First my apologies for the i & y fiasco...the keyboard is different and has extra Turkish letters.  I hope this one comes out a bit better...though it will take me a while to write it.

Well the last 24 hours have been rather exhausting.  Let me first start by nothing bad happened...i am just a bit frazzled and overwhelmed...but it is all good because this is the experience I wanted!   though today I feared I may have bit off more than I can chew!

For 24 hours now I have been playing charades....I really thought more people would speak English.  I tried to go to bed early but couldn’t fall asleep.  I woke up about 7 today and had breakfast at the hotel..olives hard boil egg cheese bread and coffee.  At 9 I ventured out to find a trip to Ephesus tomorrow as that is a highlight of where  I want to go.  I went to tourist place after place and no one spoke English.  After an hour I finally found a place that offered English Ephesus tours.  Once ý got that all squared away I walked along the boardwalk and ended up in a bazaar...it was very interesting to see all the spices fish fruit but then I ended up in a super crowded bazaar where everyone was yelling and screaming Turkish it was so loud and overwhelming and masses of merchants running up to me you want leather you want rug you want jeans.  I always though Venice Italy was the most confusing city but I got hopelessly lost several times today and the language barrier made it all the more difficult to get help.  I was trying to find the ancient Agora and ended up in some small back alleys that were so crowded with people and cars trying to get buy and mopeds and bikes on the sidewalk ý felt like I was going to get crushed.    Please don’t worry about me getting caught up in some terrorist plot....the most dangerous thing here is the traffic.  I was pushed so hard up against the wall my shirt got caught on a nail and ripped.   I quickly became agitated from the pushing shoving horn honking screaming and yelling... after wandering around I finally found the agora.  This was the center of the city when it was called Smyrna..It was built by the Greeks but destroyed in 187 B.C. by earthquake and rebuilt by emperor Marcus Aurelius.  I was the only one there and I was walking around and some security guard started yelling at me in Turkish.   I walked the other way and he left me alone.  I still don’t know what I did wrong.  I did learn today that izmir/smyrna is where Homer was born and has been here for 5000 years also 3 of the 7 churches mentioned in the bible are here.

After the Agora I took a cab to the kadefekale a castle at the top of the mountain built in 4th century B.C. by Alexander the Great...it is way off the beaten path and very few tourist go.  There were old Turkish women using knitting kilns. The view of the city was breathtaking up there.  I decided I would walk back since it was all downhill....this did not prove to be a wise move.  It was the most meandering path of streets and stairs I have ever encountered.  Also it was obvious not many fair skinned people traveled this way because I got many stares from children pointing at me.   Furthermore this area all of the women were dressed in traditional Muslim attire...it was smelly seedy and like a slum.   I really have not been that nervous before in any of my adventures plus the sun was setting.  I finally made it back down to the city and come to find out the short cut I took was through the most dangerous part of the city.  Thankfully nothing happened.  Now that it is over and I made it safe...I can say it was exciting!!   I then found a place to eat and now ý am trying to unwind.   I feel like a handicapped person....I have to point and physically act out what I want or need....food, the check, coffee, an ashtray, etc.  It has given me a new appreciation for people who have any kind of handicap...blind deaf don’t speak English mute....I hope that this will teach me more patience when I encounter people that get on my nerves.

So...tomorrow should be a bit easier...ý leave at 10 with an organized English speaking tour to Ephesus The Tomb of St. John...and the home and death place of Virgin Mary.  Wednesday will prove to be my next challenge of getting to the airport here and get to Amman Jordan!

As difficult as it is at times....I love it...its like and addiction and I am already thinking about where to go next!  Perhaps one of you will want to join me!   Take care...and I hope not to many i,s are y,s!

With love and peace

Keith