It’s not often you get to go to a place from which the national beer takes its name; Efes (or Ephesus). It’s hard to imagine what a town called Stella attea or Heineken would be like.
We stayed in a great hostel run by an Australian and Turkish couple, who again seemed to have the hostel deal pretty sorted; small details about the place that make it appeal. Breakfast was a option of six things, one of which was muesli, yogurt and fresh fruit (right up Emily’s alley) topped with local honey.
We heeded off to Ephesus, labeled as the best preserved classical city in the eastern Mediterranean. We have learnt now how to run the day; get up early, check emails and news. Get going to what ever tourist attraction is on the plan, getting there by entry time. Going to the main attraction first, we get photos with out anyone in them. At this point the tourist buses have arrived, and it’s time to head to the more obscure parts that aren’t visited by tourists. This maximises photos and saves time without tourists invading our personal space bubble, or guides waving flags or blowing whistles. They always have lunch time at the same time which is another attraction viewing period.
We head off to Ephesus, and immediately put the plan into action. Ephesus was the grand Roman capital of Asia, boosting 250,000 people. Now 18% of the ruins are uncovered, which makes it even more impressive. The highlight is walking down the ‘Curette’s Way’, a grand road towards the library of Celsius, and the gate of Hadrian; a beautiful reconstructed facade. It’s amazing the detailing and restoration that has taken place and we had a fantastic view down a near empty old roman street lined with columns (the tourists buses had yet to arrive). We then head to the ‘terrace houses’ which are a collection of wealthy homes undergoing extensive restoration. Labeled as the biggest jigsaw, they are attempting to repair the marble walls and floor, whilst preserving beautiful mosaics.

As the crowds grew bigger it became increasingly difficult to walk in the old roman streets; we made a hasty retreat to the car. The shear number of people was a real shame, slightly ruining the magic of the site. Nevertheless, it was amazing to see such a historical sight.

On the way out of town we visited the Temple of Artemis, which use to be an Ancient wonder of the world. It’s now a single reconstructed column and small wall in the middle of a swamp. Slightly underwhelming but yet it’s great to see places that you hear about so often on your travels.
We decide to find a kebab for lunch, as for the last few days we have been doing the salad and luncheon sandwiches. For 11 Turkish lira or 7 dollars NZ we have three kebabs and two drinks; really makes Istanbul prices seem more absurd. We watched as the locals battled it out on massive Rummikub games outside coffee shops. Should have challenged them for a game.
As we have the car and therefore can scoot here and there, we head up to Sirince; once a small sleepy village which shunned tourism. Famous for its grape and fruit wine, it now is a bustling tourism Mecca; a real shame as rampart commercialism has ruined what would be a nice place to escape to in the hills. Buying a bottle of wine was a must after a few tasters (including blackberry wine); the bottle is yet to be enjoyed.

In the car, we head to our next port of call; Pamukkale, famed for its white limestone features. It’s a 2 hour drive, so the spotify play list is getting a good work out. Driving has been a lot easier recently as we get use to the right hand driving. It’s still astounds me the speeds people go, the crazy traffic diversions/construction, and the ability of some to drive the wrong way up a 120km/h highway. The Renault is handling it in style though.