Anna's Life and Mistakes: Magic markets...Istanbul

Hey guys - Apologies for over-dosing on the market topic, I currently have a kidney infection and the only blog post I could write would be entitled "Ow my kidney hurts"... and this was the only scheduled post that was suitable to be brought forwards. Hopefully this is forgivable.

So having dragged your travel-hungry eyes through the markets of Manchester, Cappadocia and Tanzania, I thought it only fair to end our market meanderings in the ultimate market experience - the infamous bazaars of Istanbul.

The Grand Bazaar is the most famous of all the bazaars, and it is not for the faint hearted. I suggest making your first trip in the evening... to avoid the crowds, and with no money...to avoid the endless sales patter. Though of course the mayhem and the haggling is all part of the fun, but perhaps best saved for a second trip. Another good tip is to get off the main thoroughfare - I don't care how scared you are of getting lost (you will!) and never finding your way out (yeah...you might not!), it's totally worth it because you get to see the less polished and shiny stalls and the more interesting merchandise. I loved the old antique jeweller stalls with their stunning silver pocket watches, ornate weaponry and all kinds of pretty trinkets.