Tuesday, January 8, 2008, 01:27 PM
Posted by Hilary Watson
Today we embarked all around Cape Town and surrounding Capes. All the views were absolutely beautiful! In between the wonderful boat rides, hikes, and exotic animal watches, we were able to stop at various street markets for our shopping desires. The street vendors were more than willing to help anyone and everyone with their needs. I watched as Elon students and tourists bargained left and right to get a good price on African souvenirs. Every price given by the vendors was completely negotiable. It was a very cool feeling to know that you got a R 750 item for R 450. On the other hand, we also experienced the Cape Town malls. They are completely developed and beautiful. The waterfront mall was more beautiful than any I have seen in the U.S. It was very Americanized and featured many of the same stores we have in the states. It could not be more different from the outdoor markets. We could never go in a shopping mall and bargain prices with an employee. It was a completely different atmosphere, but both were equally fun to be in. The shopping experiences have been very fun in their different ways. Bargaining is fun and fulfilling, but sometimes it’s just easier and less exhausting to pay what the tag says!