pestered

Is it wrong to assume that if I want to buy a can of Coke, I would just hand over some money, get the drink, be given change (depending on if the exact amount was given or not), and be done with the transaction?

Apparently it is in Egypt.

Here, you must bargain for even the basics like food and water. It's ridiculous. One usually expects a set price when you buy a loaf of bread or a bottle of 350 ml water. Not here. You have to fight and argue your way to a fair price. We're already fed up.

Many overlanders rant and rave about how great Sudan is, how friendly and honest the locals are (I'm not including the police here), and how there is little begging and harassment. I now see their point. Coming from touristy Egypt and then going into Ethiopia, where begging by children is 'normal', Sudan does seems like paradise.

So we tried to avoid the hoards of incessant hawkers by staying in, reading and sleeping. But for meals we had to go out and face the fight.

For lunch we decided to go to Biti Pizza in the piazza. It was closeby and it reportedly "serves up Egyptian and Italian-style pizzas in refreshingly clean surrounds." Sounds good.

But our guidebook didn't mention the outrageous inflated prices for foreigners. Not only do non-Arabic speaking customers get a separate menu (where no matter what pizza you order it is a set 35 EGP), they don't even let you see the Arabic menu to compare prices. Chiho memorized the numbers in Arabic so we wanted to find out just how much more we were expected to pay.

For dinner we tried a local place that served up some delicious camel stew and shish-kebab. The manager was upfront about "foreigner prices" and told us they charge an extra 1 EGP per person, no more. What honesty! I don't mind paying a bit more if I know in advance what it is and as long as I don't have to bargain for it. I swear the meal was tastier because we were all in a better mood.

Strolling back through the piazza to our hotel, we got the usual touts and hollers. You just have to put on a Don't-Talk-To-Me face and keep walking. The moment your eyes start to wander on all their colourful paraphernalia, it's too late.

Expect the following to be shouted at in your face:

"Come my lady, looking is for free!"
"Hey China China China!" (only if you're Asian-looking)
"Hey Japan Japan Japan!" (again, only if you're Asian-looking)
"You, postcards for cheap!"
"Come here, no hassle in my castle!"

And my favourite, if I had to choose one: "I don't know what you're looking for but I have it."


Start: Nile Nubian Oasis Hotel, Aswan, EGYPT.
End: Nubian Oasis Hotel, Aswan, EGYPT.
Distance Traveled: 0
Road Conditions: -
Temperature: 42 degrees can actually feel cool after days of 46 degrees.