During the cruise, Eren was very knowledgeable

 


I am in Istanbul for a conference and had prior to my departure from Malaysia booked with City of Sultans for a half day small group Bosphurus Cruise on Saturday 20th afternoon as well as a full day Byzantine and Ottoman Relics tour on Sunday 21st October. I was delighted when our guide for saturday's Bosphorus and Spice Market tour turned out to be a very experienced guy Eren Bolek. He picked me up from my hotel at Grand Hyatt and I was part of a 7 members group comprising of 2 very nice Filipino ladies, 2 US couples and myself. He outlined the itinerary which meant that we will do the cruise first then spend some time at the Spice Market. During the cruise, Eren was very knowledgeable and explained historical aspects of the landmark buildings on both banks of the Bosphorus. He is such a friendly person and put all of us at ease. Thus our conversations covered not only the essentials of the Bosphorus but many other topics. At the Spice Market, Eren was most helpful to guide us to only a few shops which served our needs rather than getting lost amongst the many repetitive businesses there. One outlet dealt with Turkish Delights using honey instead of sugar, fantastic nuts of various varieties, abundant spices and teas. At another outlet, there were Shatoosh shawls made from the down hair of Chiru or Tibetan antelopes besides others made from silk etc. Eren advised us on a nice way of striking a slight bargain when possible and others which were fixed as the locals would pay the same price. There is no compulsion to buy anything if one did not need. The proprietors of the shops visited were more than happy to show their merchandise even if it did not result in a sale. We will have a different guide for the Sunday's tour and hope will turn out to be as experienced and knowledgeable as Eren.

HSLam

urolam33[@-sign]gmail.com
(October 2012)

 

Testimonials from other clients: