spice market and grand bazaar

Ava and I had another day of unguided sightseeing on our fourth day in Istanbul. We were driven into the city in a cab with no seat belts by a driver who spoke no English and kept gesturing at the door. I thought he was indicating that we'd need to exit soon, which was a little disconcerting. Turns out he was trying to ask me which entrance to the Spice Market I wanted to be dropped at. He finally gave up and dropped us at the New Mosque (Yeni Cami, which looked pretty old to me), which is just in front of the main entrance to the Spice Market. Since this was a very busy place, I wanted to be sure Ava and I had a safety spot to meet in case we got separated. We decided on the foot washing station for the New Mosque. We took a few minutes to watch the men wash their feet in preparation for prayer in the mosque. And then we were off in search of treasures to bring home.

The Spice Market full of exactly what you'd expect: lots of spices and lots of people trying to sell things. Stall after stall full of candy, spices, and fruit. It was amusing to hear the sellers trying to catch our attention by speaking English, since it was very clear we're not Turkish. Throughout our trip, nearly all the men we encountered called Ava "princess" and would touch her head gently with affection. This took me by surprise at first, since it's not something that would happen at home, especially with strangers, but I found it charming.

Our first stop was at a shop with Turkish Delight piled high in front. We'd seen the sampler packages around in other locations, but to see all this fresh confection assured us that it was the right time to buy. The shopkeeper gave Ava her first sample of the delicacy. I tried to imagine being Edmund with the White Witch in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe when I tried my piece. I can understand how he was taken in by its sweetness. It's like eating almost solid honey with pistachios in it, covered in powdered sugar. Amazing. We asked the shopkeeper to put together a sample box of different flavors to take home with us. He also showed me a little nettle that, when put in hot water, expanded into a beautiful flower. It was jasmine tea.

We meandered a while longer before deciding on a spice shop. The vendor was very kind and patient. I picked out three different kinds of paprika for Kurt (he is Hungarian, after all), sweet, smoked, and spicy. I allowed the vendor to choose a hot red pepper as there were so many kinds and I don't think he wanted to try to explain all of them to me. Then cinnamon, of course, which was very fragrant. I also chose a pepper grinder, which he showed Ava how to use. He ground the pepper into her palm and then cleaned her hand very carefully. When I paid him, he took a couple of Turkish lira and gave them to a man just outside his shop who was selling yo-yo tops. Ava picked out her favorite color and then we were off again.

As we wandered, we stumbled across an intersection that smelled deliciously of coffee. I noticed a long line of Turks in front of a coffee roaster's. Normally, the way Turks form a line is by crowding together in front. In this case, it was a very neat, single-file against the side of the building. I would soon learn that it was because of their Soup Nazi style of service. I'm guessing that they have limited hours for selling and they're obviously very popular. The line moved quickly and they have a strict method of selling. There was no time for me to ask questions. I was directed to proceed quickly. I held up 3 fingers and handed the guy a fairly large bill. He handed me 3 packages and change and indicated that I needed to move away immediately. Clearly, this was the best coffee in town.

Ava and I were pretty hungry at this point. We walked on to find the Grand Bazaar and some lunch. It was a bit of a challenge to find our way (this entire section of town is filled with shops, so telling if we were "close" was impossible), but we did. Once inside, we found a little café with a waiter who spoke English, down one of the myriad passages. Ava ordered tomato soup with a side of rice. I attempted to order kebap (upon Ahu's recommendation), but the waiter took over and told me he'd bring me something special (Yikes). Turns out he brought lamb, beef, and chicken. Ava had a difficult time eating because of all the stray cats hanging around (she has a bit of an animal phobia). After lunch, we bought little harem girl hats for the dress up box at home.

We spent the rest of our time winding our way around the Bazaar, buying gifts for people and getting ourselves good and lost. It's simply an enormous place with endless stalls.