It didn't take long for us to begin loving Turkey and the Turkish people. Everywhere we go people make a fuss of the little kids, woman will come out of their houses and offer them turkish delight and other sweets. Everyone is very friendly and helpful with a relaxed way of living.
Among the many things that we did was a visit to The House of the Virgin Mary. It is believed that Mary lived in Ephesus until she died. In the 18th century a nun by the name of Anna Katherina Emmerich had such a vivid vision with detailed description of the characteristics of the city of Ephesus and the place where Mary lived, that several years later an expedition began. The expedition uncovered the site that she had described even through she had never visited the area. Alongside this there are scriptural references in the Bible and written recordings from Ephesus of Mary. It was very 'touristy' but still a great place to visit. Some people paid a lot a money to purchase a small flask and fill it with the holy water from the natural springs (looked more like tap water to us). There was also a prayer wall covered in the prayers of pilgrims who have traveled to the site.
About 15km from Ephesus along a winding mountainous road we found a small Italian wine village with streets filled with handmade crafts and market stalls. There was heaps of colourful pottery, felt crafts, rugs and lamps. Everything is bright and colourful and everyone wanting to sell us something.
Ladies beach is a very popular beach, you can see from the photos that there almost isn't room to even find a spot to sit. There are many Muslim woman who wear full bathing clothes, I tried to get a photo without being rude. Everyday was packed with new sights, sounds, smells and people. As you can see after traveling for 6 weeks Leos gets a little tired every now and then, nothing like a quick nap before dinner.
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