Selcuk, Turkey Day 2

Selcuk, Turkey Day 2

This has been a very interesting day. There were sights to see, friends to make, and food to munch. It started out with an early run to the top of the nearby mountain. It was a short run about 45 min, but it took me to a viewpoint that overlooked Selcuk and the sea to the west. I was on a single track hunt, but came up only with bulldozer trails that went straight up the mountain. Never before had I seen such trail work. It caught me a little off guard not having dedicated swithbacks and forest road. This was nothing you could take a car up at all. It still made for a little fun.

After cleaning up, we all met for breakfast in the courtyard at the hostel. There was a large spread of choices which were concocted in the kitchen below with a wonderful attention to detail. Most of us went for the Turkish menemen. It's an egg, pepper, and tomato dish with buttered bread. With a coffee, it really hit the spot. Breakfast is the time to make new friends, discuss trip reports, and say goodbyes. Goodbyes are usually quick and mostly with nothing else involved. You probably will never see that person again ever which makes this a little different. The last evening might have been spent discussing world politics, or their take on Dumb and Dumber. Others, you might exchange emails for hopes of meeting again or to share pictures. The hostel crew thus far has been easy to talk to, and most have been able to speak English. Many are from Canada, but recently we have met a Kiwi, and some Aussies. Very nice people.

The evening pool matches have been a blast. The table is outdoors and overlooks the mountains to the west and the road below. The pool sharks around here are Atilla (the owner) and Carlos (his right hand man, actually lefty). I guess when you have a table at your disposal, you might have some moves. The game of the evenings has been "killer pool". Everyone starts with 3 points and gets one turn to sink a ball after the break. You sink it, you keep your points. You miss, you lose a point. Sink the 8 ball, you get an extra point. 2 balls in in one shot, extra point. It was fun with a dozen or so people and the two masters coming in and cleaning up house. We might have to bring this game back in future hostels on the trip. Oh yeah, we play for money. One Turkish Lira to get in the game. Little less than a US dollar. Good stuff.

Let me tell you a little about our host Atilla. This friendly, gracious host, made us all feel welcome is his traveler's getaway. He is ethnically Turkish but raised in Australia in his younger years. This really makes for an interesting person. He looks Turkish and speaks English with an Australian accent. After many conversations with him, I was able to develop a high respect for a real self made man. He did some work selling carpets in town and had the idea to set up his parent's house as a hostel like getaway. There have been many improvements and additions to the area and grounds. He also has ideas and plans to expand a bit and make things a little more lavish and comfortable. We had a little discussion about business decisions and situations that he has dealt with in the years. He seems to be a man that holds true to his beliefs with good morals and business sense. People in the city area are pleased to do business with him and have treated him well in return. This was a charismatic fellow that has a demeanor that makes you truly wish you met more people like that on this planet. I wish him the best of luck with the business and hopefully many more will experience the hospitality of the man of Selcuk, Atilla. Oh yeah, Carlos isn't that bad either. hahaha

The walk over to Ephesus was well worth the trip. We decided to save 10 Lira each and just walk the few kilometers up the road to get there. The walk also gave us a taste of the countryside and without much of a road shoulder was difficult at times. There were passing busses and taxis from town and many honked to see if we needed a ride. Much of what we saw was orchards full of apricots and peaches. Sometimes there would be a little vendor set up selling the fresh picked fruit. Upon arriving the site, we were bombarded with a few cafes and tourist shops. One of our favorites was the one called "Genuine Fake Watches." The entry to Ephesus was full of people trying to get a take on the wonderful preserved ancient site. After seeing Athens and Delphi, this place was enormous and very intricate. There was a main road decorated with many columns and marble carvings. It seemed to follow the same grade of steepness most of the way. They believe it was used for processions coming into the area. The area that we entered was the rear enterance which gave us a small theater to view. Small only is the term used to compare to the next one that we saw. Coming into the city the day before, we could see a giant theater and we at first believed this was the one that we were climbing around. Just a few steps later we rounded a corner and saw the lasgest theater we have seen thus far. It was giant! They say it could fit about 25,000 and was in pretty good condition. It is in a current state of preservation and is being funded by an Austrian group. There was only a crane and some concrete work going on, but you could still hike around it and through all the passageways. Lots of fun for a relic 2500 years old. The sea was previously higher in the time of Ephesus. You could see where the water might have been, explaining the importance of this port town. After visiting, I really want and need to do more research on the city. Leaving the site left me with more questions than answers. That seems to be what is happening on this trip. I had better get used to it.

Almost forgot a funny conversation with a street vendor exiting Ephesus. We had a backpack and were almost empty of water, but still had enough to get back to the hostel. This guy yells out to us, "Hey, you need a water?". Katherine says, "not right now." He says, "Then when?" Katherine spouts out, "When I finish this one," holding it up to him. He says, "Fine, I will be waiting." That is just a bit of the funny dialogue around here. As I said, you don't really win in a conversation with the street vendors. They have way too much practice and won't back down.