LCM_19_Shopping_r18 FINAL

A Shopping
Extravaganza
By Sandra Berry
Quite simply, duty free is a
way to save money on an
array of merchandise, ranging from dazzling jewelry to
premium liquor. Duty free
shopping allows fabulous
deals on cosmetics, fragrances, candy, cigarettes,
and more. “Duty” refers to
a tax or fee placed on
goods by government entities. Merchants who import
goods and sell them to consumers who are leaving the
country aren´t charged a
duty on these products.
Bringing home a bottle of special perfume or a liter of liquor has long been
a tradition for visitors returning from
México. Los Cabos offers a rich opportunity for shoppers, much of it “duty
free,” but just what are you allowed to
take back home and what does “duty
free” mean? And, here’s the real question: How much can you save?
Esther Pelatos
Duty Free!
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LOS CABOS MAGAZINE | WINTER 2009
The world's first duty free shop was
established in Ireland in 1950, and is in
service to this date. Designed to provide
a diversion for Trans-Atlantic airline
passengers, typically traveling between
Europe and North America, whose
flights stopped for refueling on both
LOSshopping
CABOS
legs of their journeys, it was an immediate success. The idea
was soon copied and implemented worldwide. Duty free shopping was in its infancy when two American entrepreneurs,
Charles Feeney and Robert Miller, created what is now Duty
Free Shops (DFS) in 1960. DFS started operations in Hong
Kong and spread to Europe and other places around the globe.
Securing the exclusive concession for duty free sales in Hawaii,
which catered mostly to the Japanese vacationers in the early
1960s, created a business breakthrough for DFS. DFS continued to innovate, expanding into off-airport duty free stores, and
eventually grew to become the world’s largest travel retailer.
Quite simply, duty free is a way to save money on an array of
merchandise, ranging from dazzling jewelry to premium
liquor. Duty free shopping allows fabulous deals on cosmetics,
fragrances, candy, cigarettes and more. “Duty” refers to a tax
or fee placed on goods by government entities. Merchants
who import goods and sell them to consumers who are leaving the country aren’t charged a duty on these products. This
allows sellers to pass savings along to their customers, and
gives shoppers the opportunity to take advantage of bargain
prices on fantastic merchandise. Theoretically, foreign-made
goods available in airport duty free shops should be cheaper
than similar goods on the shelf of your local department store
in the U.S. But, are they really? The only way to know is to
comparison-shop, and your ability to comparison-shop is
obviously limited when you are on a flight that will leave
within the hour. So, know before you go.
Four locations in Cabo San Lucas:
Plaza Embarcadero Local #10 • Blvd. Marina & Madero
Puerto Paraiso Mall Local # 81 • Wal-Mart Super Center
Ph: (624) 144-4424. Open daily from: 8 am to 10 pm.
www.cabohats.com • www.loscabosguide.com/cabohats
Almost everything made in México is available in Los
Cabos: pottery, serapes, pure silver, genuine Talavera, blown
glass, fine leather goods, original paintings and other art
pieces, and of course, a stunning array of native arts and
crafts. A good number of these items can be found at Plaza
Puerto Paraíso, and many international brand names can be
purchased at the new and sophisticated Luxury Avenue boutique mall, both located on the marina in Cabo San Lucas.
Think everything from Tiffany’s, Cartier, and Louis Vuitton,
to Lancôme, Chanel, and Christian Dior.
Buying anything in a duty free store usually requires showing
a boarding pass. Stores are often located in international
zones of airports, seaports or onboard passenger ships. As a
returning resident to the U.S. over the age of 21 who has been
out of the country for at least 48 hours, you are entitled to a
duty free exemption for newly purchased goods, up to the
value of $800, if the goods accompany you when you arrive
in the U.S. However, a few rules need to be followed regarding size and content of some purchases, due to laws imposed
by Travel Security Administration (TSA). Passengers are
allowed to carry beverages, purchased inside what TSA refers
WINTER 2009 | LOS CABOS MAGAZINE
109
TequilaSource.com provides
information about tequila
including history, categories
(100% Agave Tequila and
Tequila) and types (classes)
of tequila, photographs of
tequila bottles, pictures from
distilleries, listings of tequila
brands and news updates. We
also show various books,
links and reference sources
for information, history and
culture relating to Tequila,
the Spirit of México.
www.tequilasource.com
Postcards
Capture Your Vacation Memories
Esther Pelatos
Tequila Source
Quite simply, duty free is a way to save money on an array of merchandise, ranging from dazzling jewelry to premium liquor.
to as “security sanitized areas,” onto planes. These are things
you have bought at the shops that line the waiting areas and
beckon you to come look around.
At a connecting airport, arriving international passengers
must clear customs with their luggage, then recheck their
bags and proceed to catch a domestic flight. Flight connections entail clearing security again. Unless you adhere
to current restrictions, items will be confiscated from
carry-on bags and discarded at the security points. This
would apply to duty free liquor, perfume, gels, lotions,
etc. So if you can’t pack it in your checked bags, don’t
buy it. Too many travelers have been disappointed when
they saw their new purchases dumped into a trash barrel
because it did not meet TSA requirements, or they didn’t
take time to repack the items bought within the departing international airport’s “security sanitized areas” after
clearing customs at their arriving airport.
Whether you are in port for a day or at a resort for a week,
shopping is a vacation ritual, and Los Cabos is an ideal
place for that shopping spree. Gifts for the folks back
home, or a fabulous souvenir of your memorable visit,
means looking for unique treasures at prices you can’t find
at your local merchants back home. Whether it’s sunshades from Sunglass Island or magnificent earrings from
Diamonds International, you’ll find items and prices that
are just right for every budget, and irresistible for all. ■
Available at locations in Los Cabos or you
can order yours from one of our offices!
UNITED STATES . . . . . 858-569-0172
MEXICO . . . . . . . . . 624-143-1346
FOR A FULL SELECTION VISIT US ON THE WEB
WWW. LOSCABOSGUIDE . COM / POSTCARDS
Sample Duty Free Savings
Compared to U.S. Domestic Prices
LIQUOR: 25% - 50%
TOBACCO: 25% - 50%
FRAGRANCES AND COSMETICS: 15% - 30%
LUXURY GIFTS, JEWELRY, AND WATCHES: 10% - 25%
CONFECTIONS AND OTHER EDIBLES: 10% - 25%
The Iconic Mexican Rebozo
By Sandra Berry
A traditional icon of Mexican dress is the “rebozo,” a 500-year old cultural symbol that
is alive and well today. In Spanish “rebozar” means to “muffle up,” hence English for
“muffler.” From practical to elegant, these beautiful shawls enhance and complete any
modern-day wardrobe.
There are hundreds of different types of rebozos, hand-woven in intricate designs and
dyed from soft muted to stunning vibrant colors. The process of tying the delicate fringe
thread can be very involved and takes great dedication. Today, most rebozos are made
of cotton or a cotton/acrylic blend, some so fine it is difficult to tell them apart from real
silk. Proof of a real silk shawl, I’ve been told, is if it slides through a finger ring. The price
of an authentic rebozo is determined by these factors.
How is a rebozo used? Dining al fresco or even in an air-conditioned room may give
you a mild chill after a day in the sun. Elegantly draped over one shoulder or across
your back, tied in front with a square knot, makes a stunning statement. Weddings
here in Cabo are conducted in many different styles and at various locations. A beach
or seaside wedding is a particularly fine place to wear your rebozo. As the sun sets
and the air cools, these beautiful shawls play a dual role as an adornment for any style
dress and as something to keep you comfortable.
Select locations in Los Cabos carry these lovely traditional pieces of handiwork. Leticia
Klein, owner of La Casa Vieja in The Shoppes at Palmilla (Ph: 624 144-6161), says that
“Some of the finest shawls are Rebozos de Santa María.” They are made in the state of
San Luis Potosí and sold in beautifully carved wooden boxes, whose exotic aroma clings
to the rebozo. These shawls are made with the finest silk and striking color combinations.” Leticia particularly remembers this kind of rebozo because one of her uncles, a
former governor of San Luis Potosí, favored them as gifts for visiting dignitaries. She
gave both her daughters one of these special rebozos as gifts, and hopes they will continue the tradition of gifting this iconic Mexican wrap.
Picture yourself elegantly clad in one of these exquisite hand-made shawls while on vacation, and carrying on this pretty and practical style back home. Rebozos make perfect gifts,
each unique and light to transport in your luggage. Whether a gift for a friend, relative or
even a dignitary, these lovely emblems of Mexican culture are special in many ways.
Gregorio de Gante, a Mexican poet wrote [translated], “The Mexican rebozo is a baby’s
crib, a pillow for sleeping, a window for love, a bandage for healing, a bandana for working, a feminine veil, and a national symbol”. ■
Esther Pelatos
Hecho en México:
LEAD - FREE
(Microwave, Oven, and Dishwasher SAFE)
FACTORY STORE
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
Great selection of dishes and exclusive designs.
Plaza Alamar L- 8 Madero Street
(around the corner from Cabo Wabo) CSL,
BCS. www.mexicanpottery-art.com
Phone/Fax:
(624) 105.0046
WE SHIP!
Everything Tequila
A large selection of
100% Agave Tequilas.
The best prices in town
with an expert tequilier.
Plaza del Sol, Loc #9, Blvd. Marina
Cabo San Lucas, BCS
Phone: 143-1034 • Daily 9am–9pm
www.loscabosguide.com/tequilasytequilas
E-mail: [email protected]
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Overview Map
La Paz - East Cape - Los Cabos
© 2009 Joseph A. Tyson all Rights Reserved
www.loscabosguide.com
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LOS CABOS MAGAZINE | WINTER 2009