Drinking
However, one mug does deserve attention. It is not just an ugly thing made in China with a crooked inscription "Paris", but an exquisite and perhaps even exclusive item – it is a flat mug that has not only an elegant curled handle but also a long spout. In Karlovy Vary, they drink mineral water from such quirky contraptions.
On occasion, to pair with the spouted mug, we will buy a porrón – a glass vessel, also with a spout. It resembles a flask in shape and is closed with a stopper topped with a red barretina. Very elegant. It can only be obtained in Spain, and not just anywhere in Spain, but in Catalonia. Catalans do not wear red caps, but they do drink sweet muscatel from a porrón. This must be learned. The porrón is raised to face level and then tilted so that a stream flows into the open mouth. Licking the spout is strictly forbidden!
Zoological
In the Arab Emirates, everyone buys gold – that's the stereotype. Well, you go to the bazaar and buy a real camel muzzle. It's clear that you don't have a camel. But then none of your friends have a camel muzzle either! Plus, it's beautiful – a funny little net woven from bright string.
From Thailand, people usually bring back elephant figurines. But you go to an elephant village – there are such near Pattaya, on Phuket and Samui, not far from Bangkok. In the elephant village, you can ride an elephant through the jungle, then watch a show of baby elephants. And also – buy paintings that these baby elephants paint. They paint with real paints, holding a brush in their trunk. Now that will be a souvenir!
Marine
From exotic countries, gifts should also be exotic. Take, for example, the paradisiacal Caribbean islands – all those Antilles, Bahamas, Cuba. And what non-trivial thing can be found there? Pirate maps! From the pirate Caribbean islands, you should bring old pirate maps, worn at the folds, with crosses marking treasures. Getting them is, of course, not easy. To do that, buy a souvenir map of the island, fold it and lightly rub the folds with a rough stone. Then draw crosses at the sites of "treasures", dotted lines of routes to them, underwater caves, and so on in the same vein – as far as your imagination allows.
On the pirate island of Margarita, you can relax, forget about being original and just buy pearls. There, sea pearls of the most stunning colors are "found".
On some pirate islands, the sea sometimes washes ashore ancient coins – real gold doubloons. But that happens, let's be honest, not often. On the other hand, an "ancient" coin can easily be bought. Where? For instance, in Tunisia, in Carthage, at the entrance to the museum. There they sell almost real ancient coins from the Punic Wars: heavy, greenish, mysterious. They cost very little: a dollar apiece.
In Mauritius, you can buy not just a map or a doubloon, but a whole ship. A real frigate with sails and a skysail. Only small. Mauritians make amazing models of ancient ships from real wood and canvas. Caravels unfurl their sails, a wave foams under the bowsprit... They come in small sizes, and also huge. There are no delivery problems – sellers carefully pack them in cardboard boxes.
From Norway, it is customary to bring toy trolls. Now everyone has these little ugly creatures. But it is much more interesting to bring some marine attributes from Norway. They sell amazing things there – real wooden floats painted in different colors. They are slightly chipped because they are old – some are over a hundred years old. If old wooden things don't inspire you, buy new floats: small balls of yellow glass enclosed in a net woven by fishermen. Hang them in the kitchen or bathroom – it will look great.
In Copenhagen, you can buy a lovely bronze sextant, a ship's bell, a ship's wheel, or some other thing for a yacht. These goods are sold in shops near the Old Harbor. In any maritime country, by visiting a shop for yachtsmen or fishermen, you will definitely find something amazing.
Australian
In Australia, without hesitation, buy a real boomerang. Especially since you don't have to go to the aborigines for it, just drop into an "aboriginal" shop, which is sure to be somewhere nearby. Pleasantly, the boomerang comes with "courses" on how to throw it. Just keep in mind, boomerangs can be returning or "one-way". All this is detailed on each such item. And there you can also buy a T-shirt with aboriginal designs – here they sell the most ethnic T-shirts in the world.
For lovers of cowboy style, there is plenty of room to indulge here. The most Australian thing is a leather cowboy hat with a crocodile leather strap from which real crocodile teeth dangle.
European
Got to Genoa? Padua? Paris? Stop by an ordinary shop selling nails and furniture fittings and buy a key for a secretary desk or a chest of drawers. Never mind that you don't have a chest of drawers – you can hang the key on a string and wear it around your neck. Because this is a real key to Genoa (Padua, Paris). The key is a very good talisman, it brings happiness and luck.
In Venice, you can buy a small silver key. In a shop near the Rialto Bridge, they are very cheap – large keys of unusual shape or whole bunches strung on a ring together with a lock. You can wear them as a pendant or instead of an earring.
From the Portuguese island of Madeira, you can bring an absolutely unique item – lace gloves. The local lace makers weave their products right on the streets, sitting on benches and folding chairs. To go with the gloves, buy a snow-white lace umbrella.
The Canary Islands, as is known, are part of Spain. The calling cards of these regions are the dragon tree and Canarian balconies made from Canarian pine, and on the island of Tenerife, also the Teide volcano. Therefore, souvenirs offered include ceramic 'little dragons' and pointed little volcanoes, plus wooden little balconies, as well as bottles with multicolored volcanic sand and chocolate candies 'rocks from Teide'... However, this is not the trinket you should buy in the Canaries. In the Canaries, you should buy precious olivine stones of a surprising green color. They are set in silver, and on the island of Lanzarote, they are sold directly with a piece of rock.
Mallorca is also a Spanish island. Bring back a whistle from there – a white horse with red stripes and a similarly striped rider. These whistles are made of clay. They are called siurell. A siurell brings happiness if you whistle into it three times on the night of the full moon. And the wish you make at that time will certainly come true.
Exotic
Indonesia opens up huge spaces for shopping – all in batik, carved wooden masks and figurines. Just don't take Balinese masks, even the most good-natured looking ones! They may turn out to be 'bad guy masks' and bring misfortune. Better buy a kite made in the shape of a bright multicolored ship or bird. The ship can be hung from the ceiling at home, and the bird can be spread flat on the wall.
On the island of Java, wonderful puppets for shadow theater or puppet theater are sold. They are carved from wood or buffalo skin, and depict heroes of the 'Ramayana'. They also look magnificent on the wall.