Kusadasi breakfast was ample - traditional - and we all stoked up to prepare for our 8:00 outing into beautiful Ephesus ruins which are the most reconstructed that we have seen. As Sidar led us to the ruins of the city assembly amphitheater, we noticed many storks flying overhead - a good luck symbol according to Turkish legend. First settled by neolithic farmers, Ephesus is best known for its Hellinistic art and architecture and later Roman reconstructions which were visited by St Paul and St John. Paul's lectures in the reconstructed theater probably led to the end of Ephesus as the pagans were discouraged from multiple deity worship and Christians soon moved on to build closer to the Aegean. The city was once on a harbor, but silt filled it in so it is now about 3 miles from the sea.
Ann in Front of the Library at Ephesus and the Main Street
After our visit to Ephesus, we went back to Kusadasi so that we could eat lunch, do some shopping and let Ann swim in the hotel's pool.
We had our farewell dinner tonight at another restaurant overlooking the sea at sunset time. The mayor of Kusadasi toasted us before our meal. At the end, we presented Masut, our driver, with a gift of CDs of Turkish songs. We gave Sadir a good bottle of Raki - the national drink of Turkey.
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