It was during our third and last full day in Istanbul when we made our way to the famous Grand Bazaar. I was so excited to see and visit this place. I had heard so much about it and had seen it on travel shows on TV so many times.

It was definitely a dream come true. The place was massive. In fact, we only got to see a part of it. I must admit, after a while, the hallways of stores began to look alike. Just like what my partner stated, it seemed like there really were just a limited number of merchandise sold in the entire bazaar. They were rugs, plates, pillow cases, sweets, spices, and fake designers' merchandise. You most definitely could see them in stall after stall, hallway after hallway. This was the reason why, after an hour in the Grand Bazaar, we asked ourselves, "Should we explore further or should we go now?"

I love to shop and I wanted to know what I could buy. I did find the haggling a bit too much. I found everything priced way too high and I wasn't in the mood to haggle over anything. Anyway, I had already bought two rugs by the time we came here and so the desire to buy the famous Turkish rugs was fully satisfied a day earlier. The other reason why I didn't buy anything was because I was worried about lugging any purchases here over to Spain and Portugal. Bear in mind that Turkey was the first stop of our three week vacation to Europe this summer. Had Istanbul been our last stop, I would have gladly bought the very colorful plates sold. I did see a number of stores here where the plates' prices were fixed and they all seemed reasonably priced to me. I say that because for the traditional and colorful plates and bowls sold, there were signs indicating the price. Once I calculated the equivalent in US dollars, I realized even the huge china went for less than US$20 a piece. Next time I go, I most certainly will buy.

I also wish to say something about the sellers in the bazaar. Honestly, some were pushy while the others were not. Some were very pleasant to talk to while others were not. It is important to keep one's cool here and not be pressured to buy anything.

Prior to our arrival in Istanbul, I made a list as to what to buy. It included a backgammon set, a small Turkish guitar, some plates, rugs, pillow cases and a fez. I managed to buy the last three items in the list. I was happy with that! Very happy indeed!