Efes (Ephesus)

I am seriously not worthy of these places that represent the collective pinnacle of our human achievement. My historical knowledge is sadly lacking and unlike my excellent tour guide, I cannot tell you the difference between a Doric column or the other kind of column that isn't Doric.

But I can tell you this: I know when I'm on sacred ground. Efes is one of the worlds greatest archeological sites because it reveals so much to us about what day to day life was like back in the day.

And some of the details are delicious. Men would sit together in a public washroom, and I kind of regret that I didn't get a picture of myself here while sitting down and reading a copy of the Wall Street Journal.

Two theatres, one Greek, one Roman at opposite ends of town. Never seen that before.

The library is considered to be the jewel in this crown. Who am I to argue?  But I do find it interesting that there was a brothel across the street, and that the two were connected by a secret tunnel. Nearby was the market, so the game went something like this.

"Honey, you go shop, I'll go to the man only library and we'll meet back here in a couple of hours. Meanwhile Homer is slithering through the secret tunnel to the brothel. More proof that everything has changed, and nothing much has changed.

As I stroll through the ruins, I feel compelled to touch things, as if ancient experiences will be transferred to me through a tactile connection to the ruins. No such luck, but one can easily imagine what life was like here.

And the thing that strikes me the most is that life in ancient Efes was not nearly as different from our own as I thought it was. The photo below  is believed to be the worlds first sex ad, indicating the brothel up the road,

We can cling to our Facebook. our IPods, discuss with the greatest vehemence the political trifles of the moment, the news clippings of the day, or whatever else it might be that we allow to define us, but the fact is that when the dust of human history is laid out before you, it puts things in a proper perspective.

(memo to self: I owe The Siren a drink)

http://www.goyestoeverything.com

Little Big Move

As I head to the terrace for my last breakfast in Istanbul I feel confident. Istanbul may be my arrival and departure point, but my plan involves more exotic locales and this is my first "big move" in the larger picture. A bus to Izmir, a minibus  to Selcuk and on to the magnificence of Efes (Ephesus).

I know it sounds daunting, but being the brilliant traveler that I am, I shrewdly booked the trip the previous day. It was here that I learned an important caveat about travel: many times it is the little move that can mess you up .

I had wisely booked a ticket to Izmir and a ticket to get me to the place where I would make a bus connection to Izmir, the Istanbul Autogar.  I knew that the Autogar (bus station) was a good distance from my quarters in Sultanmet. As I buy the ticket I am  informed with gravity that I must be here at 3pm, so that I may catch  the minibus that will take me to the 4:30 pm bus to Izmir.


Perfect. Being the cautious person I am, I show up at the cafe next door at 2:30 pm. By 2:50 I am parked luggage and all in front of the travel agent. At 3:05  I poke my head into the Travel Agents office. I am immediately  told "don't, worry he will be here". They are having lunch, and not only do I feel bad for interrupting, I note a pang of hunger as I inhale some of their delicious gnosh.

The delicious scent of their lunch sets off my peckish alarm. I remind myself that I need to grab a donair/shawarma/gyros before getting on the bus to Izmir. After all, I still have time to spare and the street food here is cheap, fresh,  ubiquitous, and delicious.

Around 3:30  I make another inquiry. Still nothing. The information I have is  that the next bus to Izmir is 12 hours later, not an appealing option. Tic toc.At 3:45 I have convinced myself that there is a serious possibility that I might not make this bus. I open up my guide book and begin considering options. Tic toc , 3:50 pm. By now I'm angry and hungry and I'm pretty sure that the odds of making this bus are pretty small.

Finally a minivan rolls up at 3:55.. By now, I've given up all hope and I'm pissed off, I hurl my luggage into the minivan. I spend the rest of my ride wondering if my stupid bravado has destroyed my beloved laptop, which is unfortunate because the ride is awesome, a weird combination of a French Connection car chase in a minivan and a wonderful tour through the real heart of Istanbul..

I begin to feel bad because I can see that the driver is doing everything he can to get me across Istanbul. I end up feeling worse because I know that I didn't buy travel insurance and I am now on a deathride to the autogar.

Astonishingly, we make it in one piece to the autogar.  It is 4:38pm. Even more astonishingly my bus to Izmir awaits.

I throw my luggage in the hold (more gently this time) and off we go with seconds to spare.

While I'm grateful that I made this bus, I lament the fact that my donair plan has gone astray.

Nonetheless, I tell my growling stomach to shut up and enjoy as we make our way out of Istanbul.

A few moments later I notice a refreshment cart being wheeled down the aisle, like an oasis on a bus. Complimentary snacks on a bus??? I tuck into some biscuits and coke for dinner as I brace for the road ahead.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

 I once read a great post at http://travelswithtavel.com/   that compared traveling with falling in love.

But I would say that travel is more like dating, sometimes you want to get it over early, sometimes a one night stand is enough and sometimes you wish you could be together forever, and when you realize that you can't the goodbye becomes tearful.

Of course when traveling, there is always another "date" around the corner.

Thusly it was that when I left Istanbul it felt like a tearful breakup. The people and the city have a certain elegance, at once humble and dignified, towering and welcoming. The overwhelming sense of hospitality I have found here is both familiar and flawless.

"My Mom would like this place",  I think to myself as I mutter my goodbyes.

Tomorrow I jump on a bus for the long ride to Izmir, where I will transfer to a bus to Selcuk. From there I will go to Efes (Ephesus). Mostly I blame The Siren for this arduous sojourn. She gave me a book for my birthday that chronicled The Best Places To Travel On Earth.

So off I go in search of The Ruins Of Ephesus and Merrymana . (The Virgin Mary's House)

Apparently, my next "date" is going to be hot, and if she isn't it is all Brewers fault.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com