Spice Market and Galata Tower

Galata Tower

The return from Göreme went better than the way to get there. Maybe because I wasn't that sick anymore. But services were better with the Suha bus company.

By chance, a very helpful Turkish guy was sitting just behind us. Not only did he offer some cookies for us to taste, but he let us know when it was time to step down.

Back in Istanbul busy bus station, around 7 AM. Still sleepy, we were wondering how to get to our new hostel. The helpful Turkish man helped us get in a free shuttle. For those who are trying to help, know that the back door will close by itself. No need to try to close it... and have people to laugh at you.

Right in Sultahnamet, we found ourselves on the sidewalk, searching for the hostel. When you're tired, it's harder to find your way around. We searched for a while...

Talking about something that is hard, try getting a good shower on the sixth floor of an old turkish building... You may not get any water.

Anyway! We reunited with our friend Gisele and we visited the Spice Market. Colors and smells are totally worth going there. But if you want to buy anything... negociate. Harder. And if you pretend you want to buy some turkish delights, maybe they'll let you taste some...

For those who want something different, a ferry may bring you in the asian part of the town. When it's sunny, the ride on the Golden Horn is very beautiful. On the other bank, you may ride a dolmus, one of those taxis where you kind of need to know how much you should pay. And you need to ask the driver when you want to get out. Having someone else who speaks english is a big asset.

In Kadikoy, the most interesting thing to do is walk the streets, go shopping or just watch the rhythm of life. Fresh fruit juices stands are really attracting too.

Back on the quay, it is possible to get on a one hour or one and a half hour cruise on the Bosphorus. No need to book ahead. There are a lot of companies and they go almost every thirty minutes... The smarter ones will go just before night falls so they can do one way with day light and come back in the dark : the best of two worlds.

Hungry people will try the grilled fish you can find anywhere near the water for five turkish liras. Eating in one of the Galata Bridge restaurants might be expensive though.

And talking about the Galata Bridge, the tower of the same name offers great views over the city. There again, a meal at the restaurant will cost a lot. But looking around from the top of it is worth it.

Verry goode! (sic)

Chinese know how to negociate... We don't... Not when we're starting, at least. But we can learn. And we hope to be able to evaluate how much an object is worth, even if we always have that feeling we could have paid less.

That said, China is probably the best place to start, since you need to negociate only in the markets. Not for food.

I started slowly, for postcards. Might not have been the best idea. Postcards are already worth nothing. But it helped me see how the markets work.

I was told I should try to get the third of the price they ask in Shanghai, half of it in Beijing. It is probably true if the seller asks a reasonable price from the start.

In Xi'an, I got an object for a little more than half the price. In Pingyao, around the third of the price. In Beijing, I bought something for eight times less. It comes to a point where you don't know anymore and you start with ridiculous prices.

One thing stays the same. Each seller will tell us he can't lower the prices because his price and his product are in fact "verry goode". With an accentuated "e" at the end. He's always better than the one next door, who sells, of course, mediocre products.

And when they'll eventually give up, because you won't bouge, they will say : "Very hard, you..."

One woman tried, in vain, to make me raise my price. She was hitting me on the arm because I wouldn't go higher. But when I wanted to leave, she would keep me from going, saying she wanted to make business with me. When she finally agreed on my price, I wanted to make sure she understood well.

- Ok for 150 yuans?
- 160!
- No, I said I wouldn't go higher than 150.
- But this is only about 10 yuans!
- Exactly. Only 10 yuans. So you don't need them.
- Ok! 155.
- No. You told me 150.

So I got 150 yuans out and she said : 
- 10 more.

And when I said no, she took the 150 yuans with a sad face... "Very hard, you." They try really hard.

When we don't know, it is better to try several places and ask the starting price, saying that you don't really want the item once the price was given. For one object, they asked 180 yuans. On the next level in the market, the woman asked : "You want my starting price or my best price?"

Best price, of course... 30 yuans. Six times less. And the good thing about it is we still could negociate. Crazy.