Cusco, the city of the Inca is no exception that. The city, located high in the Andes Mountains is famous for its treks, food, and history. So for those going to the city, one of the best places to explore is the San Pedro Market.
The Original Central Market in Cusco was Built in 1925, located in a different square, San Francisco. However, years later it was moved to it's present location on the Plaza San Pedro, which is where it also got its name.
The Market is a set of stalls that sell various different wares for people and tourists alike. Among those you'll see each section specializing in a particular type of product. Those looking for meats, fruit, and more can find what they are looking for. Often, many of the sellers will be selling similar products. However, there are still ways to find unique things.
This can be a problem though, as we noticed in the "fruit juice" section, as soon as you walk in everyone is passing out a menu to you. How do you even decide which person to go with?
Unless you live in the city, you probably are not looking for basic home products or meats. But, don't fret, there's still a lot for you to purchase.
Around the front and edge of the market you'll see lots of vendors selling tourist related gifts and merchandize. Overall, we found the wares to be similar as to what you'll find throughout the city. Sometimes, you can get pretty good deals, however I found Alpaca clothing products (hats, scarves, ponchos) to be better at many of the other smaller markets around the city. Same goes for t-shirts. You can try to haggle if you prefer, however, haggling I found less receptive in the market than elsewhere.
One thing I found good to buy in the market was chocolate. There were a lot of chocolate vendors in the central are of the market. Chocolate, is a popular gift from Cusco, as a lot of chocolate comes from Peru. Each region seems to have slightly different makers and flavors in their chocolate. There's also a chocolate "museum" in the city, and while you can buy chocolate there you'll often pay more than the market.
Also, check out the fruit and fruit juices. There are a lot of options for things that you likely won't find elsewhere. It was the first place I tried some incredible options such as Lucuma, Chirimoya, and Pacay.
If you are traveling with goods out of the country, be certain to know the rules on some of the products. For instance in the United States, you cannot import any raw Coca Leaf products. This include things like teas and perhaps even some of the chocolates. While the worst that is likely to happen is it will be confiscated, you still want to avoid risking potentially harsher penalties.
My absolute favorite part of the market is the restaurant/food vendors in the back of the market. Here you'll see folks selling local cuisine from Cusco as well as around Peru.
Keep an eye on where the locals are going. This will help you determine which are probably the best restaurants to try. One thing I would recommend to try is some of the slow cooking lamb. It was amongst the best food I had while in Cusco. Also other local favorites like Lomo Saltado are worth trying.
You can also get things like Cuy (Guinea Pig) in the market. However, it didn't seem as popular here as in other areas. So, while I did try it in Peru, I can't speak for the quality at the market.
I also find that these restaurants are a family affair. You'll usually see several generations helping out their family businesses.
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You probably don’t even give your current towels a second thought. And why would you? They are nothing special.
Turkey was where I fell in love with Turkish towels. Appropriate right? Turkey has a part of my heart. I have had the chance to visit many times over the last decade and even live there and do volunteer work in relation to the Syrian crisis. I would regularly wander the markets and talk with folks about towels and other artisanal crafts. By the time I came back home to America, I had easily acquired a collection of these towels for my own personal use-- a collection soon became the envy of friends and family.
In Turkey, these towels are used for all sorts of things, chief among them providing comfort for patrons of the traditional Turkish baths. I love the baths, particularly the historic ones that dot the landscape of Turkey. So it was easy to regularly use both my own as well as those provided by the establishments. I was amazed at how well they held up after so much hard use.
Superior material is key. Turkish towels are made from Aegean cotton, which is renowned for its absorbency and softness. This cotton, grown along the coast of Turkey, is known for its long fibers which account for its strength, softness and absorbency.
Would you believe that Turkey invented the towel? It sounds crazy, but it does make sense. Turkey has a long history of weaving and public bathing, so the towel marks a natural progression.
Historians believe that towels as we know it were invented in the coastal city of Bursa. So when you use a Turkish towel, you're using something practical, but also sharing in a piece of material culture that been refined over the centuries. Turkish towels are a part of our shared human history. How cool is that?
Turkish towels have a lot of great uses. They make great bath towels, and the perfect beach towels. They also make for light-weight, stylish sarongs or shawls. In Turkey, men wear them in the bath houses, and if you're in a hot environment you could wear it as a sarong around the house as well. But unlike my AirBNB host in Turkey, you may want to avoid doing so around house guests.
I love my Turkish towels, particularly the ones with bold colors on the beach. They look good, they stand out, and when the weather changes it also makes a quick shawl or umbrella when you need it most.
Yes, yes they are. And the more you wash them, the softer and more absorbent they seem to get. No, really!
Actually, that’s one of the most surprising things about these towels. They may be thin, but they are strong, and super absorbent. They dry you off better and then dry out faster than conventional terry cloth towels. This prevents that mildewy stink you get with heavy cotton towels that never fully dry out. These quick-drying Turkish towels are ideal for day trips to the beach, when you're in and out of the water and need to dry off more than once.
Important. It may take a wash or two to bring out some of these amazing characteristics in your Turkish towel.
One of the things I love about these these towels (in addition to all the other things we discussed), is the size. These are more akin to what department stores call “bath sheets” instead of bath towels. Our towels are roughly about 40 inches x 70 inches, which is what makes them great for all those uses.
I almost hate referring to them as towels, because that seems to pigeon-hole them, when they have so many different uses. We’ve sold at our shows to customers who had no intention of using them as bath towels. A lot of our customers plan to use them as throws. picnic blankets and shawls.
We’d love to hear what you use the towels for!
Given their quality, Turkish towels are generally easy to care for, but that doesn’t mean you won’t shorten their life span if you don’t treat them well. Here's some some advice on how to care for your Turkish towel:
Towels come in many shapes, colors, designs, and sizes. The towel for you may not be the best one for your mom or best friend. You might want to go with a more traditional design, like those with a striped or diamond pattern. Personally, I'm more a fan of those with bold colors, like our Bodrum Zirve.
Be sure to check out our towel page to see the various options we have in stock.
Our inventory regularly updates as we are constantly looking for interesting patterns and designs from around Turkey.
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The art of himono is actually has a long history in Japanese cuisine. Actually large numbers of societies that were sea-faring or fish eating had specialized in the drying and preservation of fish. Before refrigeration this was often the only way for allow for the storage and transportation of fish. During the ancient periods in Japan (Edo, Heian, etc.), Himono was a luxury item for all sorts of people except for those who lived within coastal areas. Dried fish and Himono was one of the luxury meal items presented to the Emperor in Kyoto.
This was one of my favorite and most interesting dinners in Tokyo and one that was very different than most Japanese cuisine I had tried both in the US and Japan. Selections of seafood included Manta ray which was different than I had expected.
The food was delicious and quite tasty for something that was dried, seasoned, and grilled. You can even round some of it out with some other dishes like grilled vegetables or even some salads (just be forewarned that some salads may contain raw meat (including raw chicken)).
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Chopsticks are arguably the world’s oldest dining utensils. The basic idea of using two sticks to grasp hot food during cooking must go back to prehistoric times. The ancient Chinese improved on this by working bamboo and wood to create long thin sticks with tapered ends to use while cooking. Over time these simple cooking tools evolved into dining utensils. Written records that trace themselves as back as far as the Zhou Dynasty mention chopsticks, and it is believed that by the time of the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) they were in widespread use.
Chinese territorial expansion and trade soon brought chopsticks to what is now Korea and northern Vietnam, whereas their introduction to Japan occurred later. The first written record of chopsticks in Japan dates back to 712 AD, but it is believed that they were introduced during the previous two centuries when there was an increase in Japanese contact with China (viz. Sui and Tang Dynasties) and Korea (viz Baekje kingdom). To this day, chopsticks continue to dominate tabletops throughout the Far East.
While chopsticks started out as rudimentary tools, with developments in technology and fashion, variations in materials, decorations and styles emerged. Bronze, porcelain, ivory, steel, silver and plastics have all been used to make chopsticks. Nowadays reusable wooden and bamboo chopsticks are most common for everyday use in homes in China and Japan, whereas disposable wooden/bamboo chopsticks or reusable melamine ones are common in restaurants. In contrast, in South Korea there is a strong preference for stainless steel chopsticks. While more hygienic, steel chopsticks' slippery surface can pose a greater challenge for novice chopsticks users. Of course, just as there is fine silverware in the West, there are also high-end chopsticks in the East. Chopsticks can be embellished with lacquers, engravings, paintings, printed designs and inlaid pieces. Porcelain, ivory, jade and silver have been used to make chopsticks that were not just utensils, but also status symbols.
Chopsticks can differ in shape and tapering. Tips are generally rounded, but are occasionally pointy. Chinese and Japanese chopsticks are for the most part rounded throughout, although some may be rectangular towards the top. In contrast, steel Korean chopsticks are typically rectangular and flattened with one broad dimension. These steel chopsticks also tend to be less tapered.
That’s just a quick introduction to chopsticks. In a later blog post we'll look at some cultural aspects related to chopsticks, as well as a few basic rules of etiquette for using them.
]]>With the popularity of low carb diets and the aversion to large scale industrial farming, the mainstays of mankind’s caloric intake for centuries--wheat, rice and corn (maize)—seem to have fallen out of fashion. However even among these common or “boring” grains there is a wide variety. Take for example black rice.
Have you ever tried it? Well after reading this you might want to give it a taste test.
Black rice, sometimes called purple rice, is a variant of Oryza sativa L., the main species of rice and the mostly widely cultivated species of grain.
What is unique is that the bran of black rice is black instead of the typical brown or tan. Eaten as a whole grain, it boasts the same health benefits associated with brown rice, namely higher fiber, protein and micro-nutrient content, while additionally containing powerful antioxidants called anthocynanins.
Anthocyanins are actually the dark purple pigments found in blueberries, blackberries, acai berries and purple eggplants. It is these anthocyanins in the bran of the rice that make it black.
It's good to rinse the rice a couple of times before cooking. As you do this you will notice that some of the dark purple pigment will bleed out into the water.
Black rice is prepared in the same way you prepare other whole grain rices like brown rice. The key is that you will need to use more water than you would use for cooking white rice and you will probably want to cook it a bit longer too. Doing so will ensure that the cooked rice grains are tender and not too hard.
The exact water to raw rice ratio depends on your rice cooker or whether you boil it in a pot, but a good ballpark is 2 cups of water per each cup of raw rice.
I personally tend to add a bit more water in my rice cooker.
If cooked alone, your black rice will come out black, although if you look carefully you'll notice that it's really a deep purple. Black rice naturally contains a lot of these pigments, so even if you cut your black rice with an equal amount of white or brown rice, the cooked rice will still come out a dark purple color.
Black rice tastes similar to brown rice. It has a mild nutty flavor and and for lack of a better word it a bit "buttery." Most varieties, whether Chinese, Japanese or Italian in origin, are medium to short grain and more glutinous, so these attributes also affect the taste and texture.
Short grain black rice can be used as sushi rice and also made into all sorts of East Asian desserts that call for sticky rice.
Typically I like to enjoy the inherent taste of the black rice, but there's nothing to stop you from jazzing things up by cooking the rice in chicken broth or coconut milk.
So whether you like it sweet or savory, why not give black rice a try and add some to color to your plate?
Once you go black rice, you may never go back!
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Photo by Sunrise Odyssey (CC)
In Turkey, very few things feel as old school “Turkish” as the venerated Turkish Hammam, the local bathhouse, and gathering place over the centuries.
These days, however, they are not nearly as popular, be it the ubiquity of showers and baths in people’s homes or the changing of habits of the local populace. But you’ll still see locals come, some of those older stoic members of society who prefer the old style baths and of course, tourists like myself who want to try to “experience” everything a country has to offer.
Now I’ve been to a few hammams in my life, from various towns around Turkey or within a variety of cities in Europe and the Middle East. Most of them are based on the original idea from the Turks who during the reign of the Ottomans spread their culture and their bathhouses to far areas of their empire.
But as with anyone, there is something about experiencing this activity in the seat of the old kingdom, Istanbul.
Photo by Ali Ruukel (CC)
Baths here predate the existence of the Ottoman empire and even Islam in this region of the world. The current iteration of Hammams is the Islamic version of the old Roman Baths that used to inhabit the landscape when this city was formerly Constantinople, one of the great Roman cities and capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
The Turks, however, brought with them their own versions of bathing and bath culture and mixed these with the local bathing tradition after the conquest of the city in the 15th century. Bathing in Turkish and Islamic tradition is considered something of great importance, particularly as part of ablution prior to prayers. In this regard, you often see Turkish Hamams either connected with or near to Islamic Mosques (Camii in Turkish).
In the early days bathhouses were the exclusive domain of men but as time went out separate bathhouses (or separate hours) were constructed for women to take part in the public bathing traditions. However, unlike bathing traditions in other parts of the world (or even in current times) the baths were strictly gender segregated.
As it goes, the current baths still have many rituals to them.
You are lead into the large main room of the bath, where I find myself lying on the hot stone slab awaiting the masseuse to come and begin the cleansing ritual.
You lie on the slab waiting for the sweat to open the pores and start sweating out the toxins on the hot slab. A bit of a steam room type experience (although many hammams have separate steam rooms and saunas).
The masseur then takes a kese (or mitt) and begins to slowly scrub your body all around to remove the dead skin cells. Some of them are a bit more “abusive than others” in terms of how hard they push. I’ve had one of the masseurs take pride in displaying how much skin he actually removed. Something I probably could have done without.
Following the kese, they bring out a pail of soap and water and a long cloth that they use to create foam and then soap up and massage your body. You are then doused with hot water to wash away any dirt and skin still lingering.
Often in many hammams, a massage follows this part, often right on the stone slap in the chamber. Sometimes these are a bit more painful, as in some of the bigger hammams I’ve been a bit manhandled here by my masseur. I think for them there is a bit of a “masochistic pleasure” in roughing you up a bit. Not all hammams are like that, but perhaps I’m told, it would not be an “authentic” experience without it.
Photo by Assedo2011 (CC)
In some of the pricier hammams, you’ll often get to wander and clean off and sit in various hot and cold rooms following any services you’ve purchased. In some of my favorite hammams, I’ve been served cold drinks (such as hibiscus tea) which really hit the spot inside the hot chambers.
Afterwards you return to your locker room to redress and often enjoy some tea or other light beverages.
Generally, afterwards, I’m probably the cleanest and most relaxed I’ve been in a very long time. Definitely worth the experience for those who haven’t tried. A warning though is that they can become a bit “addicting” and you might find yourself back often.
Istanbul has no shortage of Turkish hammams in Istanbul from the glitzy to old neighborhood ones. Often the more locals ones will be tough for a tourist to visit who doesn’t know his or her way or the language. Many of the hotels have “hammam” experiences, but they certainly pale in comparison to the “real thing”. Some of the ones worth trying.
This is the ultimate in Hamam experiences. This one was a renovation of the old Aya Sofia (Hagia Sofia) Hamam. It is not cheap but it is certainly the high point of luxury. From beautiful marble to gold-plated bowls it almost feels a bit too luxurious. Prices range from 55 € to 140 €.
One of the oldest and most beautiful Hammams in the city, the Cemberlitas is a historic hammam built by the legendary architect Sinan in the 16th Century. A beautiful building and generally good “touristy” hammam experience. While in the neighborhood be sure to out the beautiful Corlulu Ali Pasa Medresesi nearby for tea and hookah (or even just the tea).
Located behind the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii), this hammam has definitely seen better days but overall is still a good experience. Certainly a more reasonably priced experience than most of the other nearby hammams. It is definitely worth splurging a bit extra for the massage. The women’s section is unfortunately woefully inadequate, so women may want to try somewhere else.
Made famous by being included in the 1000 places to see before you die, this play certainly gets a high number of tourists. It is also my first ever hammam experience in Turkey or anywhere else. Service is not cheap, about 50 € but rather that is in line with a lot of the other “touristy” hammams. The building itself is historic (built in the 18th century) and quite beautiful inside as well. Worth the trip if you are ok with the inflated prices. I’ve heard though that service may have declined a bit over the years.
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Like many other types of fine ceramicware, celadon originated in China, where it was prized for its jade-like appearance. Jade has been prized since the Stone Age in what is now China. The nephrite jade native to China was both beautiful and durable, however, it is evident that over time early Chinese cultures imbued the stone with spiritual properties too, further enhancing its value.
Archaeologists have uncovered numerous grave goods made of jade from neolithic and ancient times. Several Han dynasty burials contained worked pieces of jade that were used to cover or plug the orifices of the deceased. Taking this into consideration, it becomes more understandable why ceramic that mimicked the appearance of jade was considered so valuable.
The technique for producing celadon was first perfected in Song Dynasty China around 900 years ago. This dynasty was known for its many advances in the arts and sciences. But while material culture flourished during the Song Dynasty, it was also a time of weakness in military and international affairs, as the "barbarians" to the north of the empire eventually overran it. Over the course of a series of wars, the Song Dynasty ceded control over all territory north of the Hwai River to the Jurchen Jin Dynasty.
In 1127 the Jin army conquered the Song Capital of Kaifeng and took much of the imperial court captive. A remnant of the imperial court fled south beyond the Yangtze River and would eventually establish a new capital at Lin'an (today's Hangzhou). These events mark the difference between the Northern and Southern Song. The Southern Song continued on for another 150 plus years until it was eliminated by Mongol conquest in 1279.
*Map by Yu Ninjie (uploaded on Commons by LiDaobing) <1>
These historical events played a role in the diffusion the techniques for celadon production. With the transfer of the Song imperial court south of the Yangtze River to Hangzhou, many artisans followed. Since previous sources of high-grade ceramics had been lost as a result of the Jurchen conquests, soon after the palace moved, imperial kilns were established nearby to supply the court.
These kilns produced the finest wares for the exclusive use of the imperial dynasty. Alongside the imperial kilns, lesser kilns also sprang up that produced articles for affluent nobles and for the empire's tributary exchanges with foreign countries. The result was an ancient version of today's industrial cluster, as celadon production was concentrated in the band of territory surrounding Hangzhou.
The history of Chinese celadon cannot be so neatly parsed from overall history of Chinese ceramics and porcelain. Historians from later dynasties recorded Five Famous Kilns associated with the Song Dynasty era: Ru (汝), Jun (鈞,) Guan (官), Ding (定) and Ge (哥).
While originally used to denote wares of specific kilns, later on the terms were used more broadly to describe the style of ceramicware originally associated with those kilns. Of these five kilns, three of them (Ru, Guan and Ge) produced celadon and set the standard for what we consider celadon to be.
While the precise time and place of these kilns' production is the subject of debate among historians and archaeologists, there are some generally accepted theories. Likewise, even though experts may argue over the classification of specific artifacts, there are certain characteristics generally attributed to each style or kiln.
The Ru kiln predates the Guan and Ge kilns. It is best known by its soft, pale blue-green glaze, that is sometimes referred to as duck egg shell green, or more poetically as the blue and white color of the crest of a wave. It should be noted, however, that other colors were also produced. The glaze is typically thick and looks as if it has been generously poured on. The glaze is believed to have contained crushed agate and many pieces exhibit crackling.
This crackling, when carefully controlled could produce a frost-like appearance, otherwise likened to the effect of light shimmering on fish scales. The clay body is usually grayish white. Originating in Ruzhou in what is now part of Henan province, Ru celadon is the epitome of Northern Song celadon. Production at the Ru kilns is believed to have ceased shortly after the Jurchen conquest.
This loss of access to the Ru and other northern kilns provided the impetus for the Southern Song court to establish the imperial (or Guan) kilns near Hangzhou. While the ancient techniques of producing Ru ceramicware were lost over time, over the last 50 years efforts have been made to recover the lost art, and Ru-style ceramic ware is once again being produced in Henan and elsewhere.
The Guan kiln can be seen as the second iteration of, or attempt to replicate the lost Northern Song kilns, in particular, the Ru kiln. Many similarities between the two exist, but known Guan pieces encompass a wider array of colors and styles. Due to differences in available glaze and clay materials, the emblematic eggshell blue of Ru kiln seems to have been replaced by greener shades in Guan pieces. Clay bodies in Guan ware tend to be grayer and darker than those in Ru ware.
The other kiln largely linked to celadon is the Ge kiln. Historians and archaeologists have been unable to definitively determine its origin or define its characteristics. One of the problems is that the largest source of presumed Ge ceramic ware is the old collection from the Qing Dynasty Imperial Palace, but these wares do not neatly line up with descriptions written in the classical texts. The texts do however attribute Ge ware to the older of two accomplished craftsmen from Longquan near Hangzhou.
Celadon from the Guan and Ge kilns are classed within the broader category of Southern Song celadon. Geographically this category encompasses all the celadon produced in Zhejiang province in and around the Southern Song capital of Hangzhou.
Chronologically, if we more loosely refer to the Southern Song style, it covers all the celadon produced during the Southern Song as well later wares that followed the techniques or imitated the styles of Southern Song celadon.
Longquan stands out as the place where Southern Song style celadon was produced continuously for the longest period of time. It is theorized that early Longquan kilns produced commercial wares that imitated the techniques and styles of the nearby Guan kilns, while others propose that Longquan kilns supplemented Guan kilns in fulfilling the needs of the imperial court.
Whereas the imperial kilns seem to have ceased production shortly after the Mongol conquest, historical texts and archaeological evidence suggest that the Longquan kilns thrived during the Yuan dynasty. It is during this time that the story of the Zhang brothers, two master celadon craftsmen from Longquan, was first recorded. In fact, the terms Ge and Di, meaning elder and younger brother respectively, have since been used to denote the types of celadon associated with each brother.
While the truth of the story cannot be verified, it is one of the reasons for associating the Ge kiln with Longquan. Ge celadon from Longquan has a dark clay body and a crackled glaze. The crackle is well defined and over time and with use, the lines may darken. The glaze is thick, whereas the clay body comparatively thin.
Glaze color in modern pieces has a preference for darker greens and grayish blues, however light blue, plum green, off white and beige colors are not uncommon. If left unglazed, the clay body will turn to shades of rusty gray or terracotta. In some pieces, relief work or other worked sections may be intentionally left unglazed to produce a desired color contrast between the glazed and unglazed portions.
Di kiln celadon is made with a white clay body, its glaze is also thick, but uncrackled. While coming in a variety of colors, the two traditional colors are light blue reminiscent of Ru kiln wares or plum green (think the color of green Japanese ume, not red or purple plums popular in America). The color and thickness of the glaze produces a clean, serene look that is relaxing to the eye.
For a variety of reasons including civil unrest, changes in taste, and waves of isolationist trade policy, in terms of both quantity and quality, the Longquan kilns went into a period of decline starting in the late Yuan dynasty and continuing throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties.
In the twentieth century, the art of celadon production was successfully revived in Longquan, as craftsmen made great strides in developing techniques to produce wares comparable to their classical counterparts. Modern Longquan celadon is not made with any paints or dyes; instead, it is made of clay with relatively high iron contents, double-fired at high temperatures and glazed with a slip ( a mixture of clay and water).
Depending on the iron content of the clay used, the slip produces different colors of glaze, including light blue, plum green, grey-blue and dark jadeite green. Some wares still strive to imitate the classic forms, but many exhibit more novel influences.
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The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest markets in the world. And “Large” is an understatement.
The market covers a huge area of the city, with over 60 streets and 4,000 shops! Within the market are several squares, about 5 mosques, various entrances, and exits. It is one of the easiest to get lost in as well. You can wander and never pass the same shop again. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were still folks lost in the market who have never emerged again! Silly joke yes, but really it’s a massive place.
As Mark Twain wrote:
“We went to the Grand Bazaar in Stamboul, of course, and I shall not describe it further than to say it is a monstrous hive of little shops – thousands. I should say - all under one roof, and cut up into innumerable little blocks by narrow streets which are arched overhead."
But if you go to Istanbul you certainly cannot miss this place. It is one of the top places to see in Istanbul if not the whole of the country. And if you are worried about getting lost, honestly that is one of the best aspects of the place.
Just be sure to keep tabs on your money. Those rug sellers, in particular, are ever cunning in getting you to spend more than you expect on a beautiful hand-loomed carpet. Selling is more of an art form than business here.
Learn how to haggle before coming here. Prices are all over the place between various different vendors and you need to negotiate to get the best rates. They expect people to haggle and if you don’t you’ll end up paying much more than you should have. But have fun. Haggling can be a great experience for all parties involved. Make it a game and be upbeat throughout the negotiation. But don’t start pushing numbers unless you are serious about buying.
One of the most difficult things to shop for here are the carpets. These are literal works of art and history and many are antiques or heirlooms.
When shopping for carpets, be sure to take your time. Carpet shopping is a long process and it is certainly not cheap. But the quality and variety you’ll find in the markets are incredible so expect to pay for it. My recommendation here is to find a good shop and talk to the folks. Learn the history of the rugs and the shop and take your time. Maybe have some tea and sit for awhile. They love telling stories and talking too I found and it was one of my most enjoyable experiences in the markets.
When or if you are ready to buy, consider your budget carefully. Put a number on how much you are willing to spend and be cautious about going over. It is really easy to let prices go out of control. Also be sure to know the conversion rate. You’ll always get a better deal negotiating in Lira than in Dollars.
In terms of getting it home, don’t worry most places will take care of shipping. Get all the information from the sellers, receipts, shipping slips, etc. before you head out. You want to have this in case of issues. I’ve found the vendors here, to be honest, though in terms of shipping, etc.
There is no limit to the things you can find within the walls of the Grand Bazaar. From local goods to kitschy knickknacks, you’ll find it here. Some of my favorite things are the small beautiful tea cups you see everywhere in Turkey. Or the lovely hand-made pottery or beautiful textiles from hand loomed shirts to scarves or towels.
If you are looking for spices or sweets you can find some of them here. But you are better off going to the Spice Market in Eminönü which specializes in these types of things. If you go, don’t just go for the Baklava (which is good) but also try some other great sweets such as Cevizli Sucuk, Kunefe, Cezerye, and many others.
Negotiate prices in Turkish Lira vs. US Dollars or Euros. The conversion at the stall will never be in your favor. This is generally good advice for all over Istanbul actually. Don’t even tell them you have Dollars or Euros.
Start low with your price. They will go high on items and will expect you to go low and meet somewhere in the middle.
Negotiate on things you want. They will constantly try to sell you things whether you want it or not. Don’t get sucked into buying something you really don’t even want. It happens to a lot of people, they are really good.
Go really early or late. People are more willing to negotiate and give you a deal with things or slow or they are getting ready to go home.
Watch your bags and other goods. Not everyone is there for the right intentions. Pickpockets and thieves prey on tourists that look like they are distracted. Don’t fall victim.
If you are shopping for a lot of souvenirs. Be sure to negotiate prices based on buying a bunch of items. They will almost always give you a better deal this way.
Don’t be afraid to walk away. If you are not happy with the deal or the items. Just walk. Often they will call you over to give you a better deal.
Shop Around. No matter what they tell you, there are likely many vendors with the exact same merchandise. Almost all of these people are selling as a reseller and not an original creator so don’t expect complete uniqueness. Why go to a huge market if you are not going to see what other’s are offering.
Have fun. Shopping should be fun and shopping here especially. If you look happy and in a good mood people are going to be more willing to work and negotiate with you. I’ve gotten better deals just by making the vendors laugh.
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If you can’t make it to Turkey though, you can get some of the goods here too. Be sure to check out some of our Turkish Goods too!
The term "celadon" is often used to describe a light green color, but it also denotes a class of ceramic ware characterized by its translucent glaze and soft hues of green and blue. This celadon the crackle glaze look. There are varying theories for the etymology of the word "celadon" in European languages, but in most of the Far East it is known as 青瓷, which can be translated as "green porcelain."
Technically, what defines a ceramic item as celadon is the glaze used. Traditionally celadon glazes have been applied mostly to porcelain and stoneware. This is still the case today, however, lesser ceramics can also be used. The key to the glaze is its iron content and how this oxidizes in the kiln during firing. In a reduction kiln, oxygen content within the kiln is limited, and as carbon builds up it begins to react with oxygen in the glaze and the clay.
These reactions affect how the iron oxidizes resulting in different colors. In the case of celadon glazes, higher levels of oxygen lead to undesirable olive, brown and black colors, whereas too little oxygen yields colors that are "too blue." For the glaze to come out as desired, the temperature and oxygen levels in the kiln must be carefully controlled.
We want to investigate the various time periods for celadon glaze history. The original techniques for producing celadon were first perfected in Song Dynasty China around 900 years ago. From there, celadon production spread to other countries, most notably Korea and Thailand. While many of the original ancient techniques have been lost to history, beautiful celadon is still produced in China, Korea, and Thailand. The clean, serene appearance of celadon has been appreciated for centuries.
For historical reasons, celadon is not as well known in the West. Celadon was the preferred ceramic ware of Chinese elites during the Song Dynasty and throughout much of the Yuan Dynasty. However, later into the Yuan dynasty, blue and white porcelain, a new class of ceramics, famous for its intricate designs in cobalt blue pigment, began to rise in popularity.
This trend continued as the techniques for making blue and white porcelain improved and tastes continued to change. Even before the end of the Yuan dynasty, blue and white porcelain had supplanted celadon as the preeminent ceramic ware of China. The preeminence of blue and white porcelain continued through the Ming and Qing Dynasties and into the modern era.
By the time European merchants were arriving by sea in large numbers, it was already the Qing Dynasty, therefore much of the porcelain that foreign merchants brought back to the West was blue and white china, rather than celadon.
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On the next blog post, we will delve deeper into the history of celadon and how it has been appreciated throughout the ages.
]]>So if you find yourself here, what should you do?
Probably spend a bit of time wandering and wondering at the surroundings and the atmosphere of the place. If you are looking for purchases do make sure to consider the frankincense and myrrh, which are local to Oman and among the best you will find in the world.
Oman is famous for their frankincense (from the South) and it’s worth picking up some here or if you find yourself later in Salalah as well.
The souk is rather large, covering quite a few streets and alleys all covered however for the protection of the sun and elements.
One of my favorite aspects of this souk is the location, abutting the beautiful bay of Oman and the corniche. Actually, it is a great place to go for a walk.
I will admit though that the restaurants near the souk do a good job of convincing you to sit down and eat or have a snack. I know I fell victim to their persistent sales pitch. Although I’m a bit of a sucker for a good lemon & mint juice.
Also, there are a few shops along the corniche as well but I don’t find them to be any better than the shops within the souk. If the weather is good it's perfect to wander a bit along the water.
The Souk is open daily from 7am-11am and then again from 5pm – 11pm. You’ll notice this as a common occurrence at markets in the middle east. They tend to close for several hours in the afternoon (generally the hottest times of the day)
Getting here by public transportation is a bit tricky. Taxis are easy and plentiful and not too expensive from most parts of the city. The Big Bus Tours in Muscat also stop here as one of the stops around the city (also an easy place to pick it up if that is of interest to you).
Be sure to haggle with the prices. As with many souks in the middle east, the local sellers are expecting people to bargain. Overall folks here are rather polite so it’s a good place to practice if you are not experienced with haggling.
Well if you remember anything from high school biology, it’s the chlorophyll which is the key to converting the sunlight into chemical energy.
Okay, but what makes it “green” as in environmentally friendly?
To answer this you have you compare the woody material from bamboo with other comparable hard materials, like plastics or tree wood. In general, bamboo grows quickly, "like a weed" you could say, and bamboo canes can be harvested after several years.
A pine tree typically needs a dozen or so years to grow and mature before it can be harvested, whereas hardwood trees, like oak trees, typically need dozens of years.
Moreover, harvesting a cane of bamboo does not normally entail the death of the plant, as new shoots can continue to grow up from the roots the plant, without the need for additional planting.
The key to bamboo's rapid growth and regeneration is its rhizome root structures that run under the ground. In fact, bamboo propagates almost exclusively through spreading its root system and sending out new shoots. Most species of bamboo rarely flower and thus rarely produce any seeds. In fact, most common species only flower about once every 50 years.
Bamboo can have either "clumping" or "running" rhizomes. Running rhizomes, as the name suggests, spread out horizontally over a wider area more quickly. This can be useful for farmers with large acreages but can spell trouble for residential gardeners. Out of control bamboo in a garden can damage sidewalks and patios and lead to disputes with neighbors.
Bamboo does require considerable water resources but otherwise is relatively easy to cultivate. It requires minimal management and not very susceptible to pests, thus requiring little to no pesticides and insecticides.
Simply put, bamboo has a short growth cycle, it matures quickly after being planted, and thus can be harvested more frequently than trees. Add to this the linear shape of the canes and the fact that they only get so wide (6 inch diameters for giant bamboos), and you have a relatively easy to harvest plant with a high proportion of usable material. Growing bamboo for it's woody material is therefore a rather efficient and sustainable use of land. As an added plus, bamboo plants per acre extract up to 35% more carbon dioxide from the air than most trees.
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Located in the ancient teaming center of Islamic Cairo is the large and beautiful Khan Al-Khalili Souk. I visited here with fellow travelers in February 2016. It became a souk sometime in the 14th century after being a mausoleum and various other things over its long history.
There are quite a few spots to see along the way, one of the main entrances to the souk is the large and beautiful Imam Hussein Mosque. There is a large courtyard here with lots of Egyptians going about their day and cafes nearby as well. The mosque also has beautiful umbrellas that open with the sun (similar to ones that exist in Medina Munawara in Saudi Arabia) to shade worshippers when the main mosque overflows. Unfortunately, it is not open to non-Muslims so those visitors will need to only admire it from the outside.
Nearby, however, it the impressive Al-Azhr University and Mosque which does allow visitors. It is a beautiful set of structures and you can watch students and teachers wander about there day and listening to lectures.
The market is generally bustling throughout the day, however, these days you are more likely to only find locals shopping for home goods than the usual hordes of tourists. Egypt is still engaged in a very significant downturn from the recent years of turmoil. This is good for the shrewd bargainer but sadly bad for businesses and the local economy. Expect to be sold hard when you are traveling through. Don’t let that discourage you however as the souk is very worthwhile to see and wander on a beautiful Cairo day.
You will find quite a few locals shopping here but these days the shops do tend to focus more on tourist goods. Expect to find local goods as well as the general run of the mill tourist stuff.
The souk is open generally from early morning to late in the day most of the week. However, as with most Muslim countries, expect the souk to not open on Fridays until well after Friday Prayer (usually opening about 3-4pm).
People are going to want to sell to you and obviously, that can be a bit tough if you are wandering about. Sadly with the economy so, bad people may be more aggressive than usual. I found the shopkeepers to be generally friendly if you engage with them and it is wonderful getting the chance to talk and hear more about their stories in Cairo.
Be careful with quality. There is a large difference in quality across the souk. You may perhaps want to try to find more authentic local goods in other stores around the city.
If you are looking for a good respite from the day, be sure to check out the beautiful Naguib Mahfouz Café run by the Oberoi Hotel Group. It is a beautiful little oasis within the market. It has great food from local various smoked meats, to hummus, rice, drinks and more. A bit on the pricier side compared to other local options but with great food and impeccable service.