What sick and sordid adventures have I been involved in this week? Well nothing of that nature sadly. My host here in Kusadasi is Serap, a cousin of Nihal and a student at the tourism university. I have enjoyed a week of exploring the area with Serap and her chums and again having some well needed rest. She has a wonderful group of friends and they have rolled out the red carpet of welcome for me. All must study English as part of their studies and my arrival has given them the opportunity to practice their skills. I am impressed by the amount of time they have for each other. In each of the places I have been thus far in Turkey there is certainly more of an emphasis on family and friendships than I witnessed in all my years in Phoenix. Those being my passions in life it is a joy to be in this environment. Those I have met have shown interest in my background and my travels and have tried to share elements of Turkish culture with me. There is an obvious and genuine desire for real frienship.

On my first full day in the area we attempted to hit all of the local hotspots. I went to Ephesus, St. John's Basilica, the House of the Virgin Mary, and a village where wine is produced and there is a strong Greek influence. As a result of their studies I got much of the tour guide information especially from Sinan who has spent time in the United States and speaks English very well. It was a nice change from wandering about with no idea what I was seeing. The highlight of the day was Ephesus (Efes) because of the sheer size of the ruins. It was easy to lose a few hours wandering about among the remains of more than two millenia of history. In trying to imagine how it looked I realized what a beautiful city it would have been. Hopefully in the next few I can get some pictures up of the place.

Since that whirlwind of a day I have been relaxing especially as the demands of school have limited the time with my hosts. Every evening however I have spent with them and having much opportunity to build relationships. I've been introduced to a few more Turkish foods, all of which I have enjoyed, and am finally remembering a few Turkish words. With each new language I have needed some time to adapt to the different sound and to have the chance to actually use the words that I learn. Tomorrow I will return to Izmir for a few days and hopefully meet a friend of Floyd's (my brother-in-law for those who are unaware). Thereafter I will return to Can and my car (I desperately need some warmer attire as the sudden cold has shriveled all of my bits) before any further exploration.