Josh joined us in Izmir - hi brother!
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| He made it!! |
I don't remember much about Izmir except that there was tons of traffic and I couldn't wait to get out of there. It was such a big city and modern and bustling that it was strange to transition so quickly from the tranquility of Cappadocia into that stress and chaos. Add onto those feelings the fact that our rental car was a bit (okay, WAY) too small for 5 adults with suitcases. However, nothing larger was available, so...we made do. (see hilarious photo of our awesome ride below).
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| We are crazy! |
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| All of us! Next time we will all pack smaller suitcases and rent a bigger car :) |
We stayed outside of Izmir in Selcuk, near Ephesus. We really enjoyed Ephesus. The guide was moving us on through the city and I was frustrated, but I finally understood why he was doing it when I realized the ruins of the city just keep going and going. There were a lot of people, but somehow, it still felt like untouched ruins: maybe because there wasn't much, if any, scaffolding...I'm not sure. We explored the Terrace Houses as well and marveled at the luxury of wealthy Ephesians as evidenced by large homes with beautiful and intricate mosaics covering every square inch of them. The star of the city is the Ephesus Library which somehow has managed to stay standing. The Ephesians were smart too, and even created an air conditioning system of sorts with a double outer wall with cooling chamber in between to help circulate air and keep the library cool. As usual, Red and I managed to get a little off the beaten path at the end of the tour and got to stand among the overgrown ruins of the not yet restored gymnasium. We saw the stadium where it is believed that Paul preached. I read Ephesus while we were in Turkey and as it was the first time I have been in a Biblical place (other than Cappadocia), I found it to be so interesting and helpful.
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| On the rooftop terrace at our hotel |
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| Red as he was about to enter the House of Mary. It is believed that John brought Mary here to care for her. |
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| Josh and Red (with a ridiculous face, naturally) |
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| This sign was too funny...I guess she really has to go! |
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| This sign pretty much sums up most of the souvenirs we saw for sale in Turkey... |
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| Pretending to be like Samson |
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| Theatre |
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| Ornate Capitals |
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| We are statues...Red just didn't get the memo about the correct pose :) |
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| The main road through Ephesus...it led all the way to the port in ancient times before the port became silted in. |
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| Red |
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| The Ephesians had marble bathrooms |
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| In the Terrace House exhibit |
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| This is a mosaic that has been restored |
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| Pretty fancy houses if you ask me... |
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| I liked the pattern of this mosaic. |
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| Such a cool place |
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| The Library |
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| This is the double wall air conditioning system I mentioned. |
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| What a nice statue! |
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| Those were some tall walls! |
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| Red and I |
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| Warrior |
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| Josh is tough! |
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| Three tough guys! |
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| Exploring around the old gymnasium complex |
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| Always climbing on something... |
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| The road seemed to go on forever. |
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| We ended the day at a rug making factory...real Turkish rugs are beautiful but pricey!! |
As you can see, we all really enjoyed our time in Ephesus.
Coming next...Our trip down the coast of Turkey to Fethiye and Kas...
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