After such a wonderful time in Istanbul, I decided it was time to take off on an adventure -- giving Marat a break from company and giving me a chance to experience a different part of this diverse country. Tuesday, July 20, I took a plane to Izmir on the Aegean Sea coast. Once called Smyrna, Izmir is actually now the 3rd largest city in Turkey and the hub from which one can head out to see important archeological remains and beautiful parts of this important region of the world. Staying there one afternoon/evening was plenty. My sense of safety was challenged a bit as I tried walking to "Alexander the Great's Velvet Palace." It turned out to be a park with some ruins up on a hill where there were few people. I ultimately needed to access it via taxi and leave the same way. This was not my typical mode of transportation so it felt quite odd (and costly). Back down by the marina there were a few small city markers (a miniature mosque and small watch tower) and the wonderful ocean to explore. It clearly is a port city, but more for commerce than for tourists. I trusted my intuition and allowed a man who worked at the restaurant where I ate to walk me back to my hotel. The area seemed a bit questionable and he seemed sincere. I'm pleased to say my intuition was right on and we had a lovely conversation as we walked.
The next morning I finally decided which direction to go next. While Cesme (the windsurfing capital of the area) was beckoning, I finally decided to head south by bus to Selcuk, a small community near Ephesus. How could I actually come this close and not go to the 2nd largest ruins in the world? I met a young woman who teaches English Literature in a Manhattan High School and we found a reasonably priced pension to base the day out of. (By the way, her Lonely Planet book seemed much more useful for finding accommodations than the book that I was using.) The short bus ride to Ephesus was a local experience -- crowd as many people in as possible and find a way to deal with the heat -- but Ephesus itself was packed with tourists galore. I can certainly see why. What a historical site! To imagine this place as a bustling community was not difficult. The structures were magnificent, with frescas and huge columns, but the final two are the greatest. The library facade is nearly perfect--and a beautiful site--while you could almost hear music exploding from the large theatre. It, in fact, was last used in 2000 and had been the site for Ray Charles, Elton John, and others to bring their talent. The most important part, however, was that this is the theatre where the Apostle John spoke about Christianity in 57 AD. The silversmith were concerned that this new religion would hurt their trade for silver items with the images of gods (like Artemis) and were able to get the community to run John out of town.
This area has many biblical markers -- the house that Mary (mother Mary) lived the last years of her life after Jesus died, and the Bascilica to St. John. Apparently John returned to this area to write his apostle and found the area so appealing that he came back and died here at the age of 100. The Bascilica housed his tomb and was at one time a beautiful church. The ruins here were intermingled with flowers and the varying shapes and sizes made for wonderful pictures. The view of the surrounding area was 360 degrees and to imagine this community so many years ago was exciting. We saw from a distance the final remaining column of the Temple of Artemis--one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. If it had not been so...... hot, this would have been a perfect time.
Unfortunately, there was no shade and I had no umbrella so I imagined my dermatologist screaming in my ear about "protection." I did get a terrible rash (heat or sun, who knows) and was able to find a small natureapathic store to get a salve that helped. Some day I hope to refind the name of it because it was terrific in healing my skin. Speaking of the heat, I'm so glad I bought two things in Spain -- a fan and something to hold my hair up off my neck. I've never been so hot and these items were life savers. Actually, I think Scottsdale and Las Vegas might be cool in comparison.
The other adventure in Selcuk was learning a bit about (some) Kurdish men. The flirtations from men half my age were humorous and the manner in which a carpet salesman attempts to "soften" you for the sale was really interesting. I had an hour long conversation with 2 cups of tea and a quart of water with one man who I'm sure was disappointed when my teacher friend showed up to whisk me away to dinner -- prior to his sales pitch. I must say, however, that I can see how this style, while irritating to some, could be very engaging and fun for others. They certainly knew how to charm and hold the conversation. Marat later told me that many times women are intriqued by the Kurdish men's attentiveness only to find it stifling after a relationship develops. For me, I enjoyed the conversations and found the lack of concern for time an interesting culture shift and exactly the type of thing that would remain a memory. This included the friendly proprietor of the restaurant where we had dinner. His style was charming and we enjoyed our time--and the food.
At the restaurant we also met a woman who was now a local. She had come from New Zealand and fell in love with the community and the country. She was working in an upscale hotel up the hill and shared her warm feelings about Turkey. The following morning she helped me plot out the next adventure -- a ferry ride to a Greek Island. That I will share in the next post.
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