Day 8 Sunday June 2

Kusadashi/Ephesus

It’s 7:30 in the morning and I may have to push some relatives overboard. I had a crummy night’s “sleep” and now my head hurts and I’m coughing – that deep painful kind. I was going to shower, but I don’t have the energy. I think I’ll get dressed and go find some tea and bread.

Had breakfast and then went out to the bow to watch the ship dock in Kusadashi. It was very smooth. It is 9:30, but our guide doesn’t show up until 11 so I have some time to just sit & look.

I was seated in the lounge on Deck 3 about 10:15 waiting when Pat came by. They had decided to get off earlier because they could and Joe was now saying that the guide was coming at 10:30. This whole trip has been an experience in letting go and not controlling things. As soon as something is set, it changes without warning.

Our guide showed up on time (the new time) with a small tourist van and off we went. He wanted to go to the house of Mary first to get in before the rush. He was very personable and well informed. The price of tickets and of parking was not included in the tour, but he had them already & we could pay him the total at the end. It only came to 28 Euros for parking and 3 admissions & we didn’t have to wait in line. There were a lot of people around, but it is apparently magnitudes worse in the summer.

The home of Mary is a tiny place that is now a shrine. According to the bible, Jesus gave Mary to St. John to be his mother & John came to live & preach in this part of the world. They were holding a Sunday mass next to the house when we got there.

Next was Ephesus. You just kind of run through that. It is very big with a lot of slopes to go up & down. The ways are paved in marble which can be slippery. We did take the extra $ side trip to the terrace houses. It is a complex of wealthy homes that were excavated in recent times. They are trying to fit together all the pieces of marble and plaster paintings that fell off the walls. It is a mammoth job.

We stopped for lunch at a carpet factory. It had a beautiful outdoor sheltered area for dining. We had kabobs and several vegetable & cheese starters and fresh fruit for dessert. I hope to get pictures from the boys. My stupid cameras ran out of battery halfway through Ephesus.

Afterwards we went to the rug factory for a tour. Joe had looked up rug places and decided that he wanted to shop here. I tried to be good, but the mean man showed me this beautiful rug. It should arrive in Wichita in 6 weeks. Next we went to a leather jacket outlet. Joe & Linda wanted to shop there. They had already bought 2 rugs and a runner. Finally we headed back to Kusadashi. The other 4 wanted to look at shops, so I went along. They went into a store and I sat down to wait. 30 minutes later, I went in to find them. Joe & Linda were looking at jackets. Pat & Daria had left, so I took off for the ship. I was done for the day. My throat isn’t any better & I still feel achy.

It is now 6:15. I have taken a shower, caught up with this and emptied my purse. We are supposed to meet at 7 for dinner at one of the “specialty” restaurants. I’d better get dressed.

It’s 9:40 and I am in bed finishing up. I really feel crappy. Joe gave me some of his decongestant to try. I ache, my throat hurts, I’m coughing, my nose is running and my head hurts.

Yuck!!!!!!

Dinner was really weird. I’ll write more when I feel better. Here is the short version – when we arrived they gave us iPads with the menu, then after about 5-10 minutes the waiter came by and explained that we could not order individual meals; we were to discuss the items and one person would order what we agreed upon. The selections were served in small portions and you were encouraged to pick 5-6 items. Everyone had to eat the same food. We picked 10 because we couldn’t agree. It was still way too much food and while some was good tasting, some was just odd. I don’t think it was just my cold that made it so dumb.

The ship left Kusadasi at 7 pm; we are now headed for Mykanos; temp 65F, wind 15 kts E, pressure 29.819 inHg, speed 14 kts, heading 273 deg. We should arrive at 7 am. I may just sleep all day.

Mary’s House

Ruins at Ephesus

Our lunch venue

Weird Dinner Sushi

Weird Dinner Soup & Cheese

Day 7 Saturday June 1

Istanbul – Day 2

It is 2 pm and we have left Istanbul and are working our way through the Sea of Marmara and down the Turkish coast to Kusadashi/Ephesus. Temp is 73F, winds are 14kts from the NE, pressure is 29.787 inHg, we are on a heading of 258 deg at 20 kts. The schedule is to arrive in Kusadashi at 10 am tomorrow. You wouldn’t believe how crowded the port was when we left. I took some pictures, but they will probably come out as blobs and blurs on the horizion.

This morning we had a cruise sponsored tour. We met in the ship’s theater at 8, got our little ID stickers so that we wouldn’t get lost and boarded the bus about 8:15. The first stop was at another dock on the Golden Horn to get on our ferry for the Bosporus cruise. We didn’t go all the way to the Black Sea, just 45 -60 minutes up the straits. I think we were still in Istanbul. According to the different guides there are 12 million people in Istanbul or 16 million or 20 million. Take your pick. All the buildings come right down to the water. Apparently there is no tide in the Bosporus.

After we returned to the dock we boarded the bus to make a ‘short’ stop at a jewelry store. The guide made it very clear that this was included by the cruise line, not him. This was one of the stores that gives kickbacks to the cruise line. By the time we finished with that, we had only 45 min in the spice market; not nearly enough time. I bought some spices and tea and a big box of Turkish Delights. We need to have a party when I get back. We made it back to the ship about 12:10, so no one was left behind. Precisely at 1 pm the captain cast off and we started out of the harbor.

About 12:30 the captain had made a special announcement that at about midnight last night (Thursday) that the security forces has tear-gassed a protest up by the government center. As a result, the outside areas of the ship were closed off due to the tear gas drifting down our way. However, that was all over and we could safely enjoy the exterior spaces today. We had heard a little about protests, but no one seems to know who is protesting what. Pat said he was out about 10 pm last night and the sky was full of helicopters shining searchlights down into the city.

After lunch, I went back to my room and straightened things. I took about a 2 hour nap. Joe & Linda came onboard with a cold and I think they gave it to me. I have been taking stuff but I still feel achy. Went up to the café for a cup of tea about 4 pm; and sweets, too. Dinner was the same as always. I am getting a little blasé about the dining room, although it is always nice to have someone cook for you. I may stop eating dinner there. I can get lighter fare on the buffet line.

It is only 9:30, but I am hitting the sheets. We get into port at 10 am; maybe I’ll sleep in.

Choices for afternoon tea

Cruise up the Bosporus

Spice Market in Istanbul

More of the Spice Market

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