TURKEY JOURNAL ENTRY
September
6, 2001 (Continued)
KUSADASI, TURKEY
Mike and I were wondering how we would survive eight hours with our children who now have one goal in mind. But, by the time we reached our first stop, they thankfully forgot about the park. We visited the house where the Virgin Mary came to live in 37 A.D. after the death of Jesus. The house is high atop a mountain which is 1,500 meters high. The Apostle John had been asked by Jesus to take care of His mother after he died. John settled in Ephesus so people believe that Mary traveled with him. Even though Turkey is a Muslim country, the Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet so they revere Mary.
Our next stop was the ancient city of Ephesus which declined around 250 A.D. The ruins are well preserved and although we enjoyed the site, there were so many other tourists, it was hard to enjoy the city. The kids had fun discovering quiet hidden alleys and caves. Mike and I were most impressed with remains of the library which was the largest building in the city. The kids found the city's public toilet system the most fascinating site. The ancient pubic toilets consisted of a long rock bench with big holes evenly spaced down the middle of the bench. About four feet underneath the bench was a trough with running water. It would get the job done, but apparently there was no privacy in Ephesus!
As we made our way to the amphitheater, the skies got darker and darker. Without any warning, strong winds blew in and within five minutes the sky opened up and it poured. The merchants were most unhappy to see thousands of tourists running by their shops into the tour buses.
We also visited St. John's Basilica where the Apostle John is buried. Off in the distance, we could see what is left of the one of the Seven Wonders of the World. One lonely pillar is all that is left of the Temple of Artemis.
When we booked the ships' tours from home, we weren't sure if they would work for the kids. The tours were all long and once aboard the tour bus, we would be a captive audience. We were happy to see that the kids seemed to enjoy the tour. However, once aboard the ship the kids didn't walk, they ran to the Fun Factory!
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