This morning (Wednesday), we joined the hordes of tour groups descending on Ephesus (that's the Greek name; the Turks call it Efes, which is the name of the major beer here). The site is significant in that it had been used continuously from the 10th century B.C. (Yes, B.C.!), and today the town of Selcuk continues as part of the overall settlement. It is the largest set of Roman ruins (with some later Byzantine mixed in) in all of Europe, and it takes hours to see all of it with just a cursory review.
Such an extensive set of ruins is a lot to take in, so I was ready for something different. Helena obliged me, and we set off the beaten track for a village on the eastern shore of Lake Bafa. There are cave paintings in the area from Neolithic times, as well as Roman and Byzantine ruins. We didn't have time to see much, so we opted for a walk along the lakeshore among farms and massive granite boulders. A local dog befriended us and accompanied us on our walk. He listened to us and answered commands (from Helena, on Turkish). We later learned that his owner died and he has no one. It broke my heart but what can I do here as a tourist for a period of 15 hours? We gave him food, but I really wish I could bring him home.
Above photo: Helena pulls water from an ancient well, still being used. Dog friend waits for a drink.
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