Mauritian Shopping

Before I left the States a few of my friends and family made requests that I bring them gifts back. I packed two suitcases, one I filled with clothes and the other I left empty.
I had planned to stock it with souvenirs.
On my first shopping trip I visited the flea market. Two Cypress ladies accompanied me. It’s your average swap meet, where shoppers pack streets to bargain for food and goods on the best prices. I had a pocket full of Ruppees but I didn’t want to spend them all there.
I figured sellers were also scammers. While I looked for a great deal, I didn’t want to become prey. I knew the locals couldn’t quite figure out my native country but they were wise enough to know I did not come from those parts.
I wanted to be a savvy shopper. On the first shopping day I didn’t anything that would give away my home location. I kept my dress simple, with jeans, a blank tee and sneakers.
As I walked through the filthy, scum riddled streets I searched for little trinkets that my friends would like. This trip I planned to get them gifts, but I also planned to be really selfish. I wanted rainsticks. My main focus was to get rainsticks. The rainsticks were really, really cool. (A rainstick is a long, hollow tube which is filled with small baubles such as beads or beans and has small pins arranged helically on its inside surface. When the stick is upended, the beads fall to the other end of the tube, making a sound reminiscent of a rainstorm as they bounce off the pins. The rainstick is generally used to create atmospheric sound effects or as a percussion instrument.
The rainstick is generally considered to have been invented in South America's Chile, and was played in the belief that it could bring about rainstorms. (Thanks, Wikipedia)
The first guy I met seemed honest. His shop had quality materials. After some bargaining, I bought three rainsticks at 300 Ruppees a piece and a hand painted giraffe mask made out of wood carvings. I figured I got a good deal because the mask weighed heavy, I liked the paintings and the sound from my sticks were loud. My Cypress friends also agreed I bought good things. I felt great and carried around my gifts with pride. I beamed, that was until I met the crook. We walked further into the swap meet and the crook sold rainsticks at 100 Ruppees apiece. I picked up his rainsticks and I thought I got cheated. Until Lady Cypress told me that my sticks were louder and heavier. Then I felt better. We walked further in and we saw even more rainsticks, they ranged in prices from 200-400 Ruppees. They were good rainsticks. I wanted the best deal. I felt bad. After that I didn’t want to do anymore shopping because the Mauritians’ shopping played tricks on your mind.
I left the swap meet with three rainsticks and a mask. The Cypress ladies bought just a few things as well. I didn’t want to do much shopping after leaving the swap meet. Neither one of us did. Kell wanted to go, but I didn’t want to join her. She eventually talked me into going back.
I went back cocky and wore a Las Vegas t-shirt. I didn’t care anymore if they knew I came from America. Sure enough, just as I predicted some locals did try to sell me wooden spoons for a higher price. They told me I was a rich American and I could afford to fork over the extra dollars. That’s when shopping lost all of its appeal.