After Weekend

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July 17

Hello again.

I just came back from Izmir where I went for weekend. It's very long and interesting story.

First I will describe that photos are divided, Efes [old city I was sightseeing] and Kusadasi [Tourist Resort] are

in separate folder just to keep it for you more easy to find, al the rest like my photos, my with Anil or my with

something are attached to this blog entry.

Ok so lets start the story.
My agenda looked like that:
Friday:
1. Taking night bus to Izmir.
Saturday

2. Getting to Izmir and meeting Anil
3. Going to center and sightseeing a little
4. Going to Selcuk and from there to Efes [ancient city - sightseeing place]
5. At Efes I took a taxi to Virgin Mary's home at the top of the mountain
6. Sightseeing Virgin Mary's Home and going down Efes
7. Sightseeing Efes
8. Going to Kusadasi [Tourist resort]
9. Parting, swimming, sleeping
Sunday
1. Sightseeing castle of Kusadasi.
2. Sunbathing
3. Going back Izmir
4. Sightseeing Izmir at night.
4. Taking night bus to Bursa
Monday
1. Getting to Bursa

I cant describe all step by step because it will take me whole day, so lets keep it short.

This was my very much independent journey, AIESECers were helping me very much like buying tickets and so on but to Efes I went alone and come alone. You know traveling alone is foreign country is always a little scary but it was so funny.

By this occasion I just want to share two thoughts with you.
First one it that in fact English level in Turkey is quite low, I was expecting [no I must say that I don’t know

why] is to be hire, that i will be possible to communicate in English everywhere. But its not like that, of course

in places where tourist comes you can easy communicate maybe not on hi-level but at lease bus driver understands

where you want to go, shop sellers speaks a little just to buy, ask and barter. But in big cities where are no tourists English level is very very low. I just want you to be ready for this, I'm handling my self by sign language I'm pointing the numbers and so on or by making shopping in supermarket.
Second think is that if you are going somewhere take with you some Turkish people, because in tourist resorts they

are making so much money on tourists I will repeat after my English teacher "I just felt the money being sucked from my pocket".

Ok lets go further. In Turkey they do not have trains, so everywhere they are traveling by buses, this buses are

quite cheap and good standard, you always get something to drink, sometimes something to eat also in the bus. Always

remember to buy ticket both ways the one on coming back you may buy open and the change it for reservation.

Now about Turkish views, most of the territory are mountains so by all the time you are seeing mountains [very nice

view].

Ok. lets get to business.
On my way to Efes I met two guys Eryk from Holand and Shaka from Armenia. We met by accident, but I spend most of

the sightseeing with them, on the way we were talking and exchanging our experience, on Eryk’s example I ones again

felt power of network of contact, by his friends he saw most of the world.

Efes – ruined ancient city, normaly I would say ‘a piece of rock’ but it has its beauty – theaters, gates, paintings

and sculptures. I really advice it to see.

Then Kusadasi, very nice beach resort meant to make money on tourist. To be honest I didn’t like it, maybe because

it make me felt like a tourist I could only lie on the beach, swim and talk to others.

I’m very happy from one point I managed to talked with Jigit VP OGX LC Izmir and exchange knowledge, I’m very happy

because he just gave me few ideas.

Coming to the end we came back to Izmir and I went with Anil to see Izmir at night, the city is very beauty, the

evening ship sail through bay give unremarkable memories.

By this point I would like to share a thought with you, that when Anil left me to wait for bus I started to think, I

was alone, 1000km from home, in the city where I even cannot talk to anybody one the street, without knowing Turkish

I just felt like a big baby left alone going through big streets.
But on the other hand I felt so strong and motivated, I made it, I did my journey, I felt like a winner.

So that will be the end of my story from my Izmir’s trip.

See you …