We’re all guilty, don’t feel too bad. It could have been the gold, waving cat from Hong Kong that you bought for Aunt Mabel, the “I Love Hawaii” picture frame from the resort gift shop, or even a certain wooden toilet seat, complete with Spanish flag and a certain male appendage. We’ve all bought them at one point or another, whether we want to admit it, or not.

I’m typically a backpacker when traveling, so my baggage needs to stay small and light: I go for patches. As anti-trinket as I am, I’ve seen parts of cities I never would have if it weren’t through a search for these little guys — that’s my excuse, anyways. Beijing, I will always remember for this: who knew it would be so tricky to find a Chinese flag patch in China?

Recently, Wanderlust shared a top ten tackiest souvenirs people keep buying on their travels. Number one is a gravy boat with a picture of Saint Thérèse de Lisieux. I enjoy their suggestion based on the number of smoking related items on the list, “Perhaps some enterprising company could sell a smoker’s gift set containing the donkey cigarette dispenser, the Chairman Mao lighter and the Virgin Mary ashtray?”

Here’s the million dollar question… “What awful souvenir has made itself into your baggage?” (and be honest!) Mine, cringe, is a Betty Boop statue for my grandma. For grandma, I swear.

Posted on November 05, 2009 by Jon Wick