Kusadasi – ku sha dasi for those of you, like me, that have forever pronounced it incorrectly.
No HOHO bus for us today as there isn’t one. But once again I get to say I have been to Asia, but truthfully, not quite the way I still intend.
Kusadasi is totally in that part of Turkey that is in Asia and has an amazing history all its own. The ruins of Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis, the House of the Seven Sleepers…the list is long and varied. This visit doesn’t include any of those sights as they have been viewed in the past. Today is simply a visit to the town marketplace, which given the heat, is a workout all its own.
This port town is the starting point for 400,000 cruise and ferry passengers each year and has become quite the holiday resort. With a climate that is typical of the Aegean, sunshine for 300 days of the year, immediate access to the sea, historical points of interest and shopping galore, it has almost everything one could wish for.
Except respectful shopkeepers. Bargaining is all but mandatory here, however, walking through the constant assault of ‘just 5 minutes…no obligation’ is just about enough to make even a polite Canadian lose his cool. Are there honest deals to be had? Yes…but the work involved almost makes it not worthwhile. It is also easy to end up paying much more than the real value. As with anywhere, you have to know what you’re really buying.
When you’re here, treat yourself to the local fare as it is very good. Kick the tires (so to speak) in the marketplace and see the sights surrounding the town.