These guys are all over the place selling Apple Tea. They were really nice and trusting; for a small fee you can get your picture taken with them and enjoy a cup of tea. After I took this pic we didn't have small change and they said "Ok, ok, you come back later with the money". And they didn't know us from JACK. Nifty.
If you like cats you'll find Istanbul - like many other Middle Eastern cities - a little depressing at times due to all the strays. I probably shouldn't have touched or fed this one but I figured what the hell - I've had so many shots over the past few years so I can travel through Africa and The Middle East, aint' nuthing natchural gonna kill this Mutant. The whole time I was petting this kittie she kept that kitten like "kneading" behaviour up. Heatbreaking.
More stray animals, this time a dog sleeping close to the grub, perhaps dreaming of a "Mc Turco" of his own? A couple of days later we visited a local butcher shop and bought the little fella a huge steak. He was so excited....
This is the rather modest entrance to Grand Bazaar ("Kapali Carsi", or "Covered Market"). Don't be fooled; it's totally awesome inside, a cacophony of noises as thousands of merchants running thousands of shops vie for your attention - and money.
This is the ceiling of the Grand Bazaar, showing the attention to detail you see all over, even on the floor and walls.
This is what it looks like inside, near the entrance. This photo doesn't pay it justice; The Grand Bazaar is so huge it has it's own Police Station, restaurants, hotel and hospital. Dating from the thirteenth century, they make a very credible claim that it's the first shopping mall.
We also spent a lot of time in The Egyptian Spice Bazaar. It's not as large as The Grand Bazaar but somehow seems more genuine. We got the impression most locals avoided The Grand Bazaar, but could see lots of folks purchasing all sorts of food, condiments and of course, spices for their evening meals.
There were cats all over the place, some stray and others - like this guy here - pampered kitties. This moggie was a working cat, being employed by a local shop that sold religious artifiacts. He found a nice place to rest; inside the shop window where he was admired by many bypassers.
you know what this is so deal with it....bitch