Shoeshine man in Uskudar

Shoeshine man in Uskudar, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

It is always nice to walk around in shiny polished shoes but somehow one so often doesn't find the time at home. And, just ike it is such a pleasure to have one's hair cut at a barber shop in Turkey, so it is to have one's shoes thoroughly polished on the street by a man with such an array of pots and brushes and cloths and creams as this chap here.

Just like taxi drivers, there are rats and there are angels. These chaps sitting outside the mosque on a Saturday lunchtime, would alwys have to be on the honest side of the spectrum, but there are also the street rats, who scurry around with their smaller boxes who are brushing your shoes before you know what is going on. Always name your price beforehand and it will save a lot of trouble later on.

We had bad experiences in Kenya in 1990 and Mexico in 1997 (or was it 1998?), which stick in the mond long after they should. Anyway, a week later and after a couple of walks in the rain, the shoes are still glistening!