After arriving at the hotel and getting settled in, several of us went exploring- I firmly believe the best way to see a city is to walk the roads. The roads here, however, are a bit more, errr... exciting than back home. There aren't really lanes and very few crosswalks- in fact, people just cross streets wherever they please, or even walk in the middle of the "lanes" so they can cross efficiently. I haven't seen anyone run down yet, but it's madness to watch, with lots of honking to add to the chaos.
We visited the medina, or "old city" market to get a feel for the prices of things before bartering for things like water, gifts, and food. The exchange rate is $1 = 8.11 dirham, so this also involves a bit of math on the go! When bartering, it is suggested that you offer half the asking price, expecting to receive a counter offer from the vendor, in which you will counter with another offer, until you get to the price you can both agree on. I have yet to barter for anything yet, but I enjoy watching other people- if the vendors continue to ask for a high price, the buyer can sometimes walk away saying, "bzef!" (too expensive!) and often the vendor will come after you with a higher price.
Would you like to barter and haggle over prices in the United States?
We visited the medina, or "old city" market to get a feel for the prices of things before bartering for things like water, gifts, and food. The exchange rate is $1 = 8.11 dirham, so this also involves a bit of math on the go! When bartering, it is suggested that you offer half the asking price, expecting to receive a counter offer from the vendor, in which you will counter with another offer, until you get to the price you can both agree on. I have yet to barter for anything yet, but I enjoy watching other people- if the vendors continue to ask for a high price, the buyer can sometimes walk away saying, "bzef!" (too expensive!) and often the vendor will come after you with a higher price.
Would you like to barter and haggle over prices in the United States?