You always take a chance flying through JFK airport, and this time was no exception. After three hours on the tarmac with lots of assurances that we would soon be taking off, we landed an hour plus late in Istanbul. With only an hour and a half to purchase our visas, get through immigration, pick up our luggage, pass through customs, and get to the domestic terminal, we boarded the plane to Izmir, sweaty and hearts racing, just in the nick of time. It is perhaps a sad commentary on our lives that too often we find ourselves running through airports with luggage in tow. On the other hand, it is sometimes the only exercise we get – it is aerobic, weight-bearing – and when we finally collapse into our seats, we feel like we have really accomplished something.
Somewhere along the way to the domestic terminal in Istanbul, we picked up a “helper”. We should have been suspicious and realized that Turkish Airlines doesn’t employ people to scout the airport for frantic, lost travelers and give them a helping hand. Once we realized that, and realized that we were going to have to pay our “helper”, it was too late to do anything about it. And we didn’t care. With nothing more than hand signals, he guided us through check-in and hand-delivered us to the gate. Bert tried to give him money at the ticket counter, but he waved her off, indicating he wasn’t doing this for pay. When Kevin handed him a 5 dollar bill in the hallway away from the airline officials, he took it but scoffed – apparently, he didn’t think it was enough. Bert gave him another five further on.
Izmir is a bustling seaside city. We were overnighting here to visit the House of the Virgin, where Mary reportedly lived after leaving the Holy Land with John following the crucifixion. We were also here to tour Ephesus, the center of Asia Minor in antiquity. Ephesus began as a Greek city and became a major Roman city, second only to Rome. The ruins are substantial and impressive.
We hired a taxi for the day and headed out. I am so used to Kevin being able to chatter away to taxi drivers in whatever language, in whatever part of the world, that I have to admit I was a little annoyed with him for not speaking a word of Turkish. It took us forever to communicate that we wanted to stop for lunch. Finally, we landed on the common word, “restaurant,” and found a place serving roasted meats, unleavened bread, and salad. All delicious.
Because Bill is blind, we decided to hire a guide at Ephesus. Guides are hit and miss. I always figure the good ones make up most of the stories they tell anyway – they tell them in a way that entertains and engages. Our guide was the “I love to demonstrate how smart I am and how smart you aren’t” type and kept quizzing us throughout the tour. Bert and Bill actually didn’t do too badly and finally figured out the answer to most everything was, “Eves.” I wasn’t too good at the game, and Kevin just wandered off. Every time a quiz question came up, our guide would say, “I have a simple question for your ear.” That alone endeared him to us, and he made Bill touch everything.
It is good to know that Turkey is still full of stray, healthy, friendly cats. Like our last visit, they are everywhere. Hanging out on fallen Ionic columns, hiding behind fallen statuary, basking in the sun on ancient Roman roads, and hanging out in the baths of antiquity. What would Ephesus be without these regal creatures? There might be a few more song birds, but besides that, it wouldn’t be nearly as lively.
Dinner was had at a simple street-side cafe. Aubergine stew, chicken in a spicy, oily broth, couscous, and bread, all for $3 each. And to top it off, the waiter told Bert and me that we were beautiful. So we are not coming home, ever.
