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Part IV

We next traveled up the coast several hours to Selcuk near the ruins of Ephesus and near where we would cross over to Greece. At a bus stop along the way, Trish lost her sunglasses at one of the toilet stops. Toilets are generally a porcelain slab with two foot prints and a hole in between. The glasses went down the hole. Trish spoke a form of English not usually heard at the bus stop.

Here's a picture of a bathroom in ancient Ephesus. Clean spring water ran down the trough in front of the toilet for hand washing, the floors were mosaic and an orchestra played on a stage in the center of the room.

Turkish bathroom technology has gone steadily down hill in the last two millennia.

If you travel and live like the natives, Turkey is extremely cheap. If you want refrigerated food, like to take a taxi, enjoy a shower, like hot water in the morning, or any of the other things we take for granted, it's relatively a lot more expensive. One day, we took a fairly short $9 taxi ride to stay at a $12 hotel.

Instead of taxis, the natives travel within the city or between nearby cities by Dolmus. The "Dolmus" is unique to Turkey - Fortunately. It's a little van with no A/C or any niceties at all. Top speed can't be over 40MPH and at that speed it sounds like it's doing 100MPH.

The Dolmus operates on a set route like a bus, but it's really much worse. This is because they pack as many people as possible on board and often won't leave a stop until the van is completely full. They will also stop along the way to encourage others to hop on. They will then honk at everyone they pass walking in the same direction the Dolmus is traveling in if a seat has become available along the way. You have to picture all of this occurring in well over 100 degree heat to appreciate the full effect.

When you get on the Dolmus, you tell the driver where you're going and the driver tells you how much it's going to cost. You then take your seat and pass your money up to the driver via the people sitting between him and you. He somehow makes change - always with one hand while driving - and passes it back through the crowd. It's a cheap way to get around, but you'd better not be in a hurry.

We saw a McDonald's restaurant in every major city. I once foolishly thought of these as a blight on the local culture. Now I appreciate them for what they are - a source for clean bathrooms where no bathrooms would otherwise exist. Go Ronald!

Ephesus is an enormous ruin that has been built and rebuilt for millennia, beginning as early as 1,500 B.C. The city finally died when the harbor silted up, making trade difficult. The Virgin Mary lived here and the bible speaks of the Ephesians as well. The Basilica of St. John where St. John is buried is also nearby. The historical area is vast and major excavations are still underway.

From here, we're off to the island of Samos in Greece. We'll then island-hop down to Santorini and fly to Athens, where we'll spend a few days before heading home.