April 12, Selcuk

The rest of the trip to Selcuk was uneventful, except for the 3 hour wait for a train at the airport station, and the lack of any printed time-table or even signs on the platform to tell you for sure which train to get on! I had to ask advice of a couple of other travellers to be sure I was getting on the right train, and when I got on it was jammed with people, so I ended up standing the whole way, a bit less than an hour, with my backpack on. I was able to brace myself against a corner so it wasn't too bad but I didn't see much of the countryside.

Selcuk is itself a small town with signs of its history in the form of a ruined viaduct right in front of the train station, and the ruins of the Basilica of St. Jean, built in the 4th century to honor the youngest of the 12 apostles, then wrecked by an earthquake and rebuilt even larger and grander - converted to a mosque, and ruined by another earthquake. As soon as I checked in to the B&B I walked back up and toured the ruins, very nice in the late afternoon light, and only a couple tour groups plus a scattering of other individuals; I managed to get several photos that I will upload later. Unfortunately I lost my memory card reader in Edirne so will have to get another one before I can upload anything new.

Above the basilica, on the very top of a hill overlooking Selcuk, is a huge old castle. Unfortunately, it is apparently very unstable and they have it closed while doing some repairs to keep the walls from falling on a tourist. They won't let you within a couple hundred meters of it.

After touring the basilica I walked back into town hoping to find a place to buy some fresh fruit and maybe a cenit, the little donut shaped bread rolls, to take with me to Ephesus, but real estate is apparently too valuable for that: In addition to the dozens of carpet and souvenir shops, restaurants, etc., I found several little shops selling soft drinks, beer, and junk food, but no fruit, no Turkish street food. After I get back from Ephesus I will walk to the other side of the station and see if the residents side of town has anything.