Waiting in the reception, it was all the night staff whom I have never met. I gave my room key in and sat down and waited, and waited, and waited. Eventually the younger man asked if we were waiting for someone else, I looked at him and shrugged saying not from my side. He looked at a guy sitting at the computer and said to me, well your driver is waiting. He had been there the whole time! They had thought it was a party of two and I thought the driver was just late.
In a flash, I got spat out at the aeroport just after 6am. I found the airline check-in counter and got my boarding pass. In no time I was sitting on a comfortable plane heading to a place called Izmir.
Leaving Istanbul, the weather was grim, raining and about 5degrees. Arriving in Izmir the weather was sunny and warm. Having no luggage, it was a quick and easy escape. A man was standing outside waiting for me and we walked to the car park to the car. I was disappointed as I was the only one and his information that he parted with was, this is the airport, this is the carpark and over there is the airport. The hour long trip went by quickly as we moved into farming land. My driver informed me that Izmir exports to China, US and Canada with most of the fruit and to Europe with all of the vegetables. For the next 200km, it was peach and oranges and for 900km it was olive country. The countryside was lush with rolling mountains as a back drop in all directions.
We followed signs for Efes or Ephesus as we curved wide roads. In all my visits I had sampled a beer called Efes and thought nothing of it! At close on nine I was dropped off at a travel agency where the reception area was full with travellers. I was relieved as I waved the driver farewell.
Our first stop, we visited the house of Virgin Mary. It was tucked away on a steep hill. Two Popes have visited here, one on 26th July, a significant date as this is when the house was discovered. The house was discovered by a German lady who went around all the hills eliminating the areas as she searched for her house as they were described in her writings.
The house was tiny, simple and completely at peace with its surroundings. It had three rooms and the lay out reminded me off a church. Outside there was a large baptism bath dug into the ground with a back drop of arches.
An Italian Father patiently chatted to two Chinese girls. You could light a candle in the garden while saying a prayer or drink from the sweet mountain spring. An entire wall was covered in bits of paper, similar to the cross along the Camino, this was a wishing wall! People left their wishes next to the sacred house.
Our next stop, the ancient Roman ruins, I battled to come up with a word describing it! Magnificent, mind blowing, amazing, awe-inspiring all don't seem to do it justice. We got dropped off at one spot and walked through the city, we got to see the grand theatre where gladiators roamed fighting terrible beasts or so our tour guide stated. We saw the Goddess Nike, goddess of victory. She was next to her was an old fig tree or Turkish Viagra. The library in all its glory was breath taking. The Roman toilets were fun and interesting as our tour guide or door guide as Anja thought I said, suggested that you should always rush to the first toilet as they didn't have toilet paper, just a constant stream of water to clean yourself. The water flowed in front of all the toilets.
Walking down the marbled streets was just gorgeous, the blue skies and sun shimmering off the roads. Surrounded by sky scraper pillars reaching to the heavens. Apparently 80% of the city still remains buried and preserved. I was amazed we could weave through the buildings, touching the ancient carved walls and pillars.
We spent two hours walking the historic pathways admiring the carvings, touching the sides of two arch ways and making a wish as this was the wishing arch. I looked Medusa in the eye again but seem to have survived!
Our lunch was an all you could eat Turkish buffet. I sampled the long paprika type vegetable, ate a semolina type pudding and thought of tasting Raki- a Turkish liquor.
After lunch we seemed to be kidnapped as we were dropped off at a leather maker, we were entertained with a fashion show with three shop assistances putting on a show, twirls, quick changes along the cat ramp. Myself and a South Korean escaped at the first opportunity but it was interesting as we could not find an exit in the main shop.
Our next stop was the oldest aqueduct in Turkey. We pulled to the side of the road and peered over the side of down into a steep valley. Down at the bottom was a few arches intact where you could get a clear view where the water would have gushed along the top.
After that we stopped in at a Turkish potter where they showed us from start to finish how they made turkish tiles, bowls and other nick nacks.
Our final stop was at one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. The Artemission Temple. Dogs and geese used this as their playground. The site only had rocks scattered around with two examples of the 12th and 17th pillars. An Englishman who built the railways in the 19th century discovered the site and took the majority of the rocks back to England where they are now on display. Our tour guide shared a cute nickname of the site, when he was growing up the area was filled with water and it was their back yard, the kids used to clamber on the ancient carved stones, swim in it but they referred to it as the English Lake because. all of the relics lived in England.
Our day had ended, I had seen so much more than I had expected- including a live fashion show. I was dropped off at the travel agency where a bus was waiting to take me back to the airport.
Heading back, we drove past a look out castle from the Ottoman empire, 1300 years ago. Perfectly situated on the crest of a hill with valleys surrounding three sides. It seems where ever you gaze in Turkey, the history just shouts back at you!
I got back to the hotel and knocked on Anja's door. We strolled up to have our last Chai tea under the Blue Mosque surrounded by apple hubbly bubbly fumes. Her airport transfer left at 02:40 in the morning.
On my final return to the hotel, I thanked the dear Suat down in the reception who has just been so wonderful! I packed my bags and am now ready for chapter two of my adventure. Next stop France!
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