Outside the Jokhang Temple is a series of pedestrian streets that circle the temple. Buddhists follow these streets in a clockwise motion to pray… and to shop. It is a bustling bazaar full of just about anything you can imagine. There are hundreds of little stands and bigger shops.
Kathy and I were in search of Dzi beads, which are fossils that form specific shapes and patterns. They are generally made into necklaces. After much haggling we got the beads for about ¼ of the merchant’s initial offer… but we still may have been ripped off.
We were obviously not the only folks to go a little bit crazy in the marketplace. When the group got back to the hotel, everyone compared their purchases. Lisa Sheppard had designed her own coral necklace that was beautiful and was made just for her on the spot. Betty Camp, Carole Stribling, and Anne Wichman had each bought multiple items. Everyone was comparing prices and trying to figure out which of us had gotten good deals and which had been ripped off. It was a lot of fun and was yet another sign of how well the group gets along.
By the way, our guard thanked us for contributing to the local economy ;)
It is inspiring despite the altitude and oxygen deprivation that Betty and Carole were able to shop! Love the blog!
ReplyDeleteErnie Camp '64
I am hoping the same best effort from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing skills has inspired me.
ReplyDeletepanda silk