Luxor Shopping

Fruits here are really cheap! And if not Juris, we live these two days in Luxor only from fruits ;-)))

Some prices: melon – 1kg = 4,- LE; bananas – 1kg = 3,- LE; water-melon – 1kg = 3,- LE; strawberries- 1kg = 4,- LE.

Water pipes are things which are very common to the East. I think that greatest part of tourist return back to their home countries with water pipe in their luggage :-)
Of course i bought water pipe, not in Luxor, but in Hurgada... But no matter where. Fact is important :-)
And my water pipe costs 75,LE

The streets of Luxor back from the river have a fascinating collection of shops and stalls, selling everything from food, spices, leather goods, clothes etc. If you go out on a horse drawn calesh be aware of two things:
1) He will take to his brothers/cousins/... spice/clothing/... shop regardless of how often you say you don't want to go.
2) The horses used for the calesh are very sorry looking. I almost wished I hadn't taken the trip when I realised.

What to buy: Spices are a great buy, but remember whatever you buy always haggle, haggle and haggle, then haggle some more.
When I bought a Jelabya in a market the price dropped to just under half the original, during which time I had a cup of mint tea and the shopkeepers children had some of my choclate eclair sweets.

Any shop where you may enter

What to buy: If you are purchasing ordinary day to day items, it may be wise to enlist the help of one of the local children who will appreciate a little baksheesh for his assistance but will get your requirements at half the cost of what you would pay if you purchased it yourself.
DO NOT GIVE HIM THE MONEY UNTIL HE RETURNS.

What to pay: As a rough guide a packet of cigarrettes will cost the tourist 10EGP whereas a local will only pay 5EGP

At the local market of Luxor I bought from this old friendly lady very nice local pottery.
It was very very cheap. Only a few euro's.
At home I use these dishes for the stones and artefacts, I collected from the white desert and the deserts of Libya & Algeria.

At the markets I always like the colours and the smells of the spices and herbs.
In the market street behind our hotel in Luxor we bought spices to take home and karkadee, the red Egyptian hibiscus tea.
You can drink the karkadee hot or cold.

I like it to stroll on local markets and buy my food and fruits there.
A few blocks behind our hotel was a nice market street, where we could buy fruits.
It's cheap and the local vendors appreciate you buy your food from them.
This day was the day of the watermelon.

Whatever you buy, wherever you buy it: BARGAIN !
Many Egyptians will see it as an insult if you don't want to play their little BARGAIN game with them. It is their way of life.

What to buy: Art on papyrus, jewelry (not all their gold is 18 carats!), spices, ...