21st March: Ephesus Museum and the road to Pamukkale

After a leisurely start to the morning we made our way to the Ephesus Museum, just down the hill from our hostel. The museum displayed many fine statues, friezes, and frescoes that had been removed from the ruins of Ephesus for the sake of conservation, as well as an array of pots, coins, and jewellery that had been collected from the terraced houses that we had seen the previous day. There were more statues in the courtyard behind the museum, which led through to the "ethnographic museum" based in a grand old hammam. Back inside the main museum we passed by a reconstruction of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World before it was completely destroyed, which was watched over by two large cult statues of the goddess herself. The final room was the Hall of Emperor Cults, highlighted by a very podgy Domitian and the heads of Augustus and Livia with Christian crosses carved into their foreheads.

Fresco of Socrates

An Ottoman barbershop

1st century AD statue of Artemis

Reconstruction of the Temple of Artemis

A rather podgy Domitian

Livia with a Christian cross carved onto her forehead

We then wandered into the centre of town and sat down for a cup of tea beneath the remains of a Roman aqueduct, which had been colonised by several storks (much to Clem's delight; apparently storks are a feature of Alsace). We had been told by Harry, the Turkish-Australian owner of the hostel, that the storks had arrived only a few days earlier, and would stay for several months while they laid their eggs and reared the chicks.

Stork on top of the aqueduct

Plumage ruffled by the wind

We repaired to the hostel's terrace for a lunchtime picnic. After lunch I went by myself, as Clem wasn't feeling well, to pay a quick visit to the Isa Bey Mosque, built in the 14th century AD, before we had to catch the bus. The courtyard was wonderfully peaceful, half bathed in sunshine and half cool in the shade of the twin-halled mosque and its minaret. Inside the mosque, the main carpeted area was cordoned off from visitors, of whom I was the only one.

Isa Bey hammam, 14th century AD, opposite the mosque

Courtyard of the mosque

Tall (and loud) minaret watching over the mosque

Inside the mosque

No one to be seen

Back at the hostel, we hoisted our bags upon our shoulders and made our way over to the otogar to catch the bus to Pamukkale. I was fairly irritated to find that we were squished up at the back of the bus, since I'd expressly asked the ticket seller two days ago to make sure we weren't at the back. The four hour journey was not particularly pleasant, not least because of the complete loon of a bus conductor who spoke no English and therefore resorted to poking when he wanted to communicate something (although it was at least amusing when he started prodding the leg of an understandably displeased Korean girl nearby).

We were dropped off outside of Pamukkale and the dozen or so tourists headed there were collected by a "free shuttle" to the town centre. This turned out to be the bus of a local hotelier, who took us all to his hotel, in the hope that some of us would not have reservations. Once his kidnapping attempt had proven unsuccessful he dropped us in the centre, leaving us a walk downhill to the hotel we had booked. The Melrose House Hotel was very welcoming, and its comfortable rooms were a bargain. After a long day we couldn't face walking back into town to find a restaurant, so settled for eating at the hotel. The food was nothing to write home about, but it did the job.