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Middle East » Turkey » Aegean » Selçuk
August 16th 2006
Published: August 20th 2006
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Tuesday August 15, 2006 - Today Mauits and I got up at 8am and had breakfast before checking out. We decided to head out of Istanbul to Selcuk, in order to visit Ephesus, a well preserved Roman city. We got on the tram to the metro to the bus station, where we checked out some different times and prices to our desired destination. We settled with one company and had to wait about 30 minutes for the bus to leave. It left at noon and was supposed to arrive at 8:30pm, later than we had originally thought. The ride was ok - it even included a ferry ride where we were able to get out and walk around for a bit. I got some reading done on the bus and only started to get annoyed, tired, and restless when 8:30 came and went and we were still on the bus. We finally arrived around 10pm with a very grumpy Jenn. We arrived in Izmir and had to get another minibus to Selcuk and we were hustled on immediately. I had to make them wait so I could run to the bathroom - it had been 8 hours with no toilet and there was no way I was waiting another hour. We finally got there at 11pm and had some quick bus station food. We agreed on a room with a man at the station and followed him back to the hotel. It was a bit hot and we made him find a fan. Took some showers and eventually got to sleep - too late for comfort.

Wednesday - We got up today around 10am and had to check-out at 10:30am. Went for some breakfast/lunch and then to the bus staion to buy tickets to Olympos for an overnight bus. After we got the tickets we walked to Ephesus, which took about 45 minutes ın the sweltering heat. Two sweaty smelly people, but that's pretty much who I have been in Turkey. We spent a couple of hours walking around the ruins and there were two main things I noticed - 1) ruins are great to see but they start to look alike after awhile and 2) this place looks like Disney World. Not the ruins themselves, but the tourists. Everyone was wearing bathing suits or tıny tops and short shorts. I always thought of Turkey as being very Middle Eastern and conservative, and I think it is moreso in the east, but along the coast it is full of sun worshippers on vacation for two weeks living it up. Very Disney World. Kind of annoying, but also very familiar. I just never realized it was so European here - I really like and recommend Turkey.

The ruins themselves are very impressive and I had a good time seeing them - especially when I was sucking down a cold cold ice cream or hiding in the shade from the heat of the day. We waited out the hottest part of the day in a cool place with a breeze and then continued on. Once we were finished, we walked back via the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers. I had no idea what this was but decided we should find out. So we walked a long way and got there only to still not know exactly what it is except that it seems to have something to do with the Koran. Anyway it was old and then we left. Thought we would walk then to the house of The Virgin Mary, but it was 6km in the wrong direction so we bought some peaches instead and walked back to the hotel. That was another sweaty 30 minutes. At the hotel we ate the peaches, emailed and then got some dinner. After dinner, I took a minute to wash myself down in the sink in the bathroom (as it is just so freaking hot here and I am always so sticky) and then we had to get going to the bus station for our overnight ride to Olympos.

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