My first motorcycle trip (accidentally) abroad (March 2008, Part 2 Cesme - Selcuk - Ephesus)

A new day dawns here in Chios:

And looks wonderful from the very start:

We leave our hotel behind and take the short ride to the port to later catch the ferry to Cesme. Ladies and gents, Turkey is about to be the first place abroad I will roll my 2 wheels. Am I excited? Yes I am but if only I knew the motorcycle moments abroad that would follow this over the next 16 years (and counting).

We're done with the check in and our iron horses are the only ones on board:

Ferry departs, we kiss Chios goodbye:

The ferry is flooded by a group of Asian tourists and Woody Allen scenes take place during this short trip as they manage to exchange jokes with Pat & Bin based entirely on body language as we're totally lost in translation. Here's a shot from a brief moment of one of them "flirting" with Pat with Bin and me cracking up behind the camera:

It's not just my first time on a bike in Turkey but my first time there ever. These are my first views as we approach Cesme of a country with which Greece is so far and so close at the same time:

Cesme is in our sight now:

There's a huge Turkish flag carved on a slope North of the port and looking now at my pictures I'm impressed I didn't capture this. At the passport control I get the chance to picture the guys we shared the trip with on board, mainly due to the quite interesting outfit of the one in the middle🙂:

Boys 'n girls, here's my temporary passport given by the local authorities:

They misspelled my name🙂

We ride South following the coast and I let Pat & Bin take the lead. At some point we are stopped by officers, unclear to me weather they are traffic police, normal police or army police but I can't forget that funny stop sign one of them holds. For some reason they only check my Aussie friends and not me. Is it because they are lazy or that their bike has a zillion time more luggage than mine? No idea but I'm happy about it.

I have to pee later so I let the guys ahead and spare me a few grams while watching the sea:

We make it to Selcuk where we start searching for a place to stay. In this hostel village my Aussie mates seem to be attracted by this one:

Unsurprisingly as this is the ANZ guesthouse, (Aussie New Zealand that is). We are allowed to bring in our bikes as well:

We are offered tea which we gladly accept. Here's Bin with the more Turkish than Turkey itself owner:

During a brief chat with him he complains about politicians and tell me that "Turkey needs a new Kemal". If he's still alive (which I hope) I wonder what he might be saying now that not only Erdogan is still on power but he also deKemalises Turkey as far as he can. Is Kemal still on Turkish notes like this?

I wouldn't be impressed neither surprised if not. Funny how history evolves in the progress of time isn't it?

Time to go upstairs to our rooms:

Here's mine:

Turkey has flags everywhere and the hostel's rooftop is no exception:

Bin's flue is developing unfortunately but she's still OK to walk around so we leave the hostel to walk this town. Here's Pat in front of a public fountain where he gets the chance to fill his water bottle:

Many storks around:

Pat wonders how come there are so many in Turkey and almost none in Greece. To be honest I have no answer for that. I picture their "love is in the air" moment:

If storks caught me by surprise mosques definitely don't:

We sit for a drink at this park - pity I can't find today where this was:

Back at the hostel for the sunset on this calm day. Turkish flag is sleepy now:

And the sun goes to sleep too:

Looking at this mess of the Turkish roof tops I get the answer to why Greek villages often look as ugly.

Next day we arrange a visit to the ancient site of Ephesus with another couple that we met in the same hostel:

They have their backs on me cause they are attracted to Pat's suggestions about their upcoming motorcycle trip. Blame it on last night's chat which triggered the "they do it, why wouldn't we?".

A van comes to pick us from the hostel and soon we arrive at this emblematic ancient city, an absolute must in case you ever come close.

It's such a beautiful day and we can't wait to start walking this beauty:

This used to be the baths near the State Agora:

View to the Odeon from the State Agora:

The Odeon is quite nice though not the largest amphitheater here (wait for it):

Part of the Basilica Stoa next to the Odeon:

I try to recall WTF I'm holding on this next picture but can't - Odeon is behind me:

In the next one you can see Koressos mountain viewed from inside the arched entrance to the upper tier of seats, on the east side of the cavea:

Some view from the top to all the above never hurt anybody:

I don't know if you have noticed it yet but missing parts of these ancient ruins have been filled with...cement! Like in these columns:

Even by 2008 standards that's unthinkable to me. This place deserves to be treated like we do Acropolis. It is one of the oldest/largest cities in the world with vast importance and history.

This is "Hydrekdokheion", which even in Latin letters is "all Greek to you", literally, so consider this as the local fountain:

See how gross the cement looks on the ruins of the Domitian temple:

Memmius monument:

This is the main street of ancient Ephesus, Curetes street:

Trian's fountain:

Curetes street as I look back for Bin who's fighting her flue:

More ancient baths:

Adrian's temple:

And now one of the highlights of this ancient city, its library:

It's a massive building and an absolute must see:

Here's the impressive entrance above viewed from the inside:

Literally outstanding. Next to it North side is the ancient Agora:

The size of this marble road says a lot about the importance of this city:

Here at my left I find this sign:

There's two girls at the spot and the super hot one explains to her no so hot friend what is it about so I ask her to share the info with me. Quite impressed to hear that this is probably the first advertisement of mankind as it shows the way to the local brothel! I'll never forget her smile while pronouncing that but with a smile like hers I'd remember it anyway.

I wish I could only tell you that the next image is the arch of the gate to the ancient market but look at that uglier than ugly cement on the left with the rusty iron exceeding on top:

I try to wash my eyes at the largest amphitheater of Ephesus, an absolute masterpiece, this ancient Greek theater:

I am told that they host gigs here and fantastic as they must feel, I worry about the wear they might cause on this colossal piece of history. We banned entrance to Parthenon decades ago for a reason...

Look at this fantastic view from the top:

This is the Arkadiane street that used to lead to the sea:

Imagine how things change over the centuries that today you can't even see the sea from here.

Here's one more viewing angle to the theater:

And the gymnasium next to it:

We head to the exit and I have a smile from ear to ear. This ancient city stole my heart. The sign pointing to the toilets at the exit not as much🙂

I sit with Bin for a drink here as we wait for Pat and the other guys:

Instead of them I see the 2 girls I met in the site coming towards us so I invite them to our table for a drink. Larisa, the hot New Yorker, is almost ready to say yes but she turns to her friend to see if she's as OK with it. She makes a sour face and Larisa is too kind to ignore that unfortunately so it's a no. I don't blame her friend, imagine going out with your mate and everybody looks and smiles to your friend while you go unnoticed.

Pat joins us later and we all go to visit the museum. There I find this picture from the excavations:

The museum has really nice items and is quite cheap. Let me show you some.

Would you date this guy?

That's King Priapus, well known for his "advantages"😉

Here's Emperor Marcus Aurelius:

Would you date this lady?

You should cause she's Goddess Aphrodite hence her irresistible breast.

Picture doesn't do justice for its impressive size but this is the supernatural statue of the Resting Warrior:

In the next image you see a small bronze statue of Eros riding a dolphin:

I'm even more impressed by this tiny gold creation, so tiny that it is exhibited behind a magnifying glass:

You saw Eros riding a dolphin before, time to see him holding a rabbit:

Ancient Greeks loved wine, here's a bronze "oinoche", 5th BC:

The following two statues are of Goddess Artemis:

Look at her temple which unfortunately can't be seen like this in real today:

Roman period now, here's the statue of Emperor Domitian:

It is of extra super natural size but that's all you can see from it today.

What a travel in time that was! Back in Selcuk for some rest and at night we walk the town for the last time. Patrick is brave enough to try a local barber:

No, that's no artifact in the middle, it is flame indeed. I told you he's brave didn't I? Though he always carry a bottle of water with him, seen on the right in this fancy blue textile case, so he plays safe🙂

My dear Aussies invite me to keep joining them as they would head South the next day. I'm starting feeling part of Bin's flue and knowing that if anything goes worse I'd have to do an even longer way back home solo I kindly say no. I am still on the very beginning of my traveling career and it kinda shows, now I have pins all over Europe and beyond, almost all of them done solo. However, wait for it cause I was right, though I kiss them goodbye next morning with a heavy heart, watching Bin waving hands as I'm loosing them from my eyes before I start my bike to head back to Cesme. Feeling even weaker now...

I leave Selcuk more than early enough so that I won't lose the ferry back to mama Hellas and Chios even in the worst case scenario and... as if I knew it: Near Seferihisar the road is closed and the local police tells me I have to deviate. No map, no gps, let's hope it will work without much drama. Turns out that my drama is not navigating but the insane winds that occurs as I get closer to Cesme. For a good portion of the route I have to drive on the opposite lane to avoid gusts of wind ditching me. When I arrive I am told that the check in is not open yet and I have to come back later.

So I wander around trying to kill time while feeling even worse when I find this aquarium fence in front of a building:

Outside I find a fancy car with smoked tinted windows and custom number plate so I don't stay too much around. We've already being treated like we were riding spaceships and cars like this are far from common so the owner was probably "somebody".

I'm feeling even weaker and now I am convinced I have to find a place to rest till the check in opens. In this crazy wind I find a bit of cavity where I put the cover of my bike as mattress/sleeping bag and try to rest for a while:

The wind is so strong that from the noise alone I can't rest (needless to say sleep). I'm only in the beginning of my motorcycle travelling career so no ear plugs. Back to the town, I ask a couple of stores if they accept euros so I'd sit somewhere inside to kill time but they say no and I have no more local currency with me. I'm a bit surprised to be honest but maybe they didn't understand me.

Check in time, I give my documents to the guys at the customs but for some reason feels like they won't ever give them back to me. Another guy from the local authorities asks me after quite a while what I am waiting for here. I explain him the situation and he tells the guys to finish the procedure. So yep, they probably just had me waiting for the sake of waiting...

I am at the port now, waiting solo just like this empty ship:

The small ferry that will take me back to homeland arrives, the guy ties it tight as they expect more than rough sea and I find a spot to drop my even weaker now body. As soon as we leave the port it shakes like Beyonce but not even nearly as sexy. My bike baths in sea water while most of the guys on board start throwing up. The smell and the audio of the whole situation brings me close to throw up for the first time in my life on board. I go to the toilet as I feel this might happen anytime soon and luckily it is empty. It shakes even worse there though and all together combined I feel like I might pass out. I try to forget it all and rebalance for a couple of minutes and fortunately I manage. As we get closer to Chios the sea is calmer and I'm already feeling a little better. When we dock at Chios port half of the passengers look like they came from a warzone. I have enough strength to ride a few meters to the passport control hoping I will soon get a bit better cause I have to take another ferry later to Pireas Athens.

As I line up with a group of Asians at the passport control, I see the policeman behind the counter looking suspicious at me. I (want to) assume it's probably cause I look like a fly in a glass of milk and when my turn comes to hand him my documents he tells me to follow a colleague of his at another room. This is when the WTF begins which becomes even more of a WTF as I look at his colleague: tall and shitfaced, trying his best to look as intimidating as possible. He takes me in a small bare room, closes the door and starts questioning me what was I doing in Turkey. Then he asks me if I carry drugs but more in a way of "where do you have them" as he is almost convinced I do. I propose him to open my luggage so that stupid show ends before my patience does and that makes him stop the show indeed.

Now I have to drive downtown to find a place to kill time till my next ferry arrives. I decide to do so at an internet cafe but that proved to be not the wisest of choices as schoolboys play games in here in the loudest way possible. That torture ends later and now I go at the dock looking forward to the time I'll drop dead at my cabin. As I wait for my ferry to dock a guy approaches me and asks me to take a picture of me as part of his project or thesis. I don't really understand but in the state I'm in it's a no anyway. He tries to chat with me but that's not in my interests neither. As finally time comes to enter the ferry I hear a click from his camera behind me as I ride my bike in the garage. All the WTFs have to happen now?

Good thing is that my worst moments are behind and I feel kinda better now. Even better tomorrow morning as after some sleep I see the first rays of sun at the port of Pireas only a few km away from my birthplace:

This was my first one abroad on 2 wheels ladies and gents, hope you found some sort of interest in it even 16 years later, see you on the next ones!