"I make very good price for you"

One of the elements of having a guide is the requisite stop at various shopping venues where, after a short display to see how the craft is made, you’re given a sales pitch for whatever the handicraft is. The sales pitch is usually low key and since we’re with A&K, we definitely see the classier shops (also the more expensive ones!). In Jordan, we visited a mosaic factory and saw how they assembled the 28 natural colors of local stone into decorative and functional mosaics. We also watched a gentleman whose been making sand art for 29 years create some very detailed masterpieces, and kindly personalized a couple of items for the girls.

Here in Egypt, we stopped at a carpet factory and saw various ways carpets could be made. The girls tried their hands at knotting some carpet. And the silk carpets were quite beautiful that I succumbed to a small piece representing the Tree of Love that we will hang in the house.

We also stopped at the jewelry store to get personalized cartouches made for the girls. Amara decided it was not for her, but Mei was thrilled. We placed the order and the cartouche will be delivered in a few days to our hotel. And of course, I couldn’t resist a rather costly bracelet for myself. A belated birthday present! Or perhaps a Mother's Day present, since that holiday is celebrated on March 21 in Egypt.

All of these purchases required a bit of negotiation – I like negotiating for the most part. It’s a way of life here, as in Thailand. However, I’ve definitely become much softer – I know that I could have done better if I had tried a little harder.