Nile’s floating goods

A spot of souvenir shopping while on the Nile? No sweat.

Merchants are seen selling goods to passengers on a Nile Cruise ship in Esna, Egypt in 2006.

A spot of souvenir shopping while on the Nile? No sweat. Local village merchants come alongside big tourist boats anchored on stretches of Egypt’s fabled river, particularly at Esna, on the waterway’s west bank, about 55km south of Luxor. Passengers point to what they want aboard the floating “shops” and the goods will be tossed up to the deck, usually in a plastic bag, and then money can be sent down or unwanted wares returned in the same carrier.

It’s a simple cash transaction, typically awash with spirited haggling. While items such as T-shirts are mass-produced, the soft Egyptian cotton shawls, fouta towels and tablecloths are excellent buys and the process is memorable for both its bantering and ingenious enterprise.