... some people commonly referred to as Turks, originating from Central Asia, came to this part of the world and decided to stay for good. Through the centuries, different nations and empires rose and fell, leading to the present Republic of Turkey. But this region is far from being a homogeneous boring place due to its rich history and the variety of peoples who lived and still live here. Greek and Roman civilizations belong to the ancient times but Armenian and Kurdish links are still present. Such a big mess... but isn't Spain a mess as well? Romans, Visigoths, Moors, Castilians, Vasques, Catalonians...So I was about to cross into Asia... but not yet!
As a matter of fact, the city of Istanbul is right between continents but its heart, brain and lungs sit on the European side. That is where tourists flock to visit the main historical sights, where locals gather either around Taksim or by the Bosphorus and also where the majority of them live and work.

I spent ten days in the city, a bit more than expected because of some issues with my Iranian visa. I had already been to Istanbul before so I had no big sightseeing plans in mind, this time I wanted to experience the city as a local and not as a tourist. My friend Özgül hosted me and that was the first token of Turkish hospitality I got, which actually made it easier (and cheaper) for me to wait until my Iranian visa was ready. I spent my days in Istanbul going downtown to Taksim to meet people from CouchSurfing, strolling the neighborhoods by the Bosphorus, taking one ferry up the strait to the Black sea and back, watching the Champions League final with my sister and her boyfriend, who happened to have arranged that trip a long time before, and commuting to and from the center either with my bike or by public transport. Istanbul is a huge city, 20 million people crammed together, which makes it rather complicated to move around.

This is Özgül during one of our walks around Yeniköy. Practically every spot downtown with water access is filled with local fishermen, who spend their days trying to catch something. Mostly for fun, judging by the size of the fish.

This colorful neighborhood up the Bosphorus, next to the Black Sea, caught my eye. The ferry from Eminönü in central Istanbul takes a couple of hours to sail the 30km that separate the Black Sea from the Sea of Marmara.

As soon as I got an Iranian visa on my passport, I left Istanbul. The metropolis was asphyxiating me and I needed to breathe some air, be able to walk to places and be surrounded by a more natural environment. That is why I drove past Izmir, despite having received some positive comments on the city, it was still the same size as Madrid and I needed something smaller. I made it in one day to Selcuk, the gateway to the ruins of Ephesus. In the process, I got a speeding ticket for driving 119 km/h on the highway, where the limit is supposed to be 110. However, I got to know later that motorbikes in Turkey have to drive 20 km/h more slowly than cars and, therefore, my limit was 90 km/h on that road. The bottom-line is that here people drive very fast and disrespecting all traffic regulations, which is why I was really pissed at being stopped by the police. The main reason was probably that I am driving a nice motorbike with a foreign plate... and then those policemen were very happy to see my Swiss driver's licence. The story ended with a 120 euro fine for having driven at the same speed as the rest of the vehicles... keep it in mind if you decide to drive here.

Anyway, let's comment on happier moments. The ruins of Ephesus are simply magnificent and I consider they are the best classical ruins I have ever seen, including those in Rome and Athens. This Ephesian cat had tried to read an inscription in Classical Greek and fell asleep while trying.

The two best preserved buildings in Ephesus are the Amphitheater, which had a capacity of more than 20.000 people and the Library of Celsus. The image below corresponds to the second one, a Roman building which was used as both a library and a mausoleum. Not a common combination.

Apart from those tourist attractions, I felt good in Selcuk. I ended up in a hostel run by friendly Turks and spending those evenings at the terrace, chatting with other travelers. You could watch the sunset in the evening and hear the birds in the morning, go downtown and buy baklava in local shops with local prices and quality, stroll by a veggie and fruit market made by locals and for locals and, in short, get a feel of what a small Turkish town looks like. Not that it has no tourists but the majority of the people who visit Ephesus do so on a day tour from somewhere else... so the coaches come and go but many do not unload their minions.

Next post will also be in Selcuk area, in the tiny village of Sirince.
Hope you keep reading!