Turkey, Day 2

 This morning we are in Karacasu, a much less touristy town than Selcuk. The hotel owner spoke a little English and his team spoke none. Thats ok because we are trying to use the local lingo. Mehaba for hello. Teshakeur edereim for thankyou. Leutfen for please. Counting to 50 - tick. And a few others. I managed to ask the waitress if we could have dinner here, and tell the owner we would like breakfast at 8. (that is "dinner here please yes" "breakfast eight" LOL)  Today, we want to use the language better, and especially to say "your welcome - bir sey degil" as they always say it to us, and good morning "gunaydin". Wow, really starting to feel at home. (The cats help, obviously) 

Selcuk mosque

This morning the call to prayer rang out from multiple mosques. I think it was 5am. I guess i should say thank goodness for jet lag, since I was already awake. 

What's left of the Temple of Artemis

Now I am sitting on very turkish looking cushions around a very turkish looking rug with a large pewter (or silver) bowl/plate/table thingy on a balcony looking at the misty town behind a mosque minarette. I can hear a clicking sound which mystified me the other day. I now know its the sound of the crane. It sounds like someone hammering quickly. Quite bizzare.

You may already know we spent most of yesterday at Ephesus. Before that, we had the most awesome breakfast at the hotel. Lots of bread and yoghurt, jam, eggs, fruit, and my first ever try of turkish coffee. I am totally hooked. I usually don't eat much breakfast, but then, I think my body thought it was dinner.  I will have to find out how to make it. I felt a million percent better than the day before. A solid 8 hours sleep made all the difference.

Ephesus was amazing, of course. But how could that the same place that Paul caused a riot with the silver idol makers, (Acts 9) and where the people he wrote to so eloquently of God's grace? I wonder where the Christians lived? It was hard to tell. Now its covered in tourists and looking a bit worse for wear too. We spent quite a few hours wandering around. We absolutely loved it. Its amazing that there used to be a harbour there. Now the sea is much further away. I am not sure that its really hit me yet that that was the actual place, the really same one from the bible. (could that be because we got hassled in the market, and did in fact buy a "real fake rolex" (thats what the sign said- and the man insisted that it was not the type that only lasts three days. Who knew there were different standards of fake rolexes?. Anyway, Mal and I both had no watches, so we needed them, just in case you think we are just total suckers) 

Eating lunch among the ruins

 Nevertheless, its amazing to actually be there. Some of the mosaics are still well preserved. Of course, there were cats. We walked for hours taking in all of the history of the place. Luckily, we are both fit and the weather was nice. And the weeds are poppies, which is unusual to me. 

Finally working out how to take a timed photo, making use of a convenient ruined column. 

After we left there we went and checked out the ruins of a place called the House of Mary. It was a bit weird and perhaps we could have skipped it. Apparently some invalid nun on the other side of the world had a vision of the place, described it exactly and now the pope has verified it was a genuine miracle and they turned it into a shrine. Sorry. I didnt take a photo. Had more Turkish coffee there, though, which was super. Also saw some turkeys. :)

I am going to run out of time soon so I will talk a bit more about Ephesus on another day. Thanks for reading this far. Its really cool to have people who are interested in our little holiday. 

Breakfast in Karacasu

Today we are going to Laodicea, Collosae and Pamakale. The GPS that we paid for with the car is very dodgey. Hope we get to see them all. Sorry about the spelling. I can smell breakfast cooking. 

Later- breakfast is amazing again and way too much to eat. Enough bread for a whole family, cheese, cucumber and tomato, preserved orange, eggs and that amazing coffee again. Yum!!!!!!!! I will have two.

Thanks for reading our blog. Hope you are all well. More next time I have wifi. 

Hannah, Dad thought this might remind you of another holiday

Love to everyone. 

Robyn. 

Eph 3: 20-21  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ruins at Nisa