Enter Istanbul's Grand Bazaar at your own peril, for those who are not quick of wit and sound of mind may find themselves trapped in the labyrinth of criss crossing alleys and walkways forever doomed to wander past shops of gold! Dazed shoppers can be seen at various gateways exiting with a mixture of relief and confusion. 'Where the f am I?', they ask random strangers still clutching onto their redundant street maps as if their life depended on it. As our group braves the Bazaar (safety in numbers we kid ourselves) we are dazzled by gold jewellery, brashly and unashamedly begging us to buy. Here gold is king, the stuff of dowries and bridal dreams. There are colourful ceramics, plates, bowls, lanterns and sumptuous patterns on material fit for a Sultan. There's Turkish delight and
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