Greecy Turkey

I’m sitting in the sun on the ship’s deck, poolside, watching the bean bag toss game. Actually, it’s mini-cornhole and I think the Ohioans are winning. We’ve met quite a few people from Ohio, however I think Americans are in the minority. There are lots of people from Canada, Australia, Great Britain, Italy, Germany and Spanish-speaking countries. It’s a nice mix. We’re glad to have this day at sea. We had three touring days in a row and we need a break.

Athens was our first stop on the three day whirlwind. It was the first time we’d been in a country where you can’t even begin to read any of the street signs. We tried to find the metro but gave up and took a cab to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon. The ride showed us an unappealing city – large, crowded, dirty – dirty in more ways than one. There were plenty of sex shops and strip shows along the city streets. Of course the Acropolis is another site in a series of endless ruins we’ve visited, but still very interesting to us. It was pretty cool to see the spot where anyone could stand and speak without fear of repercussion. I imagined the Paul standing there and speaking about Christ in the midst of all the statues of other gods. After our time there we walked to the Plaka to do some shopping. It was a nice area, nice people, and we found a few more souvenirs. Since our bags were loaded to the hilt when we started this trip, I seriously think we are going to have to pick up another type of suitcase and pay for an extra bag. One gets caught up in the moment! Ernie is the main culprit. He sees all this manly stuff – statues of Spartans, metal helmets, chariots. I think he wants to bring it all back to create a total man cave in the basement and that I should just give up.
The next day was Rhodes and it was really a pleasant surprise. We didn’t expect much but found it to be charming and accessible. We were able to walk off the ship and into the old portion of the city which was walled in by the Greeks in the 14^th century to protect them from the Turks. There were old churches, mosques, fortresses, restaurants and shops within the walls. Of course the shopping was all tourist-oriented, but you could still imagine the vendors of old selling from the same locations. There was a small museum where you could see and sometimes touch artifacts from as old as 400 BC. In the distant hills you could see the white-washed houses you expect to see in Greece. I wasn’t feeling great so we skipped exploring beyond the walled part of the island. I went back to the ship early and Ernie had a full afternoon by himself to take as many pictures as his heart desired. He sat in an outdoor café with a beer in a boot (a glass shaped like a boot -- I don’t know what the heck the boot means but those glasses are everywhere. I’m sure a boot glass would have ended up in the man cave if he hadn’t restrained himself
　
Yesterday was our first official "paid" tour. We docked in Turkey and went on a bus with our tour group to Ephesus and other sites. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and talkative, especially on the bus ride back when you were ready for a nap! His English was good but we really had to concentrate because of his accent. At one point he was talking about the number of "slives" in Ephesus in Roman days. He said it several times until I finally I got it – "slaves." In Ephesus we learned once again about the many gods that were worshiped which resulted in the thriving image-making and selling businesses in the marketplace. I can’t imagine what it was like for people to hear John to speak about a God who loved them and didn’t want any statues or sacrifices. We saw the arena where the people wanted to stone Paul for what he was saying – started by those who made and sold the images and didn’t want their thriving income threatened. Though we’ve read about this, it brought a greater understanding to see the area and realize what a revolutionary idea the Gospel was to the residents of Ephesus. John returned to Ephesus and finished out his life writing. The streets of Ephesus was paved with marble. You can see that city was very sophisticated in its heyday -- a for world trade with people from all over walking the streets. It was interesting having a Muslim as a tour guide. Everything had a bit of a Muslim spin, but he did say it was a miracle that John lived to be over 100 when the average life span was 40something years. Ernie asked him about Noah’s ark because it is said to be in Turkey. The guide is also a mountain climber and he’s climbed Mr. Ararat. He says you can actually see the outline of ark which is petrified, broken in two pieces. He also said they have found two ancient circular stone anchors in the area. There is so much mystery surrounding that area and political junk that have prevented excavation. The guide had no doubt that it was Noah’s ark. He believes in the same OT writings in which Christians believe. Another site we visited had the ultimate outhouse. The toilets were for the wealthy men. There were two long marble benches facing each other with about a dozen holes cut out. It was a social poop, with musicians to entertain you, and a chance to do a little business (as you were doing your private business). The toilets were for the wealthy men. There was a waste disposal system and water to clean yourself. Your slave could be used to warm up the marble seat for you in winter and fan your butt dry after you washed yourself. The women, slaves, and kids? They were on their own.
We stopped for lunch. It was a beautiful spread of side dishes and fish. Unfortunately, the dishes were pretty bland and the fish (mullet) was grilled whole-- eyes, scales, tail. It tasted pretty good once I got past its unhappy face. There have been lethargic cats and dogs roaming freely in every place we have been. There were cats hanging out in the restaurant waiting for a morsel of fish. I picked up a piece of fish for a cat and was rewarded with a scratched finger when he grabbed for it. Broke the skin, a little blood, and now my new concern is "cat-scratch fever." I have no idea what that is besides an album title, but it sounds serious.
The last part of the tour was a short sales pitch at a carpet store. The carpets were beautiful, made either of silk, cotton or wool. The cotton was so fine that it felt like silk. Turks are big into bargaining. Right away the rugs were ½ price, then another discount to cruise passengers and then you could start the real bickering. I did a little wheeling and dealing on my own. When we were in Ephesus, a young man approached me selling woven bookmarks for 3 euros. I proudly got him down to 1 euro and choose my bookmark. He was surprised that I only wanted one. Later, when we were in the downtown shopping area near the port, I saw the same bookmarks at 3 for 1 euro. I realized that 3 for 1 was what I had bargained for earlier but I didn’t understand. Oh well, I made somebody’s day in a country where the average salary is about $10,000/year and I’m sure his was much less.

Maryl