Picking up from last time –
Also, sorry because the trip to Egypt was overall a total mess, and I can’t tell if these posts are coming off as like negative/annoyed/bad, or like silly/ridiculous/boy-what-a-ride.
Like, I’m hoping we’re enjoying them and it seems bad in a crazy way, not in a “grrrrrr, ‘Karen’ way or whatever.
But anyway, let the craziness continue!
So, we get back to Giza.
And on the way from Alexandria to Giza, the woman who was the guide was sort of making fun of me a little for making sure her and the driver would wear masks before I booked. (I’m still trying to be Covid safe, and if we’re gonna be in the care for a few hours or more, like let’s be safe, right?!)
So, anyway, she’s making fun of my affinity for masks WHILE she’s like coughing up a lung.
Then she says she’s sure she’s only coughing because she’s wearing a mask and isn’t used to it, and somehow it’s making her cough.
So, we end up getting on the subject of her cough and allergies, and somehow that transitions to talking about this amazing place she knows that has oils and stuff, and it’s ‘so good for your sinuses’ and whatever, and so helpful.
So, she said they were gonna take me to the shop, so I could see what she was talking about
Now, I didn’t have anything special to do/get to. I was just chillin’ in Egypt. So, I was fine to go. And I thought we were mainly going for her.
No. I was stupid.
That’s really the headline of the Egypt trip, I think. “I was stupid” haha
Just over and over again. But you’ll certainly see more as the trip goes on.
So, I think we’re just like going in this store, where we’ll have a look around. But it’s not a “store” in the sense of how I think of the word store. You can’t just look around and then walk out.
They sit you down. They give you tea (even when I said I didn’t want to drink any, as I didn’t want to take my mask off indoors). They give you a whole presentation and explain everything to you.
I really didn’t want to buy anything. I’ve never had a good sense of smell my whole life. So, buying scents doesn’t make any sense.
They said a normal bottle was like $200 [US]. And these bottles were not big! It’s like $200, for smells?! So, I said no thanks. They offered a discount. I said no. They offered half a bottle, then, for I think like $75?
I finally just tried to tip them $10, so I could get out of there. But then they launched into this whole thing of how they absolutely couldn’t accept tips. It wasn’t in the culture. So, like, it was rude to not give them anything for their time. But they said I couldn’t give them just a tip – even though it seemed like literally their store they owned, so not a rule from a manager.
But I don’t want to be like uncaring about other countries’ cultures. But I’m also confused. So, I finally break down and buy the smallest thing I can convince them to sell me – a small bottle that’s maybe what we would think of as like a large sample size for $25.
Just an absolute unbelievable waste of money, but whatever. I just want to get out of there. And it’s ‘only’ $25 (even though obviously money can add up and who wants to spend $25 on something they absolutely will never use)?
Anyway, this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow!