The ancient Greek city of Ephesus that lies in present day Turkey.

Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis, and Selcuk, Turkey.

The ancient Greek city of Ephesus that lies in present day Turkey.

I’ve grown accustomed to slow travel. I like spending a week everywhere, soaking up the atmosphere of whatever city I’m in, getting used to being in a place. At least for a small bit of time.

But it quickly became evident that that lifestyle wasn’t going to work when traveling in Turkey. Most of the places on my list of things to see weren’t places I could hang my hat, spend a chunk of time. They had maybe one big thing to see, were good for a day of exploring, but after that I just couldn’t find much else to occupy my time. So I’d move on.

I had intended to go to some beach towns in Turkey but the weather had been miserable so I wasn’t in the mood. And so I ended up breezing through the country much faster than I’d anticipated.

I spent two nights in Selcuk, Turkey, in a hotel I’m convinced I was the only person staying at. I think the owner tried to make me feel like there were many more people staying there by proclaiming that I was the last to eat dinner (at 8pm) and the last to eat breakfast (at 9am).


I arrived late on the first day and left early on the third so I really only spent a day exploring, which was more than enough. There weren’t all that many things to do in Selcuk.

Selcuk is the base for those wanting to see Ephesus, an ancient Greek city in Turkey. It’s the one big thing to do among not a whole lot else.

I spent a few hours exploring the ruins that lay three kilometres southwest of Selçuk (and, you know, petting some cats). Like Cappadocia, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of ancient buildings and monuments like the Library of Celsus and a 25,000 capacity theatre.

 

Present day Ephesus:

Ephesus, Turkey - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ephesus, Turkey - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ephesus, Turkey - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ephesus, Turkey - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ephesus, Turkey - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ephesus, Turkey - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ephesus, Turkey - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ephesus, Turkey - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ephesus, Turkey - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ephesus, Turkey - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Ephesus, Turkey - UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Afterward exploring Ephesus, I went to some other attractions around town, like the Ephesus Museum that displayed some of the statues that were originally scattered throughout the site…

 

Ephesus Museum, Selcuk Turkey

Ephesus Museum, Selcuk Turkey

Ephesus Museum, Selcuk Turkey

 

And the Temple of Artemis, which is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world…but really, now, just some piles of rubble…

 

Temple of Artemis in Selcuk Turkey

 

And the Church of St. John because it was near my hotel…

 

Church of St. John in Selcuk Turkey

 

And a random goat

 

Goat in Selcuk Turkey

Hi, I'm Val. I spent most of my 20s in a standstill, unable to pick which path in life I wanted to take. I wanted the nomadic life of a traveler but also wanted the husband, the condo, and the kitten. Unable to decide which life I wanted more, I did nothing. When I turned 30 I’d had enough of putting my life on hold and decided to start “choosing my figs.” So, I quit my job, bought a one-way ticket to Europe, and traveled for three years. Now I'm back in Chicago, decorating my apartment in all the teal, petting my cats, and planning my next adventure.

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2 Comments
  • Jarmo @ArcticNomad
    October 24, 2011at2:33 am

    Some places are better suited for slow travel than others; and I also think that slow travel is the best way to experience places. It’s been such a long since I was in Turkey, that I can’t say anything about that, but at least SE Asia seems to be great for slow travel 🙂

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