Europe 2010
The challenges of traveling when you’re older
Part 9
Kusadasi and Ephesus, Turkey
Tom is 70; his partner Greta is 68. They are currently on a 10-day cruise with a stop on the west coast of Turkey (Aegean Sea) at the
port and major holiday resort of Kusadasi, which is the
 stepping off point for the famous ruins of Ephesus, and other
ruins as well, such as Didyma, Priene, and Miletos.
Greta and I cruised on the MS Eurodam, a large, modern cruise ship (commissioned in 2008) owned by the Holland America line. Let me
emphatically say that traveling with a cruise line such as Holland America makes travel for seniors comfortable and easy. It was day 14
of our trip, Sunday, April 24, 2010.
Normally, Greta and I enjoy venturing out on our own to tour a city, opting not to sign up for guided tours. But in the case of
Kusadsi, we decided to take a tour arranged by the ship because the ruins of Ephesus are at least 40 minutes by vehicle away from the
ship. It turned out to be a wise decision.
We were on the tour bus by 9 a.m. Our delightful guide—Sybil--pointed out major historical sites in Kusadasi as we made our way to
the outskirts of the city. She said Kusadasi enjoys sunshine 300 days a year and has many beaches with warm and clear
water.
Our first stop was at the House of the Virgin Mary. Yes, there is a small one-room house near
Ephesus where the mother of Jesus lived for a
 short period of time, which was surprising to learn since Turkey is a Muslim country.
After a quick trip through the house--the authorities insist you move quickly because there are 40 or 50 tour buses in the parking
lot at the same time—you come to a wall where people can post prayers and notes and stick them onto the wall, similar to the Wailing
Wall (Western Wall) in Jerusalem. (message wall)
Then, the bus took us past a modern, bronze statue of Mary to the start of the Ephesus tour, where
you are let off.
Ephesus was originally an ancient Greek city and then a Roman city, on the west coast of modern day Turkey. At one point, it was the
second largest city in the Roman Empire, after Rome, of course. The area was inhabited as far back as 6000 BC. It also was a major
commercial city around 500 BC, but the harbor slowly filled with silt from the Cayster River. With harbor access gone, the city dimished
in importance. It is located in Izmir Province.
Earthquakes and wars have ravaged the area, time and time again. The main part of Ephesus was relocated many times due to these
factors. So many different countries and empires have occupied Ephesus that it’s hard to keep track.
The stroll through the ruins begins at the Roman baths and lasts about an hour and is slightly downhill the
entire way, a benefit to older tourists who have trouble walking uphill. It was getting very hot and there is no shade
from trees. The only shade is in the shadow of some of the taller ruins, columns and pillars. To help keep us cool, we brought bags of
ice from the ship and drank lots of water.
The thing I found most amusing. Most toilets were community toilets, with holes cut out of the marble slabs for people to sit on.
There was no privacy. Royalty would have their servants sit on the marble to warm the seat before the royalty sat down. Can you imagine
the directive? “Julius, go warm my crapper seat!” Tom demonstrated the potty on the marble slab .
 The high point of Ephesus is the Library of Celsus, which still has ruins standing two stories high. Leaving the
library area, you walk down the Avenue of Statues (Ave of statues) and past the Amphitheatre, where concerts are held. The acoustics are
considered to be some of the best in the world. Elton John and Dianna Ross have played here. This photo is a look back at the
.
At the end of the tour, you spill into the parking lot where the tour buses are waiting. But, before getting to the buses, you pass a
multitude of shops where the merchants try to entice you before you pass them by. Our only purchase: gelato for Greta.
When we returned to Kusadasi, the bus makes a stop at a Turkish rug factory where everybody is seated in benches around a showroom.
You are served tea, wine, beer, whatever you want, while the rug demonstration and sales pitch begins. This slick talking Turk who knows
more about America than most of those in attendance explains how the different rugs are made. We, along with a few others in the group,
made our way to the exit before the pitch ended. It was enlightening but we were saving our shopping in Turkey for the Grand Bazaar when
we were to be in Istanbul in another two weeks.
The city of Kusadasi is filled with intriguing shops. You need to know how to “just say no” to these persistent merchants.
Taking the tour from the ship was absolutely the best way to see Ephesus.
To access Tom's ebook, "Italy: 23 Days by Train" follow this link:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9907
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