2 May 2023
This was our last full day in Turkey and we spent all morning driving back to Istanbul, through mainly farmland and pretty lakes, until you hit the traffic of the city about an hour before we arrived in the centre of the Istanbul. The traffic is insane! There are even people who sit in the centre of the motorway and sell water, chocolate, fruit etc. to the people in the slow cars going past them.
We arrived at the Grand Bazaar (established 1481) and were given free time to explore. There are 63 streets and over three thousand stores in the bazaar which is over 30 hectare under cover, plus people everywhere. We looked rather than shopped and noticed that this was the case for many other people. Vendors were often reluctant to barter, but there were others who did drop the prices. With so many stores, after a while it seemed to be a bit ‘same same’, but the colours, noise and vibe were wonderful. I’m pleased that we had an opportunity to check it out.
Walking through small laneways chocka block full of shops and people, with motorcycles trying to maneuver their way through, we arrived at the spice market, which was constructed in the 1600s. The smells and colours of the spice market were amazing, and venders were very happy to let us try the different Turkish Delight treats.
Reflecting on our tour, we realise how lucky we are with the group of
people who we got to share it with. Everyone has got on so well and it has been
a pleasure to spend this time together. It has been a fantastic experience,
full of surprises, laughter, food, unique sights and experiences, and our tour
guide and driver have worked so hard to make it the tour informative, exciting,
safe and fun.
Tomorrow we leave Turkey - Roger for Australia, and I head back to Scotland.
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