Egypt - Merchants

Walking through the markets of Egypt was an unforgettable experience and impossible to describe fully. The Egyptian merchants are some of the most conniving men I have ever seen in my market-buying career. “Special deal for you because you are so beautiful” “a scarf for you beautiful eyes” as he puts on the scarf and walks away and then returns to demand that you pay him. The best experience and example of their sneaky tactics is, of course, the jump-in-your-picture-and-demand-payment maneuver. The method is self-explanatory I believe despite the inconceivability that it would occur. Luckily our teachers warned us previously and we all followed as directed and demanded that the sneaky merchant pay us for having the privilege of being in our photo. If said with good humor it usually resulted in a good laugh from both sides and an understanding that we both know how to play the game. The picture here is an example of one such man’s attempt.