I must admit the title of this post is a little bit of an oxymoron. Considering we had to repeatedly explain to our friends and relatives that we were going to an island in the Caribbean and not to a city in southern Spain (spelled as Granada), writing about non-touristy […]
Read MoreAuthor: Victor
Cruising Down the Streets of Havana
After writing nine posts about Cuba earlier this year, we thought we were done with our stories from Freedom Island. But to be honest, it would be unfair not to describe the most touristy thing we did while there. Learning about the U.S.-organized invasion at the Bay of Pigs or […]
Read MoreAnother Day, Another Istanbul Market
In two prior posts, I described our thrilling shopping adventures at the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district. Yet, the market that we fell in love with the most was located away from the tourist hordes – on the Asian side of the city. It is hard […]
Read MoreLet’s Spice it Up: More Shopping in Istanbul
In the last post, I described the fun of visiting and bargaining at the Grand Bazaar. And although my parents and I enjoyed the craziness of this behemoth ancient market, we found other markets in Istanbul that we loved even more. Several days before visiting the Grand Bazaar, we spent […]
Read MoreTrying to Beat the Market: The Grand Bazaar Experience
I love markets in Asia. Bright colors, pungent smells, cacophonic sounds – visiting a market in Asia is always a chaotic and exotic experience. Every time we come to Asia, I get excited about getting lost in the labyrinths of markets and discovering local crafts, delicious and cheap food, and […]
Read More