EPHESUS AND CUTE TOWN.

The ancient Greco-Roman ruin of Ephesus is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Owen was torqued, because he wanted to see ancient ruins. We entered the area and I took many pictures.

Restored columns, things I’ve only seen on tv or magazines. What a thrill.

Usla explained how they joined columns by melting lead into the crevasse of the base. Led is a soft metal so it didn’t have a chance against a major earthquake which is what destroyed the ancient city.


I enjoyed walking among the marble  columns, the interesting carving and so on.


We came to a small amphitheater.


We arrived early so the crowds were thin, not that you can tell.  Owen climbed all over this edifice of crumbling steps and amazing views.


Restoration is very visible in this twin structure where two cement rounds replace a shattered section of the column. Double clicking on the picture will bring you a closer view.


Then we turned a corner to find an almost intact stone with the Goddess Nike and found the best was yet to come.


Below us is the famous Library of Celsus, though only a facade, a great beauty still.

One intact statue, part of the gateway to the promenade. When statues tumble in an earthquake, the first thing that hits the ground is the face, the noses are usually smashed, the arms broken off or crushed.


The main street, paved in marble, leading to the housing and business district of the ruins is flanked by columns, and carved marble pieces. Archeologists learned much about the times from writing on the bases of statues that honored certain citizens of the city. Here we sit among the ancient stonework as Usla explains significant areas of the promenade.


This colossal piece is called a header in carpentry parlance. Amazing stuff.


As we get closer to the library, the area of the richest people is paved with intricate mosaic tiles.

Color is preserved in some areas.


This piece of marble is beyond beautiful.


As rich as they were, they didn’t have toilets in their houses. Everyone had to use the public toilets with a drain.


One advantage of the rich man, he could order a slave to go to the toilet, reserve a hole and sit on it to warm the cold marble before his master arrived.


The rich had VIP seating to all events. Here Joan Zucker takes advantage of what had to be a pretty uncomfortable marble chair.


As we entered the library, Usla challenged us to find the tunnel to the brothel. The rich men lived close the to library and would spend time there. They didn’t want their wives to know they were headed for the brothel much of that time so they dug a tunnel to it.


Owen and I looked in every cranny of the library, but it was under our feet all along. The slabs of marble had to be picked up for the gent to climb down and make his way for about 300 yards to the brothel.


One can easily understand why it is a UNESCO site.


Everywhere is a marble painting.

.


Such beauty. Ephesus is also where the Temple of Artemis once stood, one of the seven wonders of the world. It was one of the most colossal temples ever buiilt but is no longer standing.


From the library, we made out way to the Amphitheater where St. Paul preached to the Ephesians.


On the way, one of the first ads greeted visitors, pointing the way to the brothel, the cost and the direction to walk.


Usla asked Owen to go to the floor and speak in a normal tone of voice to demonstrate the natural acoustics of such a place.


From a distance, under some pine trees, one can see the entire amphitheater.


Judy and Lenny take a rest on a nearby stone wall.


We bused to a hilly village called Cute Town, so named because earlier residents named it Ugly Town. They didn’t want to encourage visitors. Later,  sense prevailed and residents now welcome tourist dollars today at Cute Town.


Usla choose this town because they make a good Turkish pancake traditionally in an outdoor oven.


They make two types, vegetarian and meat.


Owen and I shared a meat pancake which consists of ground lamb, spinach,  goat cheese, and peppers. We also helped eat other’s  vegetarian pancake which included mushrooms and artichoke in place of meat. Both were quite good. I think it was the first meal for Owen without chicken shish. He said, “it has everything I hate but it tasted good.”


We wandered the town for about 30 minutes and bought olive oil, a backpack purse for me, and Owen discovered knives. Very expensive antiques he wanted very badly but Usla told him, “they hold antiques at the airport and have to be approved by ministers of antiquities to be removed from the country and you might lose them.” So, he reluctantly passed on them.


A woman makes glass beads. Fascinating, the God’s Eye to ward off evil. I will  explain it another day.
To view a slideshow of more pictures of Ephesus and Cute Town, click on the link:

SWAMP WALK.

I know yesterday was Valentines Day, but it doesn’t seem to resonate when you are parked next to a swamp.

On the 13th, we did some cleaning, and packing stuff away. Our bedroom windows were hung with beads from Mardi Gras 2010, New Orleans. Some of them had become faded and the curtains needed washing.


So, we said our last goodbye to Mardi Gras by taking most of the old beads to the park laundry  for anyone to take if they like. That is a common practice in parks we live in. The new beads aren’t as colorful as those we had, but, we had way too many, anyway.


Jim worked on a leak in the Bronco’s sun window and we got ready to leave. Late in the afternoon, we went for  swamp walk. The late sun makes creative shadows on the swamp weeds.

.

.


It is so beautiful in this swamp with reflections in the water.


Everywhere you aim is beauty. You can’t take a bad picture here.


Of course, lurking under all this beauty, are alligators. We talked to a woman who saw four of them.  Her family is camped right next to the swamp.


I was quite content to spot turtles balancing on a half sunken log. These were a long distance away.

Look at the size of his powerful hind feet.


An uncrossable bridge if you don’t want wet shoes. We went around to the other side where it was just as wet.


A tree with knobby growths covering it caught my eye.

Probably not healthy for the tree, but certainly interesting.

These small metal boats are used by the rangers. We saw a fisherman on the river using this type of boat for fishing, as well. He said he likes to fish, but only uses barb less hooks and releases everything he catches.


More turtles. A bit closer to the camera.Stretching to catch those last rays.

It’s cold, and we’ve had more cold and foggy days than sunny ones.


Jim spotted something moving in the water. We watched this turtle munching weeds just popping up and down in the water.


I spotted a snake. He is so fat I thought at first it was a piece of rubber someone had thrown in the swamp. But the lens proved it to be a big black snake.


I didn’t have my glasses on, but I showed the picture to the local fisherman we talked to, and he said it is a water moccasin. A very poisonous snake.


I know I’m going overboard here on the turtles but they are so darned cute. A little turtle confab on a log. The one has green moss growing on his shell. Sitting in the sun with their reflections in the water. Nice.