Hotel Tatlises Kusadasi

... and are clearly marked in English.

You can even pay for things in Euro (however, the price is significantly hiked for those travelers).

What is NOT touristy about this? I have to wonder what the travelers who are looking for 'touristy' places are really looking for?

Tried to get away from some of the hype by going to the local bazaar. Wandering among the 100's of stalls selling a plethora of fruits and vegetables ...

... very nice.
As we drove back to the ship, many dozed as it had been a long day in the sun. The driver did something I'd never seen. He took a freeway exit and said yikes! There was too much traffic for him at this exit. And even though we were halfway down, he threw the bus in reverse and backed onto the freeway! It was terrifying, but no accidents. Whew!
So we loved Turkey and it's people. This would be a place to return to for sure.
Tomorrow, a sea day.

... Istanbul. I boarded the overnight bus, departing in the late
afternoon and arriving at three am. This would allow me plenty of time to make my seven flight to Tel-Aviv. About two hours into my bus ride the traffic slowed to a halt on the highway, as the rain and wind picked up. After sitting still for 20 minutes and an announcement that I
didn't understand, we started crawling at a snails pace for hours. Around midnight I ...

... etc. The Caravanserai was paid for by the government to help protect people through their journeys.

We were surrounded by Gypsy children on the way in, not as aggressive as in Rome but just as scraggly and sad. I tend to give money to people on the streets but not to Gypsies.

Across the way from the Caravanserai was yet another monument to Ataturk and a fantastic tourist trap/gift store. It actually had cute, original stuff.

P.S. Rumi is also the ...

... place to place has changed my views on "seeing the world"... it is more than just that... "seeing" that is... it has to be... for we are not so shallow of a species as to spend thousands of dollars, many long hours of travel to arrive at a site that we quickly take in as we follow a tour guide waving a numbered placard in the air, so as not to lose any of their temporary followers... keenly listening to the facts, details and stories of the people that ...

Danie We were barely able to sleep last night after we got back so late to the hotel. There was music blaring out until 3 AM and no one else seemed to mind. The owner of the hotel ýs Australian and wanted to show off his american talents hence the loud music and partying all night. We wake up with '50 cents' in our heads and take a shower and run to our bus. We leave with another two couples and go to Ephesus. This ...

... we could see the full moon and it was massive on the horizon! So I stared at that hypnotically trying to evade the ever encroaching madness that was seeping into us from the annoying crazying freaky trying people we were stuck in a bus with!! S: We arrived in Irmir, found a shuttle bus that after some negotiating and the columbian girl getting her friend on the phone to speak turkish to them, decided to take us to Selcuk. where we were ...

... the local archeological museum. It was filled with items found in the ruins of Ephesus. Lots of statuary, including the one I sent you a picture of yesterday. In case you haven't guessed, I'm pretty much a day behind in these letters. We took pictures, admired the finds and relaxed in the courtyard with a cool beverage before we once again headed out. I found it interesting that they didn't say something if someone touched some of the statuary, and even ...

... So far, houses have been uncovered there. Ephesus has been rebuilt four times because of the silt river. The city would become too swampy or malaria would break out, causing the citizens to leave and build again. In the ancient days, the sea came all the way up to the city, now because of the silt it is much farther away. Though this is a Greek city, the ruins are more Roman because of the Roman occupation and influence on the city. Where the ruins ...

... for more wine, while avoiding the back deck, where Freddie is getting drunker and drunker, ( catching up with the rest of us, I presume. ) We send Troy on scouting trips for cigarettes, which apparently only Ahmed has, and he reports on Freddie's whereabouts and demeanor , i.e," he's trashed.". ( This is perfect for Troy: he's seventeen! The rest of us are behaving like fools. ) Ruby and _____ decide to take off for a test drive in Ahmed's new Jaguar ( which will lose a side ...