My last contest took forever and was sort of confusing. This time I’m going to make it much easier on everyone, including myself. All you have to do to win is to vote for Everything-Everywhere.com as Best Travelogue in the Lonely Planet Travel Blog Awards and leave a comment with “I voted”. This is on the honor system, so if you cheat and win, I’m going to put some sort of internet curse on you.
The item this week is a cheap necklace of what I think are lapis lazuli bits I got from an alabaster store on the west bank of the Nile near Luxor Egypt.
I was looking for something cheap to give away and I saw this necklace and figured it would fit into an envelope. I asked one of the guys working at the store how much it cost and he said “for you my friend, you may have it for free”. At this point my BS detector started going off because nothing is free in Egypt. Sure enough, without skipping a beat, he then asked for a 10 pound tip. 10 pounds is about US$1.80. I asked him why he just didn’t sell me the necklace for 10 pounds and avoid the song and dance of giving it to me for free with a tip. He then wanted 15 pounds, and I gave him the necklace back, and he then suddenly settled for 10 pounds.
I’d say this necklace has a retail price of $1.80 but the fact is if I had bothered to haggle, I’m sure I could have gotten it for half that price.
So this can be all yours for the low, low price of nothing. All you have to do is 1) vote, 2) leave a comment with “I voted”. If voting is closed, just say I would have voted.
I’ll close comments in a few days, pick a random number and email the winner.
I voted. You’re only 282 off the lead after my vote – good luck!
I voted.
I voted! Hope you win (really!)
I also voted about a week ago. Best of luck, Gary.
I voted! Good luck!
I voted.
I voted – bring home the gold!
Your Message
I voted! Good luck!
I voted for you a couple of days ago…around the time I gave you a stumble…and who can resist a Twitter that tells you to come and win “free crap” :lol:
I voted back when it first started! :)
I voted. (not because of the contest, but because I like your blog). Good luck!
I voted. Best of luck to you
I voted for you! Do I win? :)
I voted! Good luck! :)
I got my licks in last week… not getting an option to vote again. Keep up the great work!
I voted!
I voted!
I voted for both categories!
I voted weeks ago :)
Hey Gary! I definitely voted for you. :)
I voted!
I voted!! Again :)
I voted! :)
I voted. Early and often.
I voted
I voted. So far you’re in third, but it’s pretty close.
I voted (in both categories) :)
Oops, goofed that up. Browser problems.
Now I voted!
I voted a couple weeks ago for you before the contest – I hope that counts – I love that necklace! I’m a sucker for that color blue. :) – Beth
I voted with gusto! And he voted to!
I voted! (Like a month ago!) Very pretty beads…
Lapis lazuli? or…Sinaian turquoise?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turquoise#Sinai
I voted. Good luck!
I voted for you Gary
Not only did I vote for you in both categories, but I also posted it at least twice in my Facebook for all of my friends to vote for you also – please everyone do the same for Gary! Thank you for such an awesome site and good luck in the Lonely Planet contest – your photos are amazing!
i voted, BEFORE i knew of the lovely $1.80 prize. good luck!
Hi, saw your tweet and came to check it out. I voted! :-)
I voted!!
I voted :)
I voted in both categories.
I voted in both categories – and I appreciate what a vote can do! I won the Johnny Bunko contest and now pretty much vote for anyone who asks me to…IF I subscribe to their blog. And I do subscribe to yours and it rocks! I’m a photographer so I love seeing all the places I’ll never see and I appreciate what you do. I’m planning on getting an RV and hitting the road again myself. I thought about doing a “trade the red paperclip” thing with this necklace…you know, trade it up and up and up til I get my RV. So – don’t think of it as a $1.80 prize. Think of ALL the publicity your blog will get from MY blog if I win the necklace and trade it up for an RV!!
I voted.
I voted last week — does that count? :p
I voted! Good Luck!
I voted, and tried a second time but it wouldn’t let me.
I definitely voted!
I voted, and I encourage everyong to vote, he was behind in two categories, he NEEDS these votes, and it’s worth it. He has some awsome photos, at the least!
I voted! Good luck! The votes are very close!
I voted. :-)