Grand Bazaar

We reached the Grand Bazaar after a one hour snail paced traffic.

At the Grand Bazaar’s gate 1

According to our tour guide, Ali, this gives the highest Lira to a dollar and they charge NO commission. Watch out for your wallet, thieves lurk outside.

The sight of thousands of stores and colorful Turkish merchandise was overwhelming.

There were at least a thousand jewelry stores. Nakakatakot pumasok, sigurado tunaw ang credit card.

Ladies’ boots, one hundred lira.

Gold for the golden girl

One must be fully alert of wallets, money, bags. Thousands of tourists come to Grand Bazaar everyday exceot when they’re closed, on Sundays. People know tourists bring cash and credit cards.

Stores are also very sharp and cannot be outsmarted. Some are very frank and straight forward,
wala ng paliguy-ligoy at pakuno. They tell tourists,
“Come inside, spend your money here”.
“I want to get your money”.

This lamp would blend well with my home decor but paano ko kaya ito iuuwi? Mabigat na, malaki pa.

Me————- “How much is this?”
Store guy—– “Ten Lira”.
I didn’t say anything.
Store guy—— “How many dozens are you buying?”
Me————- “One only”.
Store guy—— “Okay, I give you eight Lira”.
I didn’t buy anything. gusto ko sana yung number 8.

I wasn’t in the mood yet to shop much more to haggle. I was very tired, sleepy, grouchy, and grumpy. It’s been a long 25 hours journey
from the time we left our house in Manila up to the time we reached the Grand Bazaar.

Even if we still had half hour to go, we went out of the bazaar na.

I paid 8 Lira for a glass of pure pomegranate juice- no sugar, no water. Medyo maasim.

This Japanese tourist took a lot of pictures of this lonely cat.

Oyen and our tour guide Ali.

one lira as you enter,

patuwad?

or patayo?

(to be continued)