A Visit To Ephesus, Turkey

Yesterday we took a bus tour to Ephesus, Turkey. The most important Greco-Roman ruin in the country, Ephesus seemed even more magnificent than on our last visit. Our guide was very knowledgeable and led us through the ruins of temples, the Odeon, another theater, the processional way, past baths and even the public latrines. The latrines were amazing for their engineering and also lent a human side to the ancient Romans, who would spend time gossiping there, much as they did in the Baths. Most elaborate and best reconstructed of the ruins is the Library (see photo) which was the third largest collection of papyri scrolls in the ancient world. After the Ephesus tour we enjoyed a rich Turkish lunch in a huge hotel before the bus headed back to the port of Kusadasi, where our ship was docked. The Equinox sailed again in the afternoon when we trailed up the coast for Istanbul.-Dan