Tofurkish Delight: Quick Catch-Up

I'm not sure how the internet connection will be in the next hotel, so I'll take this chance to catch you up on the past two days. At least the highlights... In the morning I decided to count how many times the tour guide said "Ladies and Gentlemen" and lost count in less than 2 hours at 37 times (just to explain how much he says that). Yesterday we went to Pergamum, which was settled in the 8th century BC and ruled by Alexander's general Lysimachus, it was famous for having the spoils from Babylon (many of which are now on display in London and Berlin).

From Pergamam we drove through the territories of Thyatira, Sardis, Smyrna (which is the only city still in existence, now known as Izmir), Philadelphia, and then on to Ephesus.

We're staying in the city of Kusadasi, which is a beachfront resort town, the hotel is gorgeous, and our rooms are facing the water. Today was our tour of Ephesus, wow! It was much more than we expected, Chad was speechless the whole tour, it was so much to take in. It was amazing to walk down the original marble streets, entering the houses of the Ephesians that are being restored, the mosaic floors and wall frescoes still intact, nearly perfect. It was amazing to see them so well preserved. Even seeing the theater, where the riots over Paul's ministry broke out, it was huge, easily sitting 25,000 people, it must have been a terrifying experience. To learn that the city was believed to have been built as the birthplace of Artemis, its easy to understand the uproar he caused in teaching the truth there.