I took the tour because I was afraid of getting lost, and I still got lost. Christopher is right though, getting lost is half the fun.
The tour was an expensive lesson in not letting fear get in the way. I learned about the blue mosque and got told some interesting history by the guide and got taken around Ayah Sophia, with more interesting historical facts. Onwards to the grand bazaar, to land in a store miles from the bazaar and subjected to a heavy sales pitch to buy carpets under the guise of a lesson about Turkish handcrafts. Oh yes, the ‘tour’ company unceremoniously dumped those of us on the half day tour to find out own way home.
I did meet some nice people though, and after I walked out of the sales pitch and found the bazaar on my own I met up with some of them on the street again. Americans do like their Starbucks and the like, so I had a coffee in one just to catch up with a nice woman from Philadelphia. She is Indian via Malaysia and now very American.
I managed to resist the vendors in the bazaar; the sales pitch was just too much. The quote of the day came from a store keeper who assured me that he would not cheat me as much as other shop keepers in the bazaar!
As I wandered the long way through the streets and found my way back to the area I know, I was struck again by how alive and beautiful this place is. Brought a few trinkets and took lots of pictures, and had a good time. Now I am waiting in the shuttle to take me back to the airport for my flight to Cyprus.
I did meet some nice people though, and after I walked out of the sales pitch and found the bazaar on my own I met up with some of them on the street again. Americans do like their Starbucks and the like, so I had a coffee in one just to catch up with a nice woman from Philadelphia. She is Indian via Malaysia and now very American.
I managed to resist the vendors in the bazaar; the sales pitch was just too much. The quote of the day came from a store keeper who assured me that he would not cheat me as much as other shop keepers in the bazaar!
As I wandered the long way through the streets and found my way back to the area I know, I was struck again by how alive and beautiful this place is. Brought a few trinkets and took lots of pictures, and had a good time. Now I am waiting in the shuttle to take me back to the airport for my flight to Cyprus.
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