I get off the minibus at Selcuk, and I take a quiet moment to thank The Siren. The cabbies and touts back off as I sit on a bench. I have a policy when I arrive at a new destination. I sit and wait, and I wait. And as I wait in Selcuk, I realize that this is a very beautiful place.
As I kill time on the bench, a dude approaches, offering hotel accommodation. I let him know that I have already paid for another room at another hotel. He tells me about a girl in Canada that he loves. She lives in Montreal. He wants to move to Canada. I explain that moving to Canada is difficult.
He gives me some wise advice. "If you want to see both Efes and The Virgin Mary House you should book a tour"....."Efes is close, but Meyemana is a long way away". A cabride to Meryemana is more expensive than a tour of both sites, including a free lunch.
I feel that he is honest and correct, so I book a tour for the next day , and it turns out that my instincts are correct.. It is the first time that I have booked a tour before checking into my hotel. I get some directions to the hotel, and lug my belongings through the picturesque streets.
I miss a turn and I'm lost, but I don't really care. Selcuk is beautiful, small and empty. I ask some local kids for directions and they point me in the right direction. I bow my head in gratitude and in return they punch their hearts .I think to myself that Turkey could teach the world a thing or two about the principles of hospitality.
I'm dog tired as I show up at The Ishtar Hotel. Apparently the owner of the joint is in Thailand for the off season. He should consider himself to be a very lucky man, because the hospitality that is bestowed upon me in his absence is beyond reproach.
Yes, I have to wait while my room is prepared, but given that it is low season I don't mind. I'm paying 15 Euros a night to stay in a beautiful place near one of the worlds greatest archeological sites.
The weather is unseasonably warm, touching 20c during the day. I love Selcuk so much that I literally have to drag myself away after extending my stay.
http://www.goyestoeverything.com
