One of the stops on our cruise was to Kusadasi, Turkey (and the Biblical city of Ephesus). I didn't know much about Turkey and was frankly a little uneasy about going there. Sounds very far away and not really a spot on any of my life travel plans. I didnt know if I would feel safe as an American tourist during these troubled times . Fortunately, we had a very interesting and good visit. The port is in Kusadasi, and we took a guided tour to Ephesus about 4 km away. 
Ephesus used to be a port city, but due to sludge and other causes, the water has receded 4km away and left very fertile low land in it's place. Ephesus had an underground sewage system that dumped out into the port, so the land is definitely fertile. They grow lots of crops there now. We drove past the prison where the apostle Paul was held, but did not stop there. It is a ways outside of Ephesus. The ruins of the city itself are very interesting. We walked down the main street and were amazed at the library of Celsus.
It has a huge, impressive facade, and held many, many "books". Boats docking would need to make a donation to the library, so their collection grew extensively. The large theatre where Paul probably spoke is impressive too. It takes up the entire mountainside. Supposedly it is where he was speaking when the silversmiths in the city created an uproar that if people followed his teachings about Christ, the silversmiths would lose business from people abandoning idols.
DA and I could have spent much more time there, but due to thousands of people coming through, they guide you through the town in about an hour or so.
Our tour ended at a carpet house. The Turks are world famous for their carpets (what we call rugs). They use a double knot which supposedly makes their rugs much more durable. The carpet house we went to had some of the nicest people working there. They put on a whole show flipping those rugs out over and over, throwing them up in the air. It is quite a spectacle. I bet they displayed about 60+ rugs in a matter of 15 min. Turks are also known for their hospitality and it was so evident. They made a great impression on us. DA drank some Turkish coffee touring the carpet house. I think he was bouncing off the walls the rest of the day! The kids and I tried their apple drink. I had the hot version and it was very good. We also ended up purchasing a rug - very unexpectedly! After watching the ladies making rugs (awe inspiring) and hearing about the training and support they get from the government to keep the rug business going in Turkey, we just wanted to have one for ourselves. We were so surprised to hear that the young ladies must finish their schooling first before going off to carpet making lessons at the age of 16/17. Then they finish and are supplied a loom and supplies. Each village is assigned a rug pattern so that each person in that village makes the same rug which means there is no market for them to sell them to each other. All rugs are sent to to market cities and the women are paid by the knot, so it is very beneficial to them to make high quality rugs. The more knots, the better the quality. It was nice to know they were not using child labor. Due to these measures, the attrition rate from the villages is very low. The women want to stay in their home villages and make rugs instead of moving to the city.
B picked out one of the most expensive ones there, and the most beautiful - it was made of silk - but we had to tell her she can plan her own tour when she is an adult and buy it for herself. All rugs bought in Turkey have no tax added to the price and they are shipped free all over the world. 2 of the things the government does to help the rug market, and they were negotiable on price. It was a fun experience. The rest of Turkey is just a huge market for buying all sorts of things - gold jewelry, designer purses, "authentic FAKE watches", rugs, etc. If you are planning of buying things, Kusadasi should be your destination. Oh, the best thing of all - in the port city, they take ANY money denomination. They would price things in US dollars, GB pounds, Euro, whatever. You can even pay in US Dollars cash - which in our "English" perspective, makes things sound really cheap. That is just unheard of and very helpful not to have to change money for the 1 day we were there.
We enjoyed our visit there and were so pleased to have seen some sites that we've read about in the Bible. Now that Turkey is on my radar, I bet I have heard something about Turkey or Turkish rugs every SINGLE day since we have returned. It is amazing that once I became aware, it is just everywhere. Even touring the Florence Nightingale museum this week (she became well known for her hospital work during the Crimean war in Turkey) and the book I'm currently reading have Turkey referenced. I guess I've just been in my own little bubble. Welcome to the real world, Bridget!
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