I couldn't take my eyes off an antique brass piece of the 'sleeping Buddha' which comes in innumerous shapes, sizes moulded in metals like copper, brass ( also blended with green granite), as also the horns of Yaks. beaded necklaces, wrist bands of black pearls, rings looking royal with a single large Jade stone (or even 'Lapislazuli') studded inside it are bound to be one of the inevitable shopping souveniers in the Leh market. Traditional stones like 'Turquoise' are seen smartly blended with white pearls and corals.
As I walked past the stalls, I tried to be at my bargaining best. As the winters couldn't wait to leap here most of the Ladhakhis and Kashmiris were on the verge of closing their shops and move to profit yeilding places like Goa and Delhi where tourism begins to soar higher. Yet, a ten minute chat with one of the sellers ('Tashi' was his name) updated my information on the 'genuinity' on black pearls ( or any kinds of pearls for that instance!!). He used a small fire to prove his pearls were 'real'. Bringing fire close to them didn't change or deskin them in any way or even get charred.
Now that was an intelligent selling by Tashi as I finally shed some weight off my pockets by carefully and cleverly picking up a three-stringed pearl necklace with a wrist band after an effortful bargaining.
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