Let’s hope for some better wifi tonight! We had a great day today and have found
ourselves in the lovely seaside village of Ayvalik – a stark contrast to the
cruise ship port of Kusadasi!
We began our day at the DOBAG initiative. The Dobag co-op is an organization dedicated
to preserving the traditional methods and materials of the Turkish rug
weavers. They produce masterpieces –
rugs of really indescribable beauty.
There was a small carpet of probably 18” by 12” today that took 4 ½
years to weave and cost US$17,000. And
if I had that kind of disposable income, I would have paid it! They did let me hold it, which I thought was
a really bad idea…
I love this place.
The Dobag folks let the kids do some of the weaving and silk spinning
today, which they loved, and they showcased hundreds of the carpets they have
produced over the years.
Next up was the acropolis of Pergamon, an ancient city of
importance during the Hellenistic era. I
love Pergamon! It is in such contrast to
Ephesus. Sure, it certainly does not
have the grandeur and volume of Ephesus, but its location, perched on the top
of a hill overlooking a lush valley and the modern city of Bergamon, make it a
much more scenic site. There are also
approximately 12 million less tourists crowding the site. In fact, we basically had it to
ourselves. Pergamon is also home to the
steepest amphitheater in the ancient world, so we had a great time scaling
those heights.
We have a really great day planned for tomorrow, so we are
turning in for the night!
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