Days 14 (end of), 15 (ANZAC Cove), 16 (Ferry to Asia) and 17 (Ephesus)

Juli came back to the hostel after her walk around town, including visiting the Roman Cistern - a vast underground freshwater storage facility - and the Galetea Tower - a 16th century watchtower - and, after a quick bit of internetting, we went out to the square/park between the two mosques again. Being a Saturday, there were a lot of families picnicing in there, some with small boys dressed like princes with fur trimmed silver capes and matching hats and staffs. Juli approached one family and, through gestures, asked if she could take their photos. The family were delighted and proceeded to make a fuss of their boy, making sure he looked his best. Wanting to know what the occasion was, again using gestures, Juli asked what all the fancy dress was in aid of. The boy's mother, smilling as she did, nodded towards her son and made a simple, low 'snipping with scissors' gesture that made all clear.

We found the sister restaurant of the one we went to the previous evening and enjoyed another reasonably priced meal including Baclava and Turkish Coffee while listening to the Turkish folk music from the next door Dervish Restaurant, where we also watched a traditionally dressed dancer slowly spin himself into a trance like state. Budget meal, free floor show. Sorted.

After a quick sit on our favourite bench in front of the illumiated Blue Mosque and a last glass of tea from our favourite chai seller, a Kurd who, incidentally, comes all the way from East Anatolia at the other end of Turkey on a 21 hour bus ride to sell tea to put food on his young families table.

***

Early-ish start the next morning and back on the truck for a drive day out of Istanbul - much faster than coming in, but still took a long time to clear the city limits - through gradually more rolling landscape over some shocking roads to our first beach campsite near the ferry port via ANZAC Cove, monuments and wargraves. The ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Army Corp) battle site covers a large area, and a one-way driving route takes you from site to site. It was a Sunday and, in addition to ourselves plus a number of coach parties, there were lots of Turkish families there for a day out, ice creams and all, in what is now a lovely bit of the countryside, but for a time in 1915 would have been hell on earth for hundreds of thousands of Aussies and Kiwis plus Brits and some others, but most particularly (both proportionally and absolutely) for the Turks.

ANZAC Memorial

From there we moved on to Eceabat and the Boomerang Bar and beach campsite, owned and run by a permanently pickled (he drinks Jim Beam for breakfast) long time friend of Will's. (Queue much catching up, drinking and dancing 'til dawn.)

After a slightly later start the next moring we drove onto the ferry across to Asia (ferry number two) a really quick and smooth crossing. First stop was Troy, although, after listening to others who'd been there before, we just snapped a shot of the mock horse from the Brad Pitt movie over the fence, but didn't pay to go in. The rest of the day was a long drive through a landscape of small-scale agriculture - some mechanised, but mostly tended by women with hand tools - olive groves on steep-sided hills, along twisty turny  coast roads with terrific views out to sea to islands beyond. On the way we passed through Izmir, a huge and populous city with housing as far as the eye can see. Eventually we arrived at our second campsite by the beach near Ephesus.

This morning, Will and Karen drove us to visit the Ephesus site, which is huge. Highlights include the remains of a 23,000 capacity amphitheatre and the restored facade of the Library of Celcus, a large and elaborate, highly decorated ediface that pleased Juli. I don't know: all that trouble, just for books.

Celcus's Library (especially for Helen)

All of which brings us more or less up to date. As I write this, we're enjoying a lazy afternoon in the shade; the sea looks inviting but is apparently a bit too cold still. Tomorrow we're bush camping somewhere on the way to a campsite in Goreme, Cappodocia for a couple of nights after that, so next post... when I can.

TTFN - N