Sunday, October 16, 2011

If you’re not into the ruins of ancient cities, you might want to consider waiting until Tuesday’s post, as today and tomorrow’s entries will both be focused on going back in time.  Before and after breakfast, we spent some time looking at weather forecasts online, as it was cloudy and there was surely rain headed our way.  We were trying to decide whether today or tomorrow would be the better for our trip to Ephesus, but looking at five different weather forecast sites just became increasingly confusing.  As we watched one massive cruise ship after another approach the docks across the street and disgorge their passengers onto scores of buses for their day trip to Ephesus, we decided to wait in the hope that there might one less mega ship in port tomorrow.

So, we set off one a circuit through three ancient cities along the Aegean coast south of our base in Kusadasi.  First up was Pirene, a hilltop city, with Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine ruins.  Most notable was the Temple of Athena, five of whose soaring columns have been re-erected.  The segments of the others, along with their capitals and bases, lay nearby, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle just waiting to be put back together.

Then, it was on to Miletus, where the most impressive structure is the 15,000-seat theater built by the Greeks, rebuilt by the Romans, and later topped with a Byzantine castle.  The castle ramparts afforded a great view over the old city plan and the remaining structures.

We did have some light rain off and on during our visit to Didyma this afternoon, but that did little to dilute our awe at seeing what remains of the Temple of Apollo.  The scale of this structure, which once had 127 columns, was jaw-dropping.  Though only three columns have been reconstructed, their soaring height and enormous mass, along with the massive and beautifully carved bases of other pillars, leave no doubt as to the importance of this place.  Once again, the grounds are full of sections of fallen columns, bases and capitals.  The temple also encompasses an enormous inner room where the oracle handed down prophesies after drinking from a sacred spring.  Didyma was a WOW!

By the time we returned to Kusadasi, the cruise ships were pulling out of port; we’ll see how many arrive tomorrow morning AND whether or not they’ll be greeted by rain!

A few more random notes:

•  As we travelled through a region full of cotton fields today, we saw farmers picking their crop – by hand! 
•  So many times, as we’ve driven or walked through towns, villages, and cities, we’ve noticed groups of men – only men – sitting around talking, playing cards or other games, smoking and drinking Turkish tea at all hours of day or night. I’ll refrain from speculating about what the women are doing, but one does wonder who’s getting the job done!

•  We continue to see more sleeping dogs in Turkey than you could imagine. Must be something in the water.