Day 183 - Just Another Day in Luxor - Bazaar and Horse-Drawn Carriage
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2019.
Today I woke up with a cold and decided to stay home to recover. Thankfully we didn’t have anything planned for the day. After a late breakfast, my mom dyed my hair, finally. Yes, I haven’t done it in a while and the gray hair was starting to show big time. My mom also brought me a cream for my face telling me that I really need it. I guess the hardship of the trip is starting to show. [Gregory's note: or maybe -- oh, never mind.]
Everyone went to the bazaar and Daniel and I stayed home. I wanted to get so many things done but instead, I slept all afternoon. I guess I needed it. When I woke up, the light was out so Daniel came to snuggle with me. I’m truly enjoying my kiddos. Everyone came back after dinner with pizza for us. It was a good day.
Gregory's addition:
For those of us that didn't stay home, the day went like this: Uma and Ali wanted -- no, needed -- to shop. So I called Ahmed, who offered to take us to the tourist bazaar and then on a carriage ride, etc. etc. I told him no, just to a place where they can find their souvenirs. So he "chartered" a boat that took us up the river a bit to the museum.
He took us into a 3-level store with various stands on each floor that Ahmed claimed wasn't touristy. In one respect he was right: it was nearly empty! While it wasn't the out-and-out junk souvenir shops you find across from every temple here, it was clearly geared to foreigners with jewelry, carpets, clothing, canopic jars(!), stone pyramids and papyrus. I bought an ankh pendant and a dress for Lili, like the one she's been regretting not buying in Amman. Same price, better quality here.
In a place with fixed prices, we would have been out in an hour. This place took over 2, with the stupid haggling they make you do instead of offering a reasonable price to begin with. Maybe they figure they'll wear you down, or you won't know the real price of what you're buying -- the jeweler dropped his original price by 70%, for example.
Today I woke up with a cold and decided to stay home to recover. Thankfully we didn’t have anything planned for the day. After a late breakfast, my mom dyed my hair, finally. Yes, I haven’t done it in a while and the gray hair was starting to show big time. My mom also brought me a cream for my face telling me that I really need it. I guess the hardship of the trip is starting to show. [Gregory's note: or maybe -- oh, never mind.]
Everyone went to the bazaar and Daniel and I stayed home. I wanted to get so many things done but instead, I slept all afternoon. I guess I needed it. When I woke up, the light was out so Daniel came to snuggle with me. I’m truly enjoying my kiddos. Everyone came back after dinner with pizza for us. It was a good day.
Gregory's addition:
For those of us that didn't stay home, the day went like this: Uma and Ali wanted -- no, needed -- to shop. So I called Ahmed, who offered to take us to the tourist bazaar and then on a carriage ride, etc. etc. I told him no, just to a place where they can find their souvenirs. So he "chartered" a boat that took us up the river a bit to the museum.
He took us into a 3-level store with various stands on each floor that Ahmed claimed wasn't touristy. In one respect he was right: it was nearly empty! While it wasn't the out-and-out junk souvenir shops you find across from every temple here, it was clearly geared to foreigners with jewelry, carpets, clothing, canopic jars(!), stone pyramids and papyrus. I bought an ankh pendant and a dress for Lili, like the one she's been regretting not buying in Amman. Same price, better quality here.
In a place with fixed prices, we would have been out in an hour. This place took over 2, with the stupid haggling they make you do instead of offering a reasonable price to begin with. Maybe they figure they'll wear you down, or you won't know the real price of what you're buying -- the jeweler dropped his original price by 70%, for example.
We were tired from the experience and hungry. Sunshine cried, Pizza! So Ahmed took us to the pizza restaurant in town. Actually, he called his "friend" the carriage driver who took us along the scenic route to the restaurant. The pizzas were large and the prices were good. We ordered 3 and finished 2, taking the rest home.
The driver was still waiting for us and we were on our way to the ferry dock when Ali asked Ahmed about his galabiya (the robe men wear). He told us that he, like most Egyptian men, bought the raw fabric and brought it to the tailor to be made. Ali wanted to buy some fabric, so we made a detour to the fabric shop. She browsed and bought cotton and wool by the meter while Sunshine fed Sam the horse his dinner and I ran to the liquor store to buy beer. In case I haven't mentioned it, in Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt you can only buy alcohol at a few licensed stores (and in tourist class hotels, of course). It's only $1 per can at the store here, but you do have to search for it!
All loaded up, we took a boat back across the river to our place and fed Lili and Daniel.
For the record, the carriage from one end of town to the restaurant, waiting an hour for us to eat, the ride to the shop, waiting, and back to the dock came to 200LE, about $10.
The driver was still waiting for us and we were on our way to the ferry dock when Ali asked Ahmed about his galabiya (the robe men wear). He told us that he, like most Egyptian men, bought the raw fabric and brought it to the tailor to be made. Ali wanted to buy some fabric, so we made a detour to the fabric shop. She browsed and bought cotton and wool by the meter while Sunshine fed Sam the horse his dinner and I ran to the liquor store to buy beer. In case I haven't mentioned it, in Turkey, Jordan, and Egypt you can only buy alcohol at a few licensed stores (and in tourist class hotels, of course). It's only $1 per can at the store here, but you do have to search for it!
All loaded up, we took a boat back across the river to our place and fed Lili and Daniel.
For the record, the carriage from one end of town to the restaurant, waiting an hour for us to eat, the ride to the shop, waiting, and back to the dock came to 200LE, about $10.
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| Daniel learned how to tie a turban Dubai-style and Egyptian style |
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| Ahmed and the harem |
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| Sunshine riding shotgun. She got to drive and found out you do actually have to steer! |
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| The temple is lit up at night |
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| Dinner time for Sam outside the fabric shop |
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