With the wails of different calls to prayer intensifying as though they were in competition, I stepped out to explore Istanbul's most famous museum, the Topkapi Palace.This was were most of the Sultan's resided and had several tiny little outhouses used for varying offivial purposes and then the Sultan's private quarters and harem were hidden at the back. Most of the museum was simply labelled objects, but the setting with its view over the Bosphorous and onto the Asian continent was stunning. The palace took up the best part of the morning strolling through the ground in the warm sunshine. It was lovely to have the good weather back.

The palace had drained most of my energy but I was determined to do a full day's shopping in both the Spice and Gran Bazaars. Of course as I left the Topkapi Palace, numerous touts offered me tea at their "Uncle's" carpet shop or said I'd find a good price at a store they knew if I was looking for china. My attempt at a witty return, that I was travelling TO China, not buying it, was unfortunately lost on them. Sadly it didn't prompt them to go away until I looked pissed off and got my head down and walked past. I don't particularly like having to be rude to the Turkish as for the most part they are really friendly but the scams you read about in the Lonely Planet and other guide books are real. Just in the hostel I've been staying in I've met two people with stories of being approached by two friendly guys offering them a drink, taking them to a bar, introducing them to some girls, buying rounds of drinks and then the bill totalling a thousand dollars. The poor unsuspecting tourist is asked to pay their share and of course cannot. So they are escorted by Mafioso types of guys to the nearest ATM where the appropriate sum is extracted effectively on pain of death. And what's worse is that the local police don't seem in the least bit interested. So with that in mind, and the fact that I don't want to sit drinking endless cups of apple tea looking at things I have no interest in buying.

After successful sampling of Turkish delight, curious inquiries into Turkish Natural Viagra (see photos), viewing yet more carpets and haggling over clothes, I returned to the hostel to chill out. Despite the fact that the hostel has a no alcohol a few of us grabbed some beers and sat on the terrace sipping them quietly in what felt distinctly like being back at school - hiding our stash as soon as any member of staff walked in! A local Turkish guy who spoke no English came and joined us and ordered supper and so we sat eating something unpronounceable, but good and meanwhile exchanging Turkish and English words/grammar via a pretty shoddy Turkish phrasebook that insisted on including useless political and econimic phrases such as brand image or equity and "leaving phone massages for people".