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.
