Driving the Turkish Highway
Trip Start
Jan 06, 2006
1
5
120
Trip End
Sep 02, 2008
Kusadasi,
Turkey
Sunday, January 22, 2006
No, I am not making a political statement. The day after visiting Pamukkale and Hierapolis, I was dissappointed to not visit a site called Aphrodesias. The particular disadvantage of travelling in the low season is that one cannot rely on guided tours to visit out-of-the-way ruins. Apparently, I was the only person in Pamukkale who wanted to see Aphrodesias. I cannae say I was too surprised because I think I saw all the other ındependent tourists who stayed there overnight. There were a few Koreans and that was about it. So without visiting the site, I left west for Kusadasi and the Agean coast. Sometimes one misses things. Such is life.
However, I resolved to not miss more than I had to. In the neighbourhood of Kusadasi are a number of ancient Hellenic (Greek) cities-in-ruins. The first thing I did in Kusadasi was attempt to find a tour that was visiting these sites. I asked at my hotel and they said there were no tours. I visited four different travel agencies. The best that one of them did was offer me a tour late next week. I called around and found one which would have cost 80 Lira (72 CDN). I felt that this was unreasonable. So it was looking rather discouraging. Missing one site is one thing. But if I miss everything I may as well go home.
What I did find was the option of renting a car and visiting these sites myself. The little economist in my head started calculating the various options and contrasting them and the opportunity cost of staying extra days or even returning to Kusadasi after visiting other cities to take the tour later next week...
I found a local restaurant earlier that afternoon which had great food and unusually excellent value. Adana kebap (spicy meat), pita, salad and Ayran (milk like liquid) all for 5.00 Lira (4.50 CDN). Just my luck then when I met two Torontonians who just arrived at the excellent Liman (Harbour) hotel and who were hungry. Enter Ryan and Charles. We went back to the above establishment and ate, and then on the advice of a certain Mr. Happy (for real - his name is Hassan), we went to the marina bar where I proceeded to fall off of my Trolley. There was even a musician at the bar who sang all North American rock tunes for a few hours. Such talent over here.
Beneath the din of the music I learned much information: Charles and particularly Ryan are very knowledgable in the ways of the Turk. They're English teachers in Karaköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul. Ryan has been in this country for 3 years and speaks fluent Turkish. I was amused (and I'm sure he was too) to see the discussion between the hotel owner and the desk clerk who were discussing (in Turkish) whether or not to give the boys a discount on their room, when Ryan could understand it all. I wish I was in that position. Alas my Turkish is still weak, although I have learned the rudiments of hello (merhaba) and thank you (teehshekooredrine). Next week on the curriculum is to learn the word for goodbye(don't know it yet). In any case I was aiming for an early start the next day (not to happen) so I was compelled to leave the bar in the wee hours of the morning and miss the rest of the action.
I woke up around ten - and usually this isn't something I would bother writing here - but it was a special occurance because I writhed around in bed for half an hour trying to decide whether or not to rent the car to see the three ruined Greek cities. "It costs a lot" battled it out against "I want to see it." Eventually the later won. What am I doing here, anyway? - I asked myself, and decided to go.
I had a car by 11.30 and then it was off to Pirene. Man if I thought gas was expensive before now I KNOW it. Buying the gas actually cost just about as much as renting the car (the difference was less than the cost of a big mac).
The roads here are really empty. I wrote about renting the moped a few days ago and I forgot to mention that for most of the way to Sirinçe and back I was the ONLY one on the road. In a particular 7 km strech of road I passed and was passed by only 4 cars - there and back. It was similar driving to Pirene. The roads were nearly empty - but not so much as on the way to Sirinçe. Let me say that 7 cars waiting at a light* would constitute a lot of traffic. Likewise going through cities on the way. I would say that the cost of gas is probably very responsible for this fact. Likewise gas conserving mopeds & motorbikes are popular.
In the cities it was the same; I passed through Söke. The streets were empty (of cars) so I didn't have to stop much. I was driving a Fiat Pilo (standard, with so little foot space that I couldn't really break and put the clutch all the way down; okay when you don't have to stop; although otherwise...). There were tons of pedestrians on the roads but one doesn't stop for them in Turkey. If a car did, it would never go anywhere; motorvehicles have the right of way. Oh yes, try and define J-Walking to a Turk and he will never ever understand you. To him that's just crossing the street. I am going to be buggered when I get home if I get used to this!
The signage on the highways requires patience and faith. Turkey is not one of those countries where road signs hold a driver's hand and repeat the same information every three kilometers. There will be one sign saying "Pirene" and there won't be another until a major crossroads 15 kilometers along. A driver has to be patient and hope that no signs are missing on any of the dozens of little exits along the route.
Pirene is one of those interesting sites which doesn't offer any great photographic opportunities because there are pine trees growing everywhere and too close together to get much perspective on what sort of buildings were there. I shared the site only with a goatheard and his three score goats. Alexander the Great lived at this city in his campaign against a neighbouring city state. Afterwards his home was converted into a temple which has now become a place for goats to feed.
To get to Milletus, the next site, I drove 20 km across a plain of cultivated fields which, 2000 years ago, was an ocean inlet. It's amazing how often these ancient cities were abandoned because their harbours dried up; Troy, Ephesus, Pergamon, and now Milletus. There were once 4 harbours around the city. Now there are pastures. An ironic little monument in the middle of a pond by one such pasture is to celebrate the victory of Milo (or some approximation - don't quote my historical information when I give names, I almost certainly forget them and imagine an approximation like Milo) over a bunch of Pirates. Ships used to sail next to this monument. Most ironic about Milletus is that there is actually a bit of water still there - only it covers what once was the road!
Milletus is also famous for its theatre. Rightly so because it is huge, it contains many of the original seats, but what I found the most fascinating was the fact that many of the arches behind it and the passageways below the seats (just like in a modern theatre - if the seats are exposed to the movie screen, then these passages are like the throughways below where you buy popcorn & drinks). I stood in one of these for a few minutes amazed that the virtually underground passages were still in decent shape. They are really large and made of gigantic stones, so when they are piled up like they are they don't tend to go anywhere. Still, an amazing feeling to be in one of these passages.
Further South I found Didyma, where the largest bit of an ancient temple remains. The city once boasted the 3rd largest temple in antiquity. Now it boasts the most complete one. Didyma was not close to any large medieval settlements which would have pillaged her stones. Consequently when it was first rediscovered in the modern age by Europeans, it was only covered with plant matter and two 30 meter columns were still standing (and still were until yesterday). They will probably be there for a while yet. They were the widest columns I have seen; the diameter is 6 feet. Lots of the bottom pieces of the columns along the front of the building (the size of a hockey rink) were still at least 4 meters tall, if not more. Much of the carvings on the bottom are still in excellent condition.
Inside the building was a tour guide explaining the signifigance of the temple (I should say it was dedicated to Apollo) to sixty Turkish highschoolers. Many were dilligently taking notes on what once were ceremonial steps. I took a seat in the shade and ate some doritos (turkish flavoured - tomato and tea and some sort of pepper!). I suppose the long dead believers in Apollo would be saddened to see the sacred place defiled by the visitation of so many unbelievers (I don't know the cult of Apollo's ritual well - Inform me if you know) but I believe that the inner sanctum was reserved for rites and holy such things but not the casual consumption of potato chips. I do wonder about the ritual consumption of potato chips though...
Getting short on time I got back on the highway to Kusadasi. I had about 80 km to cover in an hour but it was not all highway the entire way. Which reminded me that I didn't know and actually still don't know the speed limit (not posted) on Turkish highways. I didn't get a speeding ticket. That's just about all that matters anyway! After all renting a car was worth it.
* The lights are strange here. Most of the time there is nothing lit up. This means drive along. The lights only come on if you are to stop (amber and then red) or to start (amber then green then off). I guess the government saves electricity this way.
