Kusadasi, Turkey

On Tuesday, we arrived in Kusadasi, Turkey. Upon arrival, the first thing I noticed was the breathtaking scenery - the mountains (and islands) surrounded us for almost 270 degrees of our view - it was really beautiful. It was also the port where we felt the most "exotic" - there was tremendous security in the port, and it felt very different than where we had come from.

That day, we had opted to see the "Highlights of Ephesus," and so we headed off early to our tour. We started with a visit to the home where the Virgin Mary resided for the last decade of her life. By far, this was the most amazing thing we saw during our entire cruise. We had a really incredible tour guide, and in some ways, the tour was even more interesting because we were seeing such a sacred place - in a Muslim country with a Muslim tour guide - and regardless of their beliefs about Jesus, they know that this was the last home of Mary. The home itself was tiny - but the grounds around it (set high in the hills about Ephesus) were beautiful. We had a chance to purchase rosary beads and to bottle some holy water from the spring nearby. Even the kids seemed to be quieted (momentarily) by the serenity of the place. Very moving.

Next, we went to visit the ancient ruins of Ephesus. This was also incredible - but on a very different scale. The site is a mixture of original ruins - and ruins that have been restored over the centuries...

We were all very glad that we were visiting in May, as it was already very hot - and carrying two kids through uneven territory in the bright sun was a bit challenging. Along the way, we found ruins for the kids to climb on, and a few diversions that allowed them to make it through the tour without completing melting down (literally). :) At the end of the tour, Jack picked up a Turkish guitar (I'm sure it has a much better name than that) and two flutes - one for him and one for his sister. And Kate decided she wanted a bracelet with the Evil Eye - of course, hers not only had to have the Evil Eye, but PINK as well.

We got back to Kusadasi and opted to take the kids back to the ship. (We were all shocked that Kate had survived another day of bus rides without throwing up - hurray!) Ami and Bapa stayed to check out the shops and we all met back onboard. That night, Ami and Bapa babysat the kids, while Jay and I had dinner in the Formal Dining room - and then visited the casino (unsuccessfully) afterwards. It reminded us of our many nights cruising in our past life - and it was fun to get to explore the ship at night.