We were dead asleep in the back of the truck yet our driver Mmbaga (now calling himself hassan!) must have sensed we were keen to see another souvenir shop. It was more commercial than other shopping stops we had made. The sore tell me everything made in Tanzania, but they are the identical items I saw in Kenya. I wonder if their Chinese container ship docks in mobasssa or dar es salaam? It's fun to get the dour, bored salespeople to tell you bold lies right to your face.
I steal a great batik zebra sarong I will love forever. Yea, it has a price tag, us$25. I tell the crowd of bored salespeople that I'll buy it for $15. They glare at me, not used to reversed bargaining control. I walk off and a good 5 min later, a girl brings me back to the committee of yawning folks leaning on the counter, and the lone man says $20. I say $15. He says $20. Ok, $17.50. What a fun game to test price tolerance. I say "great, $17.50 Australian dollars". "No US!" I say, "fine, only if I can walk around your store taking pictures of the goods." He thinks a bit and nods.
Free coffee, not much of a kickback
"No pictures", she says flatly. "Hapana, I asked up front and they ok'd it when I bought". So this humourless girl followed me around as I took campy pics.
My intimidating peeps have my back
Giraffe head convention from said giraffe Underworld
Their display, can you imagine that with live human and animal actors?
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