Aphrodesius Sept 21

Inland to Aphrodesius through a pine forest and over a lower area of the Toros mountain range. Grain fields in the highlands and hundreds of goats being raised.

Small modern housing in villages and all around them were more orchards, fruit stands and farms. The higher we got into the mountains the more it was just like the Chilcotin country in colour and wild vegetation.

We saw tall, white trunk poplar trees. Lots of road construction to improve the good 4 lane divided highway.

Back into grape country, mostly for eating because Moslems don't drink alcohol. The fields varied from tobacco, quince, pear, grapes, melons, sunflower, cabbages, pomegranate, olive, figs and nuts (including pistachio). Plus more.

Aphrodisuis has the largest, best preserved artifacts in the world. The decoration was ornate and beautiful. There was a temple to Aphrodesia (no kidding), a theatre, a stadium and a bath. We were only allowed into one room of the museum but the 3 walls were covered with reliefs, 4 x 6 feet and still with great details, scenes of gods, etc. There were a total of 80+ found and we saw 47 of them.

I have never seen so many crypts and they had great carvings all around them too.

Because this was a place of the great theater, there were so many faces carved, perhaps of actors, or perhaps of the gods they depicted.


After crossing over the low mountain pass we were again on the Aegean side of Turkey and only 130 miles to the sea.

It is a temperate climate and farmers manage at least 2 crops per year. This area supplies 70% of the figs for Turkey, 60% of the cotton, and 50% of the tobacco.

Many poplar, and a river called Meandros. That's where we get the word meander!