bought while attending the onboard “Discover Shopping Show”.  They had promised hundreds of dollars of savings and free stuff.  The lady ’shopping guru’ was good at doing her dog and pony show, figuring we should join in all the fun with the ‘cruise’ shopping, we bought a book ~$20.  The book was a inch thick and fits in the palm of your hand, and indeed was filled to the brim with ‘fabulous coupons from dozens of stores’.  Most of the stuff was for diamonds and watches. 

We had a coupon for a free cab ride down to the shopping villiage.  Upon dropoff we saw streets full of shops.  Making our way through them we soon discovered that all they sell were diamonds and watches…. Diamonds International, Tanzanite International, Goodmark Jewelers, Goodmark Gallery, stores we’ve already seen many times over during our short trip.  The entire caribbean is full of these two companies!  I wouldn’t be surpriesed if they were all the one and the same.  The same street was packed with at least 20 of these stores.   I suppose the way they do business is making sure that you don’t miss their stores.  And how could you miss them, you find one every 3 stores or so. 

Making the best of it, we took our little coupon book and went into all the stores that had freebies without purchase.  I ended up with a few ‘gold’ charms, some ‘rare’ tanzanites and had the most ‘Amazing Shopping Experience’!  Ok, we did pick up a few souvineres and a hammock.  Trying our hand at barganing was fun.  Back in Costa Maya I had seen some windchimes in one of the tent booths near the ship. 

“$25 each” the salesperson said. 
“$8″ I countered. Jae looked at me like I was crazy. 
“No, no, too little”, he replied. 
“2 for $10″
“Too low” he returned.
“Ok, fine, I go”
“Please, return, I can give you a good price” he called after us.
Thinking I had the upper hand I tried again, “2 for $15″
“Oh, you are tough, Ok’ he sighed.
Happily, I picked out my two windchimes and went along my way.

A few blocks down, we entered a store, and as I was browsing the trinkets, I saw the exact same windchimes. 

$3/each it said.

doh! live and learn, live and learn…..

 In Cozumel we barganed a bit for the single person hammock we found in a store in one of the back streets. the way I see it is that you need to first give the item the price you think it’s worth.  And being an American I know that what we buy is typically more expensive so anything less than what it’s “worth” to you is a bargan.  I’ve seen similar hammocks for $75 in the states, I never bought one because it wasn’t worth $75.  $50 would be the price I would’ve wanted it for.  But because we were so far away and it wouldn’t fit in our luggage, the hassle of bringing it back devalued the item in my mind some more.  I went in and looked at the hammocks, picked one out and asked how much. $100 he said.  Whoa!  I smiled and said no thanks.  Must have been a slow day, because he chased us outside and told us to try it out, look at it again and all that.  After a bit of fussing I told him that it was too much of a hassle to bring it back and wouldn’t want it for over $25.  At which eventually he said he’ll sell one to us at a super discounted price of $30.  Well, needless to say, we took it.

We also bought a bunch of t-shirts.  The first few stores we passed the shirts went for 4 for $10, then as we went further and further in, it became cheaper and cheaper.  Eventually we picked up our shirts 6 for $10.  What a deal!

The weather was very hot and humid so after a few hours we took the cab back home and went back on the ship.