Before I get into that though, let me talk a bit about Istanbul's metro/tram network. It's horrible. Well, that's not fair. I mean at least they have a network, right?!
Inconvenient may be a better expression. Because the various line are not really interconnected. That is, you have to get out of the station and take a walk (sometimes a hike) to transfer lines. Of course, you are charged for each ride.
Back to my original story – to get to the autobus terminal, I needed to make a transfer. I got off at the stop and looked for the next train...nowhere in sight! The streets were totally crowded and I had no clue which direction to head. Thank goodness 2 girls offered to take me there. And carried my luggage too. The kindness of strangers : )
Turkish buses are awesome! At least this one was, with a steward on board to serve snacks (mostly cakes) and drinks. The seats were quite comfy, too. Slept like a baby.
(But I have to admit that my luck on buses kept going downhill from this day on...)
Arriving early in the morning, I headed straight to a guest house. Since I was using a Japanese guidebook for Turkey (the Lonely Planet Middle East being utterly useless), most of the guests there turned out to be Japanese. Including one guy who was actually on the same bus from Istanbul.
I agreed to stay at this place only if they were willing to drive me up to the Ephesus ruins. I don't mind walking 2km downhill in hot weather, but uphill is another story. And I didn't want to haggle with a Turkish cab driver.
They said they'd take me in the morning. After dropping off my bags and having some sweet Turkish tea (complimentary drink), we headed out. The other guy who just arrived joined me for the free ride. He ended up being my new travel companion : ) We were both traveling in the same general directions for the next few days.
What amazed me most about Ephesus was the crowd. OMG, there were so many people!!! Look at this!
Where did they all come from?! The town (Selcuk) seemed pretty dead, so they couldn't be staying there. But since Royal Caribbean logos appeared everywhere, I assume they were on a day outing from their cruises.
Ephesus is pretty large, especially if you take in the smaller ruins on the outskirts.
My two favorites:
- Library. Fascinating, just as in the pictures. The facade can't be described in words alone. Of course, this is the highlight of the whole complex.
- Toilets. Must've been cold in the winter to have to sit on stone toilets. No privacy either.
They have a nice theater as well, but theaters all look the same to me – circular rows of seats. Not very interesting.
Since we came to Selcuk just for Ephesus, we decided to walk around the entire complex. Underneath the HOT, BLAZING sun, might I add. Nothing particularly noteworthy to be seen that far out, except old churches that you have a hard time telling were in fact churches. And old men trying to sell you "Babylonian"coins. There were also some heaps of ruins that wouldn't let us in, claiming that they closed at noon. Right...I think they just wanted some money.
Back in town, we picked up some lunch (cheese-filled pancakes) and went to whatever sights it had to offer. Like the museum and some mosques with beautiful, mis-matched carpets all over the floor.
Back at the guest house, we met up with some of the other Japanese guests and decided to have a dinner of kebabs at the roof top. With some drinks, of course : )
Great sky:
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