Day 8 - Ephesus

We tried to meet a bit earlier so that we could meet our guide.  

8 minutes earlier....

The port was at the city of Kusadasi.  We made our way off the ship and quickly found the "Howard's Party" sign held by our guide, Mehmet. He led us a few blocks away to our tour van.  The streets were crazy, packed with tour busses, and it was difficult for the driver to make his way down. 

But soon enough we were on the 20-30 minute trip to the ancient city of Ephesus.  

During the ride, Mehmet both fed us tidbits of historic facts on Ephesus and Turkey, and quizzed us on our current knowledge. 

If this was a test, we failed miserably. 

He was both extremely knowledgable about his country and its history, as well as very enthusiastic in his sharing that with us. 

We entered the city at the main gate and Mehmet huddled us under a tree to further prep us for the walk through the city.

It would also be one of our final places to get shade until we exited the city.  

We then walked down the main entry street, The Arcadian Way,  and viewed the full city.  

I say full city, because we were able to see most of what was excavated.  However, Mehmet told us that only 12% of the actual city has been excavated!  

The main gate on the street was very narrow - we were told this was by design to ensure that chariots did not enter the city.  

We stopped to tour the homes of the wealthier inhabitants.  The details in these homes was amazing. Heated floors, indoor plumbing, kitchens, bathrooms, etc.  Each room was adorned with mosaics, frescos, and marble.  

Across from the homes we walked through the public baths and the public toilets.  

We then made our way down to the library.  An incredible sight that reminded me of the entrance to the temple in "Indiana Jones".  

At the foot of the library there was a menorah chiseled into the steps - some proof of the presence of Judaism in this city.  

From there we walked past a huge stone theater - still in use as some major artists have performed in this ancient outdoor venue. 

As we exited the city, we stopped for a necessary health break, and also bought 6 cups of freshly squeezed orange juice.  

We boarded our van and toured past the church of St. Peter, and remnants of the Temple of Artemus. 

We walked to a training center for Turkish rug weavers.  We were shown how the weaving was done, and how silk was made. Were were served Turkish coffee and cold Turkish apple tea.  

As the tour ended, they attempted a hard sell for us to buy the products.  

We escaped without a purchase and went to a local eatery, The Agora Restaurant, where we lunched on our first Turkish meal.  

As opposed to the Greek meals, this one revolved around meats. 

Two different beef dishes, skewered chicken, baked mushrooms, Turkish pizza and salads.  

Everything was delicious.  The waiter asked us to rate them in Trip Advisor, and we assured him we would. 

Our tour ended with our return to Kusadasi.  We said our farewells to Mehmet and proceeded to the Bazaars to shop. 

We had been told that the leather shops were great. 

We were greatly disappointed.  Although no one was looking for jackets, the girls were disappointed with the quality of the handbags.  

After a few more shops, Linda and I took off back to the ship, as the kids continued to explore the city.  

Back on the ship, we quickly changed and went to the pool.  It was an extremely relaxing afternoon.  Soon, Jamie and Josh joined us and we sat in the shade.  

When the ship pulled out at 6, the captain informed us that we would be doing 21 knots - and it showed in the wind around the pool. We soon retired to our cabins to rest and shower for dinner. 

This was the last "formal" meal on the ship.  We were fairly casually dressed, but other groups were really dressed formal, in tuxedos and gowns.  

Dinner was good. Our waiter hovered over us, bringing us several dishes of each course.  This night was the meal where the baked Alaska was served.  

It was delicious.  However, I did miss the old days where the wait staff all entered carrying the whole baked Alaska together.  

Times change. 

This was to be our last dinner together on the ship, as the kids planned to dine in Istanbul tomorrow evening. 

After dinner, we went up to the rear deck for drinks and cigars.  As the ship was doing over 20 knots, the wind was brutal.  We sat briefly for maybe 10 minutes, before we all retired for the evening.