And, today was Sunday, the day to remember our Lord in a special way. We gathered in a room for a worship service before leaving for the day. Jack led the singing and David presented the lesson of the hour after we took communion. We even had “visitors” at our service! Four ladies at the hotel heard our singing and joined our group. What a treat!
After the service we headed for our first stop, the area of Hierapolis, which was not far from our hotel. Hierapolis is not one of the seven churches, but is mentioned in Colossians, and it is one of the tri-cities of the Lycus River valley. Several interesting things there included, such as an old cemetery with above-ground sarcophagi (or rock burial chambers). Frank had a little fun climbing out of one of them. It looks pretty scary, doesn’t it? Also, I have been tryıng for days to get a photo of Glenda but she always has a camera ın front of her face. Today at Hıerapolıs I just asked her to pose for the camera.
There is a wide, colonnaded street in Hierapolis, and at the end an impressive structure called the Arch of Domitian. Jack, Donna Jo, Carole and Billy posed for a photo there.
A short walk from that spot is the area of Pamukkale, which has hot mineral springs that have made the area popular as a spa. Due to the large percentage of calcium in the water, spectacular white travertine formations have formed all over the nearby hillside, and pools of warm water are located here and there in the formations. Visitors are permitted to experience the water up close and personal by wading, if they remove socks and shoes. It did not take long for this idea to catch on. Boyd and Linda had a great “reflection” photo made by one of the pools, and a group of ladies enjoyed the warm water running over their tired feet. The “bathing beauties” are Donna Jo, Carole, Linda, Jane, Glenda and Sharon. (That photo ıs probably above.)
After lunch we drove to Aphrodisias, which is not mentioned in the New Testament, but was an active town during the first century. It was a city dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and boasts of being one of Turkey’s finest archaeological sites. Although many areas have been unearthed, there is still much work to be done. We visited a huge Roman stadium that was 279 meters long. (You can do your own math to figure how many yards that is!) The stadium is supposed to be the best-preserved structure of its kind from the classical era, and although it was overgrown a bit when we were there, it is still in usable condition and seats 30,000. We also visited the remains of the temple of Aphrodite, where 14 of the columns have been re-erected. We all sat on the marble seats in the odeon (area where the city leaders met). That area was in excellent condition.
After the usual afternoon break for a Magnum ice cream bar, we headed toward Kusadasi (Ephesus). The drive took over two hours, but the drive was spectacular as we drove through the Meander Valley with mountains on either side. The valley had groves of tangerines, plums, figs, and of course, olives. As we got closer to Kusadasi we passed many strawberry fields. We also noted several storks that had built nests on the power poles along the highway.
During the drive, Orhan entertained us with stories of his experiences in the Turkish army, and Ferrell discussed the history of Ephesus with us so we would be prepared for Monday’s activities. When we arrive in Ephesus we will have been to the locations of all seven churches mentioned in Revelation, so Ferrell completed our study by reading and commenting on those verses while we covered the miles.
The afternoon got later, and we saw several shepherds leading their flocks of sheep to various areas on the highway right-of-way for their evening grazing. It was late in the day by the time we arrived at our hotel, but we arrived just in time to see the sun set over the Aegean Sea. Pinch me to make sure I am not dreaming.
It was a great Mothers’Day! A special message to my daughters and daughter-in-law: Thank you for all your wonderful children that qualify you to celebrate Mothers’ Day…and makes me one of the proudest grandmothers in the world! I hope your day was wonderful.
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