Surreal shopping part II
Luxor
***
Sure, I'd love to meet you tomorrow, we'll shop
ha ha
***
Julie has bought gorgeous shoes, she needs to exchange them for a smaller size.
That won't take long we agree.
Then we can sit for some chai and people watch.
***
two miles later
we reach the bottom end of the Egyptian souk
"I'm sure that shop is along here somewhere"
It's ok, we've somehow missed it, been a lovely stroll,
we've chatted, enjoyed the hustle and bustle
but we're ready for a sit and a drink
***
we retrace our walk
past stacks of crated up chickens,
a Goat on a rope
waits innocently at the butchers
I daren't look at his eyes
Eeeek
***
Horse drawn carriages brush past our toes
pressing us the the stall edges
"hello eengleesh, beautiful laddies, Asda prices here !
***
There it is! Julie has found the shoe shop.
While she gets her shoes I make friends with a gorgeous carriage Horse
A full five minutes later
I leave the Horse and enter the tiny shop.
***
There is Julie, trying on shoes,
"he's not got them in my size, have to choose different ones"
Two salesboys with little english do their best to find
each fancied shoe in her size
In between they serve Egyptian ladies
one puts her baby on Julies lap
Julie amuses the baby, I take photos,
more and more shoes are tried on
More ladies need serving ...
It's going to be a long night
I reflect
***
The baby is given back, more shoes come out,
mostly ghastly, the wrong size or colour
but we persevere
***
Eventually, a shoe to end all shoes, beautiful ones
bronzey
pointy
with a discreet sparkle
***
The left one
a Cinderella fit
***
OK I want these ...
" Will you bring me the other one?"
No madame, we only have the one.
Deadpan face.
***
he disappears
back triumphant
here's is for you he says
almost bowing
With a flourish he produces the same shoe
in black
***
But I want two the same colour !
no madame, it's ok
same shoe
one black
one brown
they are the same
madame!
***
Dissolve into helpless laughter
Almost say " I can't believe this is happening"
then recall the Egyptian fashion shop owner who tried to sell me a bikini with no top
in a country where topless is illegal ..................
***
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