Buying a carpet in Kasadsi Turkey 🇹🇷 after the Silk rug making demonstration.

We almost did not go in. I’d said let’s just walk back to the ship. However the bus stopped in front of  the shop and we got out Mo said do we go in or not? Sure, let’s go in, I said.

Inside we crammed into the room upstairs where we saw the silk pulling and rug making demonstration. Then we herded into the rug throwing room, where they spun and displayed many various colors shapes sizes and variations of rugs, silk and wool.

They passed around beverages and Mo took a Raki! I had apple juice. We spotted a few rug in color we liked. They quickly got buried underneath more flying carpets.

It was already 3:30 and we were finally able to say we like this one and that one on the bottom. Well they shuttled us to another upstairs room and started pulling out the carpets that we had indicated or similar. A couple of the larger ones were too big, one was circular with fringe and another was larger rectangular. One the seller said was $3500 when I asked the price. No no, I said.

We requested to see the runners we liked. They brought some out and we were trying to find the colors we wanted. Well the price went down to $2500. No, I said shaking my head. We have to go it’s getting close to 4:00.

Meanwhile simultaneously more colors were brought out in the runners and slapped down in front of us, and the price was going down. The price lowered to $1700 and I was still saying too much. He said how much you want to spend in your mind what’s your limit. I said that less than $1500. Well he got stuck on $1500 not the less than part.

It was really getting closer to 4:00. I said we’ve got to be back on the ship we need to go. By this time they’d brought out a green trimmed runner which we both liked. It was almost ten to four. I took my credit card out of my pocket and pressed it into his palm, looking him in the eyes and said, “$1200 and we have to go now.”

Well boy he had that written up in a minute! But we were waiting and it was a trick to sell us more jewelry while we waited. The diamonds counter was tight underneath us. She started by complimenting my gold charm bracelet and showed me her necklace same type of chain. Then she started on the diamonds showing me the necklace halo diamond like my ring. Then pressing the necklace in my palm. Showing me the chain how it sparkles too. Then shows me the earrings I say no I like mine. By then I looked over my shoulder and saw that the paperwork was done they were giving her time to sell me diamonds. So we said have to go get in the boat.

Other passengers I heard talking about how pushy the carpet sellers were. And one lady from Minnesota bought three rugs to hang on her walls for $12,000! 

Before the rug trap, we went on our daily excursion. This was one to remember! Wow! We had no expectations and it turned out to blow us away and be the best!

Pictures speak a thousand words, and I took a thousand pictures.

It was walking through the ancient shopping center of the old city of Ephesus. Here’s my notes: