Now we are in Turkey, and what a place it is. The Greek island of Samos is only 2 km from Turkey, and though the cultures are very similar, the Greeks and Turks are really very different. In our few days here in Selcuk we have encountered amazingly kind and generous people. Everyone is so helpful here, and they really love to host tourists in their shops and homes. In Greece the people were more indifferent to our presence. We never had a bad experience in Greece, but so far the people in Turkey have really surpassed the Greeks in hospitality.
We arrived in Kusadasi on the 9th by ferry. Our 200 seat ferry, carrying no more than twenty passengers, pulled into the port next to an American navy ship and a Celebrity cruise ship - those things are HUGE! A tour guide with a van picked us up once we had gotten our visas and then drove us to the Nilya hotel in Selcuk just 30 minutes North of the busy resort town.
The Nilya hotel is quaint and simply adorable. The courtyard looks as if it has always been here. There are lanterns hanging from the trees, cats prowling around corners, and birds nesting in the hall. I love all the fun nick-knacks around the building and the view that is perfect at sunset.
On our first full day in Selcuk we were picked up again by our tour guide and taken in a van to Effesus, the ancient city where it is believed Mary fled after the Crucifixion of Jesus. Mary's house is a reconstruction that is not very impressive. There is a spring that runs beneath the house and empties into three fountains - health, wealth, and happiness. Past the special water is a wishing wall of lovely napkins and tissues - I thought it was a cute idea until my dad mentioned how attractive the wall must look after a good rain.
July 1, 2010 - Now we're back in the states and I'm finally getting around to catching up on my blogging. I'm sorry it took so long!
After our quick trip to Mary's house, our tour guide, a young and particularly charming man from Kusadasi, took us to see all the other sights in the area. We got to see Pagan temples and the beautiful city of Effesus. If you love ruins and libraries, then Effesus is the place for you. Walking down the crumbling main road of the city, you can see a jaw-dropping two-story facade at the end of the road. With columns and statues on both levels, the building was once the library for the city. Walking through it you can just picture all the scrolls that were once housed there. Of course we had to take another picture with the Noe Valley Voice in front of the library that rivals our local athenaeum.
No Turkish tour is complete without a visit to a manufacturer or two, or three! The Turks are known for their beautiful hand woven rugs of wool, cotton, and silk, each unique to its region and maker. On this day we did not purchase a Turkish rug. However, my mom was particularly interested in the rugs but only decided against buying one when my dad reminded her we were broke! Certainly if you can't afford a rug Turkey will provide you with hundreds of other choices. Next stop, a leather store! No one on our tour knew what were getting ourselves into when we agreed to stop at a leather manufacturer's outlet. The room that we were led into had about forty chairs all surrounding a long and intimidating runway. Being the shy and nervous kid that I am, I never took out my camera during this entire experience, and I regret that so much! The loud techno music came on and soon after the beautiful Turkish models came down the runway in leather coats, each more beautiful than the next. At the end of the show three of the models came off the runway to pull three of us up! I said that I am shy, but ten years ago that would have been a serious understatement. A particularly handsome model grabbed my hand and took me backstage where he put me in a nice beige jacket and then led me back onto the runway. I actually posed on my way out! There is no way I was thinking clearly. I'm going to blame it on the Turkish dust. After admiring the leather goods inside and the peacocks outside, we were on our way to the pottery maker. My mom and I once took a pottery class at the Randall Museum so I know how difficult it is to spin clay, but what really impressed me was all the free-handed painting they did on the finished pottery. The store we went to had thousands of pieces on display, each one unique, and each hand-painted. I have decided that if I ever had more money to my name, I will return to Turkey and buy everything I think is beautiful. Of course, that will leave the Turks with nothing for themselves.
The place where we found the most beautiful things was on a street corner in Selcuk at the 24hr souvenir shop of Ali. We went in just to look at his hand-painted tiles, but we left with a friend. Though we're nearly certain he lied to us about being Christian, we found Ali to be a smart business man and a helpful local. He directed us to nearby restaurant with tandoor lamb (slow-cooked lamb that must be ordered one day in advance). We ate there two nights in a row. On our second night we stopped at Ali's shop to thank him for his help. I got drawn in by the beautiful boots and belts he had on display. He discounted the belt for me, but not before taking a humiliating picture that summarizes Ali and the Turkish people perfectly.
The one thing better than Ali in Selcuk was the invasion of storks nesting in the city on their way back from Africa. There were storks everywhere - on minarets, ruins, and light poles. The baby-delivering birds were graceful as they flew over us to feed their babies. The best moment was when we were wandering around before dinner and we discovered a plaza where men were haggling for fresh fish and ten or twelve storks sat watching in their nests on top of a row of ancient arches. Our Turkish adventure didn't end there - on to Istanbul!
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