Tripple treat...The food, the people and the company

 The people

The company 

The food

Without a doubt, Turkey was one of our funnest adventures yet. Aside from being a really beautiful country full of amazing sights and experiences, three other key variables all fell into place to make it a truly sensational 10 days…

The food…

If we were lacking in protein before this trip, we are now overflowing with the stuff. We may have set a new world record for the number of kebabs consumed in a 10 day period. The food really was a highlight…always fresh, always tasty, and always cheap. The kebabs, the salads, the koftas, and the mezze were a sensation…and the authentic Turkish Delight was revelation

The People

Our experience of Turkey was undoubtedly enhanced by the people. The Turkish were always friendly, welcoming, incredibly good humored, and loved having a chat. It was so refreshing to be able to walk through a town or a market and have a chat or a laugh without being pressured in anyway to make a purchase.   

The Company

It was a real Turkish delight (did you see what we did there?) to share in the experience with Andrew and Rachel. They were wonderful travel buddies, and it was a special opportunity to create memories that we will share for a lifetime. 

Experiencing Paul's Ephesus

Clockwise from top left: The Library of Celsus; Another view of the Library; The Baths

Clockwise from top left: The Amphitheatre where Paul preached; A sculpture outside the Library; Daniel and Monique

Clockwise from top left: Preparing to feast in Sirince; The view of Sirince; A market stall; The beach near Selcuk

The last stop on our Turkey adventure was Selçuk, better known as the town adjoining Ephesus.

We were all feeling a tad worse for wear as we arrived in Selçuk having set a cracking and exhausting pace up until this point. Rather than getting up early and launching into another full day of exploring Ephesus in the baking sun, we decided to take it easy and sample wine and feast at nearby Sirince, have a snooze on the beach, and get an authentic Turkish hammam.

The hammam in particular was quite an experience, featuring full body scrub, bathing and massage in a room full of men, performed solely by hairy and mustachioed Turkish men wearing nothing but a towel. Monique and Rachel may never be the same again.

It was just was just what the doctor ordered and left us feeling fresh and rejuvenated to smash Ephesus and our last day in Turkey.

Exploring Ephesus was remarkable. It was basically just another ancient ruined Roman city, which in and of itself is quite incredible – the theatre, library, shop fronts, streets, amphitheatre, temple and churches were all incredible ancient sights.

But what really sets Ephesus apart is the fact that you are literally walking through streets that Paul would have walked through, seeing houses he would have lived in and visited, stood in the amphitheatre where he preached, and saw a prison where he was held.

Intellectually, spiritually, and visually, it was truly and incredible experience and a real high point on which to finish our Turkish adventure.