On the way back from the Philae Temple, we were dropped off in front of the Aswan Markets for a stroll. We had 1½ hours before we had to be back for dinner at 8pm. I headed out with a group of people including Kirsten, Kym, Kristen, Sue, & Jess. Kym was told by many Egyptians that he was a very lucky man to have so many women. A small group of teenage girls stopped & I had a brief chat with them & they wanted a photo too - nice.
When we got to the main market section, a few people in the group jumped in for some early buys - I think the price they paid was still a tad too high. Not knowing exactly what it was I wanted, I did know that I had few warm weather clothes & was stifling hot wearing jeans/pants & closed shoes every day. So I figured if I could get some light cotton pants/shorts & a pair of sandals/thongs, I’d be happy.
I saw an turquoise coloured scarf that would suit Bec down to the ground, & so the bargaining began. He started at 250EP. I started at 15EP. We haggled back & forth - I was stubbornly refusing to budge. He got down to 60EP before I said I needed to go. I promised to return for further negotiation - he was a shrewd man.
We wandered slowly through the marketplace, eyes wide at the various stands selling lots of (mostly tourist) goods. I liked the cotton shirts that were available at many stands & so started bargaining for one. I got him from 160EP down to 20EP for a sale. He said, with his friends, that I must be Egyptian cause I bargain like an Egyptian woman - I took it as a compliment, even though I wasn’t offered any camels.
Towards the end of our market trip, I returned as promised to the scarf man for further negotiation. He started at 100EP & I reminded him that he’d been down to 60EP. Kirsten was with me as I haggled further. He came slowly down to 30EP, but I stood my ground at 20EP. Then he, unhappily, offered it for 25EP. I walked away. I didn’t know that a couple of other girls in the group bought scarves off him for 60EP until Kirsten told me at this point. Kirsten yelled at him that he was a bad man for ripping them off making them pay a higher amount. I went back & bought it for 25EP.
When we got to the main market section, a few people in the group jumped in for some early buys - I think the price they paid was still a tad too high. Not knowing exactly what it was I wanted, I did know that I had few warm weather clothes & was stifling hot wearing jeans/pants & closed shoes every day. So I figured if I could get some light cotton pants/shorts & a pair of sandals/thongs, I’d be happy.
I saw an turquoise coloured scarf that would suit Bec down to the ground, & so the bargaining began. He started at 250EP. I started at 15EP. We haggled back & forth - I was stubbornly refusing to budge. He got down to 60EP before I said I needed to go. I promised to return for further negotiation - he was a shrewd man.
We wandered slowly through the marketplace, eyes wide at the various stands selling lots of (mostly tourist) goods. I liked the cotton shirts that were available at many stands & so started bargaining for one. I got him from 160EP down to 20EP for a sale. He said, with his friends, that I must be Egyptian cause I bargain like an Egyptian woman - I took it as a compliment, even though I wasn’t offered any camels.
Towards the end of our market trip, I returned as promised to the scarf man for further negotiation. He started at 100EP & I reminded him that he’d been down to 60EP. Kirsten was with me as I haggled further. He came slowly down to 30EP, but I stood my ground at 20EP. Then he, unhappily, offered it for 25EP. I walked away. I didn’t know that a couple of other girls in the group bought scarves off him for 60EP until Kirsten told me at this point. Kirsten yelled at him that he was a bad man for ripping them off making them pay a higher amount. I went back & bought it for 25EP.
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