The lovely city of Kusadasi is located on the continent of Asia! This was my first visit to the Asian continent and I certainly hope it won't be my last. Although this wasn't the Asia we normally hear about, it felt like a different place, but not in a bad way of course. Our excursion for this port of call was Ephesus. Ephesus is where Paul wrote to the book of Ephesis; he wrote to the people of this ancient Roman city pleading with them to believe in God. My mom and grandma visited Ephesis in November and remembered most of the land marks clearly. We had a private tour guide whom we shared with the same family we explored Istanbul with. However, Ethan didn't cling on to the tour guide, instead he was my buddy for the day. The guide took us through the ancient city, explaining how the people lived and the functions of the ruined buildings we walked through. Compared to other Roman ruins I've seen in Rome and London, these ruins are far better preserved and much more spectacular. It's amazing how the Romans maintained a consistent style throughout the Roman empire. There was even a Roman theater almost completely in tact and still used currently for select orchestras and singers. It was interesting seeing an actual Roman theater, when I've learned about them in my theater class. Even far more spectacular were the terrace suites.
The terrace suites are located off the main road going through the city. Although it costs an extra few dollars to enter, you witness the excavation of the site. The terrace suites were where the upper crest of Ephesus lived. It is absolutely amazing how well preserved the site is. Most of the mosaics are still in tact if not being restored to their original state. Pots and other artifacts were also recovered from the site. Honestly, I may have enjoyed the terrace suites more than the rest of Ephesus because it was easy and clear to see how the elite lived thousands of years ago. Being able to relate somehow to people who lived centuries before makes the ruins come to life. If you ever visit Ephesus in the sun, I highly recommend wearing lots of sun screen and keeping your shoulders and head covered. The marble and sun combined don't make for a comfortable day. The kids in the other family found the heat unbearable. Since I'm from California, it felt like home.
The city of Kusadasi is surprisingly a clean and safe city. The shopping is awesome because the dollar has a greater value than Turkish Lire. The only problem is you're swarmed with sales men wanting you to come into their store and buy, buy, buy. Bargaining down is pretty easy, but you may not always get the price you really want. I bought a fake, genuine purse outside of the gates of Ephesus. Sounds like an oxymoron to me. Actually, you can pay in TL, dollars or euros. They essentially except any currency they can get their hands on. Another place that is popular to visit is Mary's house. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to see this monumental site, but our dinner-mates did. According to the story he told, a nun dreamed about a house where the Virgin Mary died. But she didn't know where this house was or if it even existed. A man wrote and published her description and the hunt was on. And it has been claimed to be Mary's house indeed. I guess we'll just have to visit next time.
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