Going to the Khan al-Kalili

May 12, 2006

Emily yesterday got her first taste of bartering in the Middle East. She wanted a little jewelry box and an Egyptian carved cat, and we looked around at various shops. We found a place that had what she was looking for and we got around to asking about price. Keep in mind we had a small inlaid box and a blue cat that is about five inches high. The guy did some calculating and told us that the price would be 600 Egyptian pounds.. a special price because we were his first customers and had become his friends. That amount is a little over $100. My counter offer was for 60 Egyptian pounds.. about $10.. and we got the two souvenirs, after a couple of walkouts, for 90 Egyptian pounds ($15). That gives a sense of the kind of fabulous mark-ups that one must combat. As usual I found this process highly amusing, coming as it does with a number of standard lines and tactics. I am telling Emily that by the end she needs to do her own bargaining!