So first off I have changed the settings and you should be able to comment now without having to sign up for anything.
Today we are in Selçuk, having a relaxed day off after much running around for the last week. It's beautiful here. A little too hot for me at times but we are making good use of the swimming pool.
I believe when I left you last we were planning on heading to Troy and Gallipoli. We did manage to fit both into one day but not without some stress and effort. We knew that it was really difficult to do Gallipoli on your own so we had booked a tour which started at 12.30 which meant we had to be on the 12.00 ferry back from Çanakkale so we started early thinking if we took the 8 am ferry in the morning we could get to Troy by 9 or 9.30 and have a couple of hours to explore before heading back to town. But it turns out the first bus didn't leave until 9.30 and stops a few times along the way so we didn't get there until 10.15 and since the buses leave on the hour that gave us only 45 minutes to see the whole thing. So we powered through the site taking as many pictures as we could so we would be able to linger over them later. It was pretty amazing being there. There is so much history to the place. Not just how long it was inhabited for and how much happened there but also the story of Schliemann and how he found it. It's one of the first archaeological sites ever excavated.
But we couldn't linger. We went out to find the bus but it wasn't there. It was running quite late. So we accosted some people in the car park until we found someone heading back to Canakkale and asked for a lift. They didn't speak a word of English so it made for an interesting trip but we made it onto the 12 o'clock ferry. Which didn't leave until quarter past so we were still late but luckily things tend to leave late here so it was fine.
The Gallipoli tour was really good. The guide had a lot of knowledge (and liked to talk a lot) and some of the places were very moving. I had difficulty fitting together the knowledge that so many terrible things happened there and that so many people died where I was standing with the amazingly beautiful landscape. It really looks like paradise, but for nine months it was completely horrifying.
The tour took us to each of the landing sites and then up the hill to the main memorials. The last one at Chanuk bair was interesting after all of these somber graveyards. It's the main New Zealand memorial but to the Turks it's the place where Ataturk defeated the invading forces and nearly died but his pocket watch saved his life. So there is a big memorial to the kiwis right next to a giant statue of Ataturk.
After getting back from the tour we waited around for a few hours and then caught a night bus to Selcuk. It got in at about 7am and luckily the hostel let us check in straight away and gave us breakfast. Then we headed up the hill to Ephesus.
Ephesus is pretty amazing. It just goes on forever. I think we could have spent all day there if I hadn't been melting. It was very hot and there isn't a lot of shade. Any time we did find shade I had to sit for 10 minutes to cool down slightly but even in the shade it was still too hot for me. Which was a pity because there is so much to see there. As it was I managed to make it through about 3 hours before I had to admit defeat and head to the exit.
Since then we have been doing a whole lot of nothing. Swimming, sitting in the sun (or in my case the shade) and generally relaxing. This afternoon at some point we will check out the temple of Artemis but that probably won't take very long since a large portion of it is at the British museum. Tomorrow we head to Pamukkale and then on to Cappadocia.
Today we are in Selçuk, having a relaxed day off after much running around for the last week. It's beautiful here. A little too hot for me at times but we are making good use of the swimming pool.
I believe when I left you last we were planning on heading to Troy and Gallipoli. We did manage to fit both into one day but not without some stress and effort. We knew that it was really difficult to do Gallipoli on your own so we had booked a tour which started at 12.30 which meant we had to be on the 12.00 ferry back from Çanakkale so we started early thinking if we took the 8 am ferry in the morning we could get to Troy by 9 or 9.30 and have a couple of hours to explore before heading back to town. But it turns out the first bus didn't leave until 9.30 and stops a few times along the way so we didn't get there until 10.15 and since the buses leave on the hour that gave us only 45 minutes to see the whole thing. So we powered through the site taking as many pictures as we could so we would be able to linger over them later. It was pretty amazing being there. There is so much history to the place. Not just how long it was inhabited for and how much happened there but also the story of Schliemann and how he found it. It's one of the first archaeological sites ever excavated.
But we couldn't linger. We went out to find the bus but it wasn't there. It was running quite late. So we accosted some people in the car park until we found someone heading back to Canakkale and asked for a lift. They didn't speak a word of English so it made for an interesting trip but we made it onto the 12 o'clock ferry. Which didn't leave until quarter past so we were still late but luckily things tend to leave late here so it was fine.
The Gallipoli tour was really good. The guide had a lot of knowledge (and liked to talk a lot) and some of the places were very moving. I had difficulty fitting together the knowledge that so many terrible things happened there and that so many people died where I was standing with the amazingly beautiful landscape. It really looks like paradise, but for nine months it was completely horrifying.
The tour took us to each of the landing sites and then up the hill to the main memorials. The last one at Chanuk bair was interesting after all of these somber graveyards. It's the main New Zealand memorial but to the Turks it's the place where Ataturk defeated the invading forces and nearly died but his pocket watch saved his life. So there is a big memorial to the kiwis right next to a giant statue of Ataturk.
After getting back from the tour we waited around for a few hours and then caught a night bus to Selcuk. It got in at about 7am and luckily the hostel let us check in straight away and gave us breakfast. Then we headed up the hill to Ephesus.
Ephesus is pretty amazing. It just goes on forever. I think we could have spent all day there if I hadn't been melting. It was very hot and there isn't a lot of shade. Any time we did find shade I had to sit for 10 minutes to cool down slightly but even in the shade it was still too hot for me. Which was a pity because there is so much to see there. As it was I managed to make it through about 3 hours before I had to admit defeat and head to the exit.
Since then we have been doing a whole lot of nothing. Swimming, sitting in the sun (or in my case the shade) and generally relaxing. This afternoon at some point we will check out the temple of Artemis but that probably won't take very long since a large portion of it is at the British museum. Tomorrow we head to Pamukkale and then on to Cappadocia.
Hi Peggy,
ReplyDeleteWe've been following your blog, hard to believe you are half the world away visiting some amazing places when not long ago you were back here with us in the shop. My mums father fought in Gallipoli and my hope is to go there sometine. What temperature does it get to during the day and is there any humidity? Have been trying to send this for a week so heres hoping it works this time!
Loved looking at Caties photos, enjoy yourself travel safe
Pam and Olivia