Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu

After the palace we arrived at our hotel in the heart of Kanyakumari. The town is located at the southern tip of the Indian sub-continent. It is crowded with tourists who come to see the sunset and sunrise, and also to visit the island which drips into the convergence of three great bodies of water: the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal. Poverty is evident here. People sleep on the streets, a mother picks lice from her daughter’s hair, vendors place their goods on sheets. There are also stalls selling coffee and tea, figurines, necklaces, saris, and spices. The smells of the spices compete with unwashed bodies and garbage. It is cleaner than I expected with the garbage tucked in nooks and crannies. I bought saris and a figurine for friends and family. I can bargain and it is fun but the needs of the vendors weighs on me. I know that their asking price is very low for someone from the US but high for locals. It is a dance of respect to haggle out a price that reflects the value of the goods with the self-respect of the buyer and seller. I looked at the goods and ask how much. I am offered a price. Hmmm I say, I will give you this much. Too low, too low, I cannot sell for less than this. I say I will buy four, what deal will you give me? Wait, wait he says and leaves to get the owner. The owner says if we had a shop and many workers this would cost this much. I say this is not a shop with many workers, this is what I will pay. He says I cannot sell for so low a price. I say, I will buy four, make me a deal. This much he says, this much I will pay I say. Everyone is happy. The salesman wraps my purchases and I pay him. The owner leaves and I give the salesman a tip. I have maybe provided him a job for another day and also the price of a cup of coffee. I like doing business this way.