SHOPPING SPREE THE BUYING FEVER IS ON! Text and photographs by Francoise Ohayon Shopping in Uptown <strong>Taba</strong> <strong>Heights</strong> is a delight, with countless outlets spread amongst the domes and arches of pedestrian squares and shaded alleys. Haggling is the name of the game, so bring your cash and your wits and delve into the local pastime of bargain hunting! Jewellery, leather goods, spices, papyrus scrolls, perfume, and toy camels are all to be had in an array of bazaars, fashion boutiques, and arts and crafts galleries. 10 <strong>Taba</strong> <strong>Heights</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>
Souvenir shopping comes high on the list of things to do in a foreign country for many holidaymakers. In <strong>Taba</strong> <strong>Heights</strong>, several bazaars compete for your attention with curios that run the gambit from authentic Egyptian crafts to ersatz watches and sunglasses. Ladies can admire their silhouettes in belly dancing costumes and accessories while gentlemen try on galabeyas (hint: the more colourful and ornamented ones are not meant for you!). Souk merchandise also includes hand-embroidered handbags and pillowcases as well as Bedouin-style jewellery made of silver, camel bone, wood, and seashells. Sculptures made from wood, onyx, granite, basalt, alabaster, and sandstone are on offer, as well as copper and brass ornaments. Leather items including garments, luggage, and handbags are another good buy. At the Magic Carpet shop, a family of nine brothers sells pottery made by their clan in <strong>Taba</strong> and Nuweiba. Their perfume burners, ashtrays, and decorative lamps all feature unique village motifs. Cotton, silk, and camel wool tinted with vegetable dyes are used to weave carpets, and your own designs can be transferred onto thick carpets and delicate wall hangings. Shisha water pipes can be bought as a souvenir and packaged for travel. They come with an assortment of tobacco flavours including apple, banana, bubble-gum, mango, mint, peach, and strawberry. To try out the shisha while sitting cross-legged with a glass of tea or coffee, head for the uptown Bedouin Tent. Specialty shops include the Salt Cave for Dead Sea cosmetic products, salt lamps, and candles. Kodak will print your photos in just one hour. The Music Shop has Arabic music CDs and tabla drums inlaid with mother-of-pearl. On a more utilitarian side, Dr Amir Pharmacy has all the basics to fix you up, Net Café has internet access as well as basic computer accessories, the Vodafone shop sells prepaid cards from Vodafone and Etisalat, while the Al Amir Mobile shop sells Mobinil cards and sets up international telephone calls. When it comes to nourishment, Mario Supermarket is the convenience store to go to for snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and hygiene products. Golden Beer sells locally-made alcohol including beer, wine, ready-to-drink alcoholic mixes, and spirits made to look like famous international brands with labels reading “Gordoon’s Cairo Dry Gin”, “Fineland Vodka of Egypt”, and “John Waler Black Label”. For a pit stop after all the shopping excitement, head for Orangina Café or the Oriental Corner for drinks and snacks. Chez Pascal and the Flying Carpet off the central Uptown Square, as well as Pub Tandoori, El Fuego, and Bird’s Nest on Restaurant Row, all serve delicious full meals. In the Art Gallery, mesmerizing motifs are designed inside tiny sand bottles, and artists can be watched painting with oil and acrylic. Papyrus shops sell decorative pieces of every size and style, and some will inscribe your name in Hieroglyphics on the papyrus of your choice. Fresh flowers, dried arrangements, vases, candles, and other trinkets are to be had at the Flower Shop. Jewellers sell ornaments in gold and silver enhanced with precious and semi-precious stones including diamonds, rubies, sapphires, agate, amethyst, jade, lapis lazuli, mother of pearl, and topaz. Cinnamon, coriander, cumin, oregano and more are found at Mr Spices, including all the necessary ingredients to make traditional local beverages including Karkadé made from hibiscus flowers, Bedouin tea with mint or sage, and black Egyptian tea. Perfumes made using methods that date back to the Pharaonic era are blended on demand or sold as fragrances. Pure extracts include amber, frankincense, gardenia, jasmine, lotus, musk, rose, and sandalwood, while Oriental blends bear evocative names such as Arabian Nights, Cleopatra, Harem, Nefertiti, and Secret of the Desert. Hand-blown colourful glass perfume bottles come in all shapes and sizes. Everything you need for a seaside vacation can be found in casual clothing shops. Beachwear, sportswear, flip-flops and trainers, as well as sun hats, caps, and beach towels are on offer. At Sea Club, a sister outlet of the dive centre shop, snorkelling equipment and brand beach gear is to be had. SUMMER 2013 11
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