If you are taking a tour to the pyramids, pretty good chance the tour will have a stop here for…read moresome education on obsidian, mezcal, artisanal weaving and souvenir shopping. Please come and create your own adventure.

We visited Teotihuacán a few weeks ago, taking a day trip during our stay in Mexico City. We hired…read morea tour guide, who brought us to this little commercial area near the archaeological site, which was basically Teotihuacán's gift shop. It was a cool place, a little artisan market with on-site guides/salespeople to show you around and nudge you into the shop at the end. Our guide was a pleasant woman with a whole lot of hustle. She took us over to a giant agave and demonstrated some of its many uses (you can pretty much pull paper and thread straight out of the plant, as well as the obvious nectars and liquors); she showed us silver jewelry and obsidian sculptures, and explained how they were made. The last stop before the shop was for tiny shots of tequila and mezcal, which she had us take with salt and lime. Something to loosen us up enough to spend some pesos, perhaps. The shop was pretty extensive, filled with silver and obsidian and other artisanal Mexican crafts. Our guide stayed with us for a while, showing us this and that. I wanted to browse on my own, but she was kind of there behind me, ready to help me out if anything caught my interest. She said we didn't have to buy anything, but I'd say there was a lot of soft pressure--something to be aware of, if that sort of thing makes you uncomfortable. I ended up buying a silver necklace, which was kind of expensive but very pretty and, as far as I could tell (I know nothing), solidly made. All in all, an educational experience with a hard sell component. The demonstrations are fun, the people are nice, and the shop is genuinely appealing. If you're inclined to buy souvenirs while in Mexico, this is probably a reliable if pricey place to do it. Otherwise, just enjoy the presentation and make your escape.

05/19/2018 Second stop is getting outside of the city. The…read moreprecursor to our main objective. But first, you must see what we have in store to show all of you tourists. Mainly all of the different rocks gathered from nearby lava rocks. When I say nearby, it's really more than 150km away. Just the different color variations is amazing. Carving from giant pieces to create works of art is not priceless. It's a collection you could bring home as a souvenir depending on the size. The first thing we saw is this plant that the core is hollowed out to see this liquid called something like, ma-gey (spelling?). I'm sure in some process, it becomes fermented to our samples of tequila. What tour in Mexico that doesn't include tequila tasting. We get to sample the ma-gey which is a bit sour like citrus fruit then not so much. Also not something you would order at a bar. We are shown different pieces with amazing natural color. Gold, orange, mixed in with the black color. One of the pieces you can see through if you were to look at an eclipse of the sun. Why didn't we know about this much earlier. After walking around the gift shop, waiting on everyone else in our group. There is a guy who showed up and started up the loom. As if he is continuing the light blue woven fabric. Interesting how he incorporates the color for the design. Then it was time to load up the van.

This is basically a tourist trap. Don't get me wrong, they do have pretty good stuff. I mean its…read morenice artwork pieces that they sell but it is pricier than if you brought from vendors at the sun and moon pyramids. They claim that their things are genuine. I am sure because it is a store. I would say for silver and stuff like that buy from them. In terms of stone carve artwork, I would browse around. I know the stone carved artwork are real no matter where you buy it because you can't have fake rocks. I do like how the storekeeper goes and explains their products/artworks. Also you get to sample their Tequila and Poche. If you join a tour, there is a high chance you end up coming here.