Day 5--Pergamum, poppies and photographs

NOTE: We had problems with internet service at this hotel. There are so many of us with laptops that I think we overloaed their meager system, therefore I am posting this at 4:45 in the morning when I think my friends are all asleep!

Turkey is definitely one of the undiscovered tourist attractions of the world! Each day we spend here gives us more wonderful experiences than the last. Today (among other things) we saw ruins of two of the cities mentioned in the book of Revelation.

On the hour-and-a-half ride from Izmir (Symrna) to Pergamum, we rode past orchards of apricots, peaches and plums. As we got closer to Pergamum we saw more and more olive trees on the rolling hillsides. The land here is very fertile.

During our ride, Ferrell read and discussed the verses in Revelation that pertain to Pergamum in order to prepare us for our first stop. However, there was no way to actually prepare us for the sights there. Ancient Pergamum is on a hill (an acropolis) near the town of Bergama. The view from the top is nothing short of spectacular with the ruins of a temple to Athena, a temple of Trajan, and a theater that was constructed in the third century B.C. , to name a few. As an added treat, the wildflowers were in full bloom, framing each photo with flashes of color. I was certain Sharon and Glenda were going to run out of memory for their cameras, and Sharon could not resist lying down amid the beautiful red poppies. What a photo!

After lunch in Bergama, we drove to the Asclepieum, the ruins of an ancient medical center established by a local citizen who had been cured of his dreaded disease. An early physician, Galen, was born in Pergamum, and with his help the center became well-known. It was in this area that we began to get very creative with our photography and posing for photos! This photo is of Pam, Jane, Virginia, Donna Jo and Bonnie. (We understand there is a "much more interesting view" of this same pose...taken by others who were shooting it from the opposite angle! They title their shot the "behind" the scenes pose! No doubt some shameless person will eventually blog that one, too!)

From there we drove about 45 miles of Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29). The road between Pergamum and Thyatira was narrow with many bumps and turns, but the scenery was wonderful. There were beautiful mountains, rolling hills, and quaint little villages along the way. Occasionally we would see a shepherd and a flock of sheep.

After having seen the impressive sights at Pergamum, Thyatira was a bit of a disappointment. Most of the ancient ruins are under the present city. An area about the size of city block was all that was available to see. However, we now have a picture in our minds about the location of the city mentioned in Revelation, which was also the hometown of Lydia, the "seller of purple" mentioned in Acts.

On the way to the bus, Norm kicked the soccer ball around with a group of boys who were playing in the street. They looked to be about the age of Bailey and Jacob (grandsons), and they had no idea that they were playing with a high school soccer coach from the United States.

We convinced Orhan to tell us some of his humorous "tour guide stories" on the way back to Izmir. He kept us laughing and it helped pass the travel time. (I wonder what stories he will tell about our group! He said he was already collecting material on us!) It has been a great day for all of us. We are seeing wonderful sights! We are enjoying the company of delightful people! And, we are learning so much to take home and share with students in our Bible classes. We are so thankful to have this opportunity.

Be thankful for all the opportunities you have today!