Shopping in Luxor

For dinner on the cruise boat, there was a choice of zeal or turkey -- we both chose turkey. It was not bad.

Then we decided to go for a walk on the main streets of Luxor to got to the ATM and visit some shops. We were approached by men offering taxis, carriage rides, and merchandise. The ATM was beside the Isis Hotel, which has several shops in the lobby. We visited a few of them for fun -- and we were not hassled as much by the shopkeepers.

In one very small shop, we met Mahmoud, who was selling perfume bottles and other items. Mahmoud was friendly, asking where we are from, etc., while Michelle haggled over perfume bottles. It is Mahmoud's dream to see snow one day. His girlfriend is studying Egyptology in England. He does not own the store, but works there everyday of every week, with 2 weeks vacation every year. He once worked at the Regency Hyatt Hotel in Sharm El Sheik, which he says is very nice, and told us to go there for a drink later in our trip. Mahmoud told us about the commissions that tour guides make on perfumes, papyrus, carpets, etc -- they strike deals with the shop or "institutes" and receive a comission on sales made when the guides bring their tourists. He explained that locals pay much less for carpets, and that you can get better prices on silver goods if you buy direct from the factory. He congratulated us on our honeymoon and offered to do a Henna tattoo for Michelle: the eye of Horus, and ancient egyptian god. We got his address so we can send him a post card of snow. The we walked back to the boat and went to bed.