After settling into our room, we head to lunch and walk around to explore and get our bearings. We walk around the area of the Grand Bazaar. Even though it is closed for the end of Ramadan holiday, some of the shops nearby are still open. This spice and Turkish delight shop was a real treat... literally.
After sampling their wears and purchasing some dried chilies, curry and apple tea, we continue our walk.
Our tour guides in the previous cities we visited said that Istanbul shouldn't be very busy as most leave the city for the holiday period. That might be the case, but we wonder if tourists are coming into the city. There is a lot of people!
Chris and Lisa are meeting us in the city for dinner so we head to meet them. It is wall to wall people the closer we get to the water and difficult to walk.
The restaurant we choose is new to all of us, but the beer and food is good.
After dinner we partake in a Turkish pastime - smoking a water pipe. No, it doesn't contain any illegal substance, but it is tobacco and ours was apple flavored. It isn't something I would participate in on a regular basis (it is tobacco after all) but it was fun to try it.
The water in the pipe is suppose to clean out the impurities. I am not sure if that is true but it was a lot smoother than smoking a cigar or cigarette and the head rush was very mild and only lasted a few minutes.
Tomorrow we have a full day tour to see some more of the highlights of Istanbul.
Location:Istanbul, Turkey
Fun times for you all, sounds like it was a great trip! How long are you in Turkey? Enjoy
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