Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Turkey 2014 - Day 6

Waking up to a bright, sunny morning we made our way to the main restaurant for breakfast where we were surprised to see many soldiers in uniform from many countries across the globe. Having an opportunity to speak to some of them who were actually very friendly, I was told that they were in Izmir on a mission which is of course confidential. They were all to gather at the Nato base located on the outskirts of Izmir approximately a twenty minute drive.  After breakfast we loaded all our belongings and headed for Kusadasi. Along the way we visited a few historical sites. Driving towards Selcuk, the first site we visited was the house of the virgin Mary. She resided in this house towards the end of her life.  We were not allowed to take pictures inside the home out of respect but what I did notice was a separate room where both nuns and Muslim women prayed side by side. Mary or Mariam has an important significance in both the Christian as well as the Islamic faith. Whilst observing my surroundings I was fascinated with the rock wall that had thousands of wishes stuck to it. The wishes were written on white Kleenex or on white paper. According to locals, you should write your wish on a piece of paper and tie it on the wall. If the wish comes through you need to return and remove the paper. Nearby the wall there is a spring of flowing water emanating from the rocks. Whilst we were told not to drink the water for health safety reasons many of the tourists deemed this water as holy water and drank it in abundance.

After paying our respects at the home of Mother Mary we then moved on to the ancient city of Ephesus, the largest Roman ruin in the world and one of the world’s finest archaeological sites. We explored with great fascination the Odeon, Curetes street, Trajan fountain, the splendid facade of the library of celcius and the amphitheatre which is still being used for concerts. After exploring the site for a good couple of hours in the scorching sun, we enjoyed a delicious home cooked Turkish meal prepared especially for us by a local family. Turkish people love freshly cooked organic food. Turkish women are extremely hardworking overseeing all the home chores whilst the lazy men enjoy a game of Backgammon with a delicious cup of Turkish tea.  I was quite amazed at the fact that many of the shop owners were women and women also took care of the fields and gardens operating lawnmowers and tractors with much ease. After lunch we visited the Basilica of St. John. We were quite surprised to see a bride and groom at the historical site taking out wedding pictures on a week day. After exploring the site under really hot conditions it was quite refreshing to arrive at the Sea Light resort in Kusadasi , just in time for a quick afternoon swim just before sunset. Dinner at the hotel was absolutely delicious. The baked salmon with mash potatoes coupled with an assortment of freshly baked breads made us all indulge in a second helping. After dinner, we took a walk around the resort and discovered a live show for all the guests at the hotel. The show was hilarious where guests were randomly selected to sing or dance or do something funny.  It was loads of fun. We had the opportunity of interacting with people from Russia and Germany who were also on tour. After enjoying a night with lots of laughter, we retired to bed in the early hours of the morning.












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