About Jim, Carmen and Cristina
Jim is an American cultural anthropologist, Carmen is a Peruvian hotel and restaurant administrator. We met in Lima, Peru, in 1995 and married there in 1998. In between, Jim returned to the U.S. and Carmen went to Cusco, where she opened her own restaurant. We came to the United States together at the end of 1998. We have one child, Cristina Maria, born in March, 2001.
About Peru
Peru is a South American country of about 1,280,000 square kilometers (494,208 square miles) and 28.5 million inhabitants. The country spans three very different geological, environmental and cultural regions, from a narrow coastal desert, across the Andean mountain range, to the Amazon basin, encompassing an astonishing 84 of the world 103 ecological zones. The Amazon River itself originates in Peru. The capital, Lima, is on the coast.
The territory of Peru has been occupied for at least 20,000 years. Several important cultures on the coast and in the Andes (Moche, Chimu, Chavin, Paracas, Nazca, among others) predated the Inca empire, which flourished from 1438 until Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1532. The Spanish quickly dominated the coast and highlands, but the Amazonian lowlands did not come under real control until after Peru won independence from Spain in 1823. The cultureore properly, culturesf Peru today is a mixture of native American, Spanish and other influences.
About Cristina Store
Wee a Mom and Pop operation, so we named our eBay store after our daughter. Cristina's Store was the first Internet store operated by our business, Don Pepito Imports LLC. In keeping with the family theme, Don Pepito is named after Carmen's father, Pepe. The pairing of the honorific Don with the diminutive Pepito is characteristically Peruvian.
We specialize in Peruvian hand-made beads, clothing and crafts. Peruvian crafts are well made, from superior materials, usually using natural plant, insect and mineral dyes. We are direct importers who work with the makers of the things we sell, allowing us to offer some of the best prices on the Internet while passing on the maximum possible to the makers, the indigenous peoples of Peru.
About Our Other Web Stores
Now open! Beads of Peru, www.beadsofperu.com, specializes in our handmade Peruvian beads. You may combine orders from Cristina's Store and Beads of Peru for savings on shipping, handling and insurance. Purchases from Beads of Peru count towards the $100 needed to qualify for free shipping from Cristina's Store.
In addition to Beads of Peru we have two other Internet stores under development. We will announce their opening to our newsletter subscribers and in this space.
Cristina's Store 2 will carry overstock in the home crafts categories. Opening in the spring of 2007.
The Shaman's Mesa will specialize in Peruvian shamanism, witchcraft and curanderismo. Planned for early summer 2007.
About Our Auctions
At present we run auctions only on eBay but we have plans to expand to other sites, such as Yahoo. Our eBay auctions are listed in Cristina Store. We list new auctions most nights between 9:00 and 10:00 PM EST.
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