Walking through the Khan el-Khalili bazaar in Cairo, I felt like I was running the gauntlet. From all sides, vendors shouted to me, imploring me to buy scarves, spices, water pipes, and stuffed camels. Although I knew that I wasn't in danger, the constant attention took me aback, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I exited.
Street vendors are a fact of life not only in Egypt but in many other poverty-stricken countries. Their aggressiveness is born from desperation, as government instability and shaky economic times in the United States and Europe have dampened tourism. Unfortunately, the downturn means that the few tourists who do show up may experience more harassment.
I love to shop but found that overeager vendors in Egypt made it almost impossible to buy anything. Vendors surrounded our van when we stopped at sites, and even tried to nudge us into stalls. Instead, I picked up a few trinkets and a wall-hanging at free-standing stores, where I could negotiate in peace and people weren't shoving ugly T-shirts in my face.
Whether you're in Mexico or the Middle East, here are a few ways to deflect unwanted attention:
1. Walk with a purpose. Almost all of Egypt's main sites have stores at the exit that you'll need to pass through in order to leave. I walked quickly down the middle of the road, so no one could push me into their shop. Other passengers on my Nile River cruise were older and less mobile, and the touts pounced on them at every stop, causing more than one lady to actually cry.
2. Wear sunglasses and a hat.
Eye contact is crucial for making a sale -- so it stands to reason that lack of it could dissuade people from trying. Dark glasses also make it possible for you to view the goods out of the corner of your eye without attracting the vendor's attention. The hat helped deflect all the "blondie" calls I was receiving.3. Don't engage.
I learned a few Arabic phrases such as La, shukran (no, thank you), so I could at least be polite when I said no. But I found that saying no in the vendor's own language only made them more irritated -- and didn't stop the harassment. By the end of the two weeks, I found it better not to say anything at all. You might feel rude, but you'll also be relieved when the tout moves on to the next tourist.4. Don't take anything.
Vendors may put things in your hand, like a small scarab, hat, or a necklace, and then demand money for it. On the Nile, salesmen in small boats approached our ship and threw caftans at passengers up on the top deck, playing upon fears that we couldn't get the dresses back to them. If you don't want to be in the middle of a scene, it's best to keep your hands in your pockets so no one can fill them for you.5. Don't involve your tour guides.
We had guides with us for most of our trip -- so why didn't they do more to keep aggressive touts away? Turns out that vendors often chide or mock the guides as "bad Egyptians" when they interfere -- and the tensions between the two have even grown violent since the January revolution. Try to handle things on your own.6. Reward those who respect your wishes.
At the Temple of Philae outside Aswan, the vendors seemed different. Here we could browse all we wanted without a hard sell -- and having the space encouraged more of us to buy things.Travel journalist Chris Gray Faust dishes up travel tips on her award-winning blog, Chris Around The World. She's also a member of the Value Luxury Network. Follow her on Twitter at @CAroundTheWorld.