As a lover of all things bohemian, we always knew that India would be a place for shopping. I had my heart set on buying a saree to wear while in India & Egypt.
After doing some research I found a shop recommended by TripAdvisor & Lonely Planet called Ba Ba Black Sheep.
It's a family owned business that sell ethical, hand woven saree's at great quality & price. They have fixed prices and won't accept any commission deals from tuk tuk drivers.
After breakfast we set off along the main street for about 2 kms enjoying the sights & sounds of a more quiet pace India in the morning.
We arrive at the shop & are taken into a back room with a big platform and mattress in the centre, shelves of material & some seats.
The salesman begins by explaining the process & showing us the different qualities of silk saree's. They start at 3500 and go up to 14000 INR with the quality of the work reflecting the price.
Obviously all of them are beautiful.
We are shown about 30 before my eyes catch sight of a deep purple and gold one, definitely not the colors I planned on getting or a color combination I normally wear.
It is 8 meters of pure silk, a one of a kind design that will never be made again due to the style of the weave. It's really special & though I don't say it to our salesman, after I wear it as a saree once or twice I plan to use the material & make something out of it.
Tom & I both agree it's quite loud & perhaps not appropriate for Egypt. Tom & I then decide on a second cheaper, green patterned one more ideal for daily wear.
It's now Tom's turn! He chooses a half pashmina & half silk scarf in a two tone olive green & black color as well as a white and black checked head scarf. We are now appropriately dressed & ready for India and Egypt's sun, sand storms and cultural modesty!
We also buy 6 silk, patterned cushion covers to send home, 2 of these will be gifts for friends.
We spend about 3 hours in the shop being educated on silk, saree's, pashmina & chatting about our travels. We realise the time when we hear a horn outside announcing prayer time to the muslim population. The salesman is Muslim and tells us he prays 5 times a day and is currently participating in Ramadan.
We walk back through the streets to our hostel and hide away from the midday heat, heat that's perfect for drying the clothes I plan to hand wash in our shower.
The rest of the day is uneventful. We extend our stay in Varanasi by 1 night and then stay up late with some other backpackers playing scrabble, drinking beer & listening to Indian pop music.
- Alli
After doing some research I found a shop recommended by TripAdvisor & Lonely Planet called Ba Ba Black Sheep.
It's a family owned business that sell ethical, hand woven saree's at great quality & price. They have fixed prices and won't accept any commission deals from tuk tuk drivers.
After breakfast we set off along the main street for about 2 kms enjoying the sights & sounds of a more quiet pace India in the morning.
We arrive at the shop & are taken into a back room with a big platform and mattress in the centre, shelves of material & some seats.
The salesman begins by explaining the process & showing us the different qualities of silk saree's. They start at 3500 and go up to 14000 INR with the quality of the work reflecting the price.
Obviously all of them are beautiful.
We are shown about 30 before my eyes catch sight of a deep purple and gold one, definitely not the colors I planned on getting or a color combination I normally wear.
It is 8 meters of pure silk, a one of a kind design that will never be made again due to the style of the weave. It's really special & though I don't say it to our salesman, after I wear it as a saree once or twice I plan to use the material & make something out of it.
Tom & I both agree it's quite loud & perhaps not appropriate for Egypt. Tom & I then decide on a second cheaper, green patterned one more ideal for daily wear.
It's now Tom's turn! He chooses a half pashmina & half silk scarf in a two tone olive green & black color as well as a white and black checked head scarf. We are now appropriately dressed & ready for India and Egypt's sun, sand storms and cultural modesty!
We also buy 6 silk, patterned cushion covers to send home, 2 of these will be gifts for friends.
We spend about 3 hours in the shop being educated on silk, saree's, pashmina & chatting about our travels. We realise the time when we hear a horn outside announcing prayer time to the muslim population. The salesman is Muslim and tells us he prays 5 times a day and is currently participating in Ramadan.
We walk back through the streets to our hostel and hide away from the midday heat, heat that's perfect for drying the clothes I plan to hand wash in our shower.
The rest of the day is uneventful. We extend our stay in Varanasi by 1 night and then stay up late with some other backpackers playing scrabble, drinking beer & listening to Indian pop music.
- Alli
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