Memories Travel│Egypt │Business mode.

Before starting a self-guided tour, I always go with a group. When you are with the group, you are mentally prepared to have a "local product store" itinerary. Especially for the Asian group, this is the time to test the tour guide skills. If the sales are not good or the guests feel uncomfortable, it will leave a bad impression. But after leaving Asia, I finally got a chance to see the travel business model in the rest of the world.

However, for tour groups, "closing the door" is the most effective way.

I remember when I went to Korea, I had the worst impression when I entered a souvenir shop. That time was really like "closing the door and letting go of the dog". The group members didn't really want to buy it. Egypt this time.

The boat to Nubian Village sailed on the Nile River. The river was calm and comfortable, but my heart was very turbulent, not because of seasickness, but because I couldn’t open my heart to accept the reality during the journey. Because the reality is not that everyone is rowing a boat and humming a little tune on the Nile River to enjoy the riverside scenery peacefully.

Although the Nubian boatman and tour guide Li Hao sang conscientiously and took everyone to dance to spend the time on the boat, we were like possessions on the boat, and we jumped on board from another boat at the end of the voyage. Another Mr. Nubian, with a whole bag of souvenirs, spread out on the small table of the boat for everyone to choose. This was the first time I felt "no escape" in Egypt.

The feeling of being unable to escape the second time is also on the boat. The two children approached us with surfboards from the border between Egypt and Sudan. They clinged to the boat with their bare hands and sang local songs aloud. They asked for money while singing.

I am afraid that the future pillars of this country will only have this kind of income to make ends meet. After Li Hao paid the tip, they still wanted more, but left because they couldn't. After three minutes, another surfboard boat came over and did the same thing (even the same song), and I thought to myself, "My children, may you have the ability and the opportunity to change your life. I just A tourist, I can't change anything for your life." Actually, I'm a little powerless.

As for other vendors, in order to attract the attention of the majority of Chinese tourists, they will also speak a few greetings in Chinese to attract business. Speaking of this, I think Taiwanese people still have to admit the spending power of the Chinese people. Their expanded economic territory makes us still enjoy the same language in tourist areas.

But it's still best to use English, especially " One dollar ", a dollar. The street vendors and children shouted this sentence, as if their goods would really sell for this price. The result is of course that you have to bargain hard. Li Hao said that it is best to start from 20% to 30% off, otherwise there are many people who have the experience of buying things ten times more expensive; don't just accept that people on the roadside will ask you to take pictures for you or take pictures with you. Because there is no such thing as a free service in Egypt .

The feeling of being unable to escape for the third time is still on the boat. The boat passes the Esna Dam, and there is a height difference between the upstream and downstream of the Nile, so there is a dam in that place to adjust the water level so that the boat will not have the effect of an amusement park volcanic adventure.

This is also one of the attractions in the arrangement of the travel agency, so the tour guides will invite tourists to the deck to experience the feeling of water level adjustment.

And precisely because this is an "attraction", there are "business opportunities".

When our cruise ship began to approach the dam, someone rowed the boat and spread out their proud towels, bath towels or silk scarves one by one toward us and began to sell. Wrap the goods in plastic bags and throw them on the deck several meters high for tourists to buy. If you like it, you can bid for it. After both parties accept it, put the money in the original bag and throw it back to the boss to complete the transaction.

While waiting for the dam to adjust the water level for five or six minutes, they also followed the water level down by more than ten meters, just to see if they could sell a few more. Really dangerous and really hard work.

It is very distressing that some people have to live like this.

You said that the Nile River is so long, why is there such a way of selling it only in this section?

Because this is one of the itineraries arranged by the tour group. When you arrive at the dam, all tourists will go to the deck to see the adjustment of the water level.

I don't want to comment (and I'm not qualified) whether it's good or bad, but I've always seen one place on earth where people are trying to make a living. And this is the result of the joint choice of tourists and vendors.

In those days, I also wondered, is the so-called "tourist area" bound to become like this?

Or " we think we look at different worlds with a fair eye ", this matter itself is a problem.

But I know very clearly in my heart that the world must not be like this, because it is impossible in the world that there is only one kind of person in a certain country.

When I was in the Luxor market, I bought a magnet at a certain stall (I am a magnet control, and one side of my refrigerator is the spoils of my visits to various places and exhibitions). The boss is very old-fashioned. At the beginning, the price was 20 Egyptian pounds (equivalent to NT$38) for three magnets. I thought that I could buy it without haggling, but my father still haggled the price in half, and the boss still sold it. I was dumbfounded hahaha, and the boss also asked me to unpack it myself and match three of my favorite magnet combinations.

Later, Amin, the tour guide next door, wanted to laugh at me as if "you must have bought it expensive", but when he heard my father say we spent ten Egyptian pounds for this, he said with admiration, "It's really cheap!"

If it wasn't too late to see that store, I'd probably buy a bunch of stuff there. It was only later that I discovered that the setting of "Ancient Boss" was an irresistible condition for my wallet.

So I still have to convince myself to maintain confidence in the world and believe that there must be good people and good bosses everywhere.

In those days in Egypt, watching children under ten years old saying "Hello" and "Hello" at the market stalls may have a sophisticated expression on their faces, or they may have innocent eyes. Hope you take a look at what they sell. Or pull the corner of your shirt and ask you to give him "One dollar".

In the small shops outside various scenic spots, the street vendor shouts "One dollar", wanting you to go in and see his shop, but it is impossible to sell you one dollar.

The Crocodile Mummy Museum next to the Confucius Temple is not allowed to take pictures, not to protect the mummy, but to sell tourist photo tickets.

Nubians risk their lives climbing on boats to sing to you for tips and to sell merchandise.

All the temples can be touched, flashed, and even rest and climb on the stones of the temple.

If you don't come again, will the ancient Egyptian cultural relics that you yearn for will be gone one day?

Always remember what Zhe Qing said: "Travel should be as early as possible."