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Bargain Basements of the World
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11166 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
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3 / 1986 |
1,523 Words |
| Author
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Carl and Ann Purcell
Carl and Ann Purcell have traveled on assignment over three
million miles to eighty-six different countries. They both
write columns for newspapers in the United States and Canada. |
For centuries, travelers have been motivated to bring back something tangible and unique from the exotic ports and bazaars of the world. Marco Polo brought back pasta and gunpowder from the courts of ancient China, and these items shaped the course of Italian cuisine and the development of weapons and warfare. What the traveler purchases today is more often for personal pleasure, the desire to have a memento to remind him of his journey.
As world travelers and sometimes foreign residents, we are inveterate shoppers. The limitations of our budget do not allow us to indulge ourselves in Russian sable or South African diamonds, but we do frequent the bazaars, markets, shops, and department stores of the world to seek those inexpensive items which reflect the culture and flavor of each country or region. Our house is a veritable museum of artifacts that we have collected over the years. We have carpets from Iran and Pakistan, wood carvings from Africa, scrolls from China, and brass and copper from the Middle East. We have found the world to be a giant bargain basement for those who know what to look for and how to buy.
Obviously, we enjoy the process of shopping as much or more than the actual acquisition of things. For us, it is a form of recreation, a psychological game of bargaining and maneuvering with merchants and shopkeepers. Some travelers don't like to haggle, so they always pay the asking price. But in many countries this bargaining process is expected, and is part of the free-enterprise system which flourishes in the free world. It has been our experience that most merchants enjoy the game as much as we do. Naturally, some countries have a tradition of fixed prices. One does not go into Galleries LaFayette in
... (1996 of 8357 Characters)
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