Thinking back, I remember how nice the higglers used to be and how they used genuine (or well acted) friendliness to get you to buy their goods. The goods back then were usually handmade or homegrown and although not the highest of quality at times, they were genuine and the kind of things you felt proud to take home as a remembrance of your vacation.
On my first trip, I remember vividly my wife dragging me along to the Vendor's Market to do a little shopping. It was very hot and I was very tired from the night before. The very last thing I wanted to do was look over stuff that I had no intention of buying. I shuffled along behind her and stood back with hands on hips watching her talk and laugh with it seems like every vendor. Buying a little woven basket here and a colorful placemat there; she was having the time of her life and I was hot and irritated to even be there. What I needed was a place to sit preferably in the shade. I noticed a step in front of a shop that would work so I wandered over and asked the middle-aged lady shop owner if I could sit for a spell.
I was shocked when she shook her head in disapproval and went inside only to come out with a wicker chair. She placed it on the small shop verandah and told me to come and sit. I immediately noticed that a lot of people who worked there were watching me to see what I would do. I said thanks and walked up and sat down. She brought out a souvenir hand fan and started to fan me and I noticed out of the corner of my eye that a lot of people were watching so I hammed it up a little but unbuttoning my Hawaiian shirt. She asked me if I was looking for a girlfriend and I pointed over in the general direction of my wife and told her I was married. She said that was no problem and that my wife would say it was okay. I laughed and said she didn't know MY wife.
We joked back and forth a little about meeting later all in good fun. She asked me if their was anything I was looking for and I said a tropical shirt maybe if she had my size. She called over to another stall and an extra large shirt with pineapples was rushed over to my seat. It looked like it would fit and I didn't want to take off my shirt to find out so I asked the price. The two ladies got into a discussion over the price and I could tell that my host was negotiating a better price for me even while she continued to fan my neck.
Just then, my wife came over with a quizzical look on her face and asked me how I was doing. I said fine and introduced her to the two ladies who were by now sizing her up for a matching pineapple printed shirt. Another chair was brought out for my wife and she we both were intermittently fanned by our host. After an hour or so, we were ready to leave. With two pineapple printed shirts and a slightly used fan in hand, we walked back to Secrets Cabin feeling good about our day in the market.
