Treasure hunting on your travels
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Posted by Girlosophy on Wed 2 November 2011
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It’s part of the ritual of going away and coming home, loaded down with gifts for your folks at home. Getting mementos home intact can be a difficult task and not without risk of heartbreak. Many’s the fragile item that bubble wrap could not save – especially one from a bag on a long haul flight with several layovers.
Which is why it makes total sense to make your gifts small and special, and therefore portable. There is no sense buying the most enormous, heavy book or object and then trying to get it home. It might even be available online, so you should note down the details and buy it from the comfort of your computer rather than schlep it around the world with you on your travels.
It’s much smarter to ship things if they are large or, better still, simply to buy small objects that will serve the purpose of being a lovely memento – and fit into your bag without tipping the scales at the check-in.
“Buying local handicrafts is a great way to support local businesses and it shows you care as well.”
Look for small icons or little handmade statues or objects made from solid materials such as brass or wood, slim paperback books, cards, pens, small photo-sized artworks, handmade beaded or local jewelry, scarves, cushion covers, T-shirts, snow domes, small purses and handmade bags, textiles or sarongs. Remember, some items, such as wooden objects, might need to be declared to customs, and others, such as artifacts from national sites, are totally banned from leaving the country of origin! Ensure you know the rules and obey them.
Buying local handicrafts is a great way to support local businesses and it shows you care as well. Bargaining vendors down to ridiculously (unfairly) low levels, however, is not in the spirit of being a good traveler. Help the local community with a donation if there’s an opportunity. A sound policy is to add another couple of dollars and make everyone happy!
Carefully wrap any fragile, more breakable items to prevent damage and therefore disappointment on arrival. Securely roll them in the sweaters or jackets and then pack carefully in your bag. Secure all items so they don’t move around in the bag.
But if it all goes pear shaped, despite your best precautions, don’t be too upset. In the end, no matter how small (or how broken!), a gift says you were thinking about someone while you were away.
Photographer: Anthea Paul
