Part 3: Kuşadasi

KUŞADASI — THE CITY I USED AS A BASE

The next part of the trip would take me to Kuşadası because the main goal was getting to the Greek island of Samos.

For some reason, I couldn’t find a ferry route that worked from Chios to Samos.

It was all good, I guess.

So I was staying in Kuşadası, but the main goal was Ephesus, a place my boy told me about.

I never heard of it.

I knew nothing about Turkey, so this was just another example of me learning about a place after I arrived.

Arriving in Kuşadası

Getting to Kuşadası was kind of hectic, mostly because I didn’t really plan this part out.

Taking a private car would have been expensive, and buses were certainly an option, but I didn’t figure out the details beforehand.

I ended up doing some sort of carpool where some random Turkish guy picked me up. He was going to Izmir and would drop us off at the bus station.

While on the drive, I was trying to find a ride to Kuşadası. I found one, but that went south and ended up not happening.

Honestly, this was one of those moments where I was just figuring shit out as I went.

I had luggage, I didn’t speak Turkish, and I wasn’t exactly sure what the next move was.

But this is also why I travel this way.

Sometimes you just have to figure it out.

No need to go into details.

At the end, I took a bus.

The only problem?

It didn’t leave for another hour or two.

Eventually the bus came, and we drove to Kuşadası.

We got off at a small bus stop, and I took a taxi to my hotel.

A Hotel Too Expensive For Me

The hotel was actually nice.

It had a pool, free buffet breakfast, and a nice room with an amazing view of the city.

I even had a clear view of the Kuşadası sign, which reminded me of the Hollywood sign, plus the coast and all the yachts.

Turkey just kept looking rich to me.

I’m not saying Turkey is a rich country.

I honestly don’t know enough about the economy.

But from my perspective as someone walking around, looking at what I was seeing, it looked rich as hell.

Fancy stores.

Fancy restaurants.

Cafes.

Yachts everywhere.

Turkey was giving me the impression that everyone had money.

The hotel was more expensive than I wanted to pay.

Actually, way more expensive.

But I didn’t really have a choice.

I didn’t plan this part well, and it turned out Ephesus and all the cool shit I wanted to see were outside of Kuşadası.

So I spent some time on the bus contacting rental car agencies because it looked like if I wanted to maximize my time here, I needed a car.

I wasn’t happy about it.

It was just more money.

And the hotel was already way too expensive by my standards.

The bellhop was this kid who spoke good English and was really cool and nice.

I’m often too poor to tip people, so I always carry my own luggage and don’t ask for help.

But this kid had charisma.

So I let him help with my stuff, and of course, I gave him a tip.

It was a good choice because he ended up giving me a lot of information during my stay.

Fish and Chips in Turkey

By the time I was ready to explore, it was around 4 PM.

I found this fish and chips place online.

I was fiending for some fish and chips, so I decided to walk the 30–40 minutes to this place.

Mind you, it was hot in Istanbul.

Hot in Çeşme.

Hot in Chios.

Kuşadası was hotter.

We are talking well over 100 degrees easily.

Kuşadası just raised the scale by quite a few numbers.

I walked along the pier area and immediately thought:

"Everyone is rich."

Fancy stores.

Fancy restaurants.

Fancy cafes.

And yachts everywhere.

Eventually, Google Maps took me more inland into normal areas, and I found the fish and chips place.

The owner was cool.

We talked a lot about his store, his idea, where I could try good Turkish ice cream, and a few other things.

I wasn’t expecting American portions.

But this dude delivered.

This was the first time in Turkey where I was like:

"Okay, this guy understands portions."

The portions were fat.

Hella fries.

A fat-ass piece of fish.

And salad or peas.

I don’t even remember.

But it was good.

Afterwards, I got some ice cream and took a different route back to the hotel.

I was pretty burnt from walking in the heat, so I did something I almost never do.

I relaxed poolside and swam.

One thing about me:

Traveling is not relaxing for me.

I’m usually walking 40,000 steps a day on average.

Out in the heat.

Wandering.

Carrying my camera gear and everything in a backpack.

It’s hard for me to just sit down and relax for hours.

I have to constantly move.

But this was actually nice.

I was able to do it.

After that, I went back to my room and passed out.

The next morning, I would pick up my rental car.

DAY 1 — THE ANCIENT WORLD AROUND KUŞADASI

So there wasn’t really drama with the rental car, but I was annoyed.

I wanted the car at 7 AM because I wanted to finish all the paperwork and be out by 7:30.

Why?

Because I wanted to get to Ephesus when it opened and avoid the crowds.

That wasn’t happening.

The place opened at 8 AM, and the guy said he would drop the car off around 8.

I ended up getting to Ephesus around 8:45.

It was about 30 minutes from my hotel.

I was already behind schedule.

Ephesus — The Famous One

I took a back way.

Or at least I think it was the back way.

The parking lot was pretty small. There were some little shops set up around the area, and then I walked to the ticket booth.

This dude was trying to run game and get me to hire him as a guide for 50 bucks.

Whether that’s cheap or not, I don’t know.

But do I look like someone who has 50 bucks to spend on a guide?

Apparently so.

I bought the ticket that also gave access to the Terrace Houses.

The total was around 55 euros.

Honestly, it was a smart move.

Not only because I’ll probably never come back here again, but because the Terrace Houses were actually dope.

I get inside, and it wasn’t too crowded.

There were people there, but there was still space.

I started walking around, checking out the ruins.

And this was the first time in Turkey where I really thought:

"Damn, Turkey has some dope ruins."

Like I said before, I didn’t know shit about Turkey.

I knew Turkey was old.

Obviously, we’re in the same general region as Egypt, Greece, and Italy, so I knew there had to be ancient stuff here.

After all, I already found ancient ruins in Çeşme.

But this was on a completely different scale.

This wasn’t Karnak.

Nothing I saw in Turkey was Karnak.

But this wasn’t lightweight either.

I enjoyed just wandering.

Taking videos.

Taking photos.

Talking to people occasionally.

Exploring.

Taking cat photos.

Because of course, there were cats.

Lots of cats.

And honestly?

Ancient ruins are probably the perfect backdrop for cats.

I’m not really into humans using these places as backdrops for their social media shit.

But cats?

I’m good with that.

The Terrace Houses — Where the Rich Romans Lived

Eventually, I reached the Terrace Houses.

This was basically its own thing.

They built a structure around it, so you don’t really see it unless you pay for the extra ticket.

And I’m glad I did.

This place was well preserved.

Probably some pasty-ass rich Romans were living up in there.

Mosaics.

Pottery.

Beautiful floors.

The rich people apartments of the ancient world.

It actually reminded me of the Roman theater area in Alexandria, where you could walk into the homes and see the mosaics and details of how people lived.

This was the stuff I liked.

Not just:

"Here is a giant building."

But:

"This is where people actually lived."

You could imagine people walking around here.

Eating.

Talking.

Showing off their wealth.

This place was pimpy.

If you take your time, you’re going to be here for a while.

By the time I came out, the crowds had arrived.

And the Terrace Houses are also right next to probably the pimpest part of Ephesus.

You have this huge wall with figures and inscriptions.

The architecture is crazy.

There are windows and details everywhere.

I don’t remember the exact name of this section, but it’s obviously one of the most popular parts.

And now I understood why.

There was a little food stall nearby, and it immediately made me think of China.

As I walked past one of the coolest parts of Ephesus, there was an open area with what looked like rubble.

But it wasn’t rubble.

It was pieces of architecture.

Romanesque columns.

Old stones.

Pieces of history just sitting there.

And I thought:

"If Ephesus was in China, this area would be cleared out and turned into some kind of playground, food court, or bullshit attraction."

There would probably be TV screens.

Lights.

Some kind of interactive experience.

I honestly don’t understand why so many places in China turn beautiful historical sites into amusement parks.

Just make an amusement park.

Let ancient places be ancient places.

I continued on and took a break in the museum.

The museum was interesting, but it was more of an electronic experience than a traditional museum.

You walk into an empty room, and suddenly all the walls become screens.

It visually shows you the history of the place.

Honestly?

I forgot most of it.

I think Artemis was involved somewhere.

But it was well done and cool.

😂

The Church of Mary — The Thing I Almost Missed

Eventually, I arrived at what I think was the main entrance.

The theater was closed.

That would have added another 30 minutes or more of exploring, but honestly, I had already seen most of Ephesus and the crowds were getting worse.

And you know what that means.

Time to leave.

But before leaving, I noticed something.

If you go to the left near the exit, there is another ruin that can easily be missed.

The Church of Mary.

This was actually a cool surprise.

Most people are focused on the main attractions.

The library.

The theater.

The famous photos.

But this was just sitting there.

Another piece of history.

Another layer.

That’s the kind of stuff I like finding.

I came back the way I came, but there are different routes, so I picked the one I knew would have fewer people.

People become predictable when traveling.

After years of traveling, you start noticing patterns.

You know where people stop.

You know where they take photos.

You know where the crowds collect.

So I naturally moved away from them.

I saw a couple things I missed, made my way back to the car, and left.

House of Mary — A Big Story, Small Place

I still had time, so I did some research.

I found out about the House of Mary.

Not to be confused with the Church of Mary.

This place was expensive.

Around 13 euros.

And honestly?

For me, it was not worth the money.

I’m not trying to disrespect Christianity.

I understand why this place matters.

If you are religious and this is part of your pilgrimage, then absolutely go.

That’s what the place is for.

But for someone like me?

Someone who isn’t religious and is more interested in architecture, ruins, and stories?

It was underwhelming.

Personally, I think it should be free.

Or maybe 5 euros max.

You walk down a hill.

Enter.

Walk around the grounds.

There is a shrine where you cannot take photos or videos.

There is a garden.

A wishing wall.

A water area.

The whole experience is about the religious significance of the place.

And if that means something to you, it’s probably powerful.

If it doesn’t?

You can probably skip it.

St. John Basilica and İsa Bey Mosque — Layers of History

Next was St. John Basilica.

This was much better for me.

And it was only around 6 euros.

This place was huge.

It sits on a hill and has a large ruin area.

If you continue farther, you can reach the castle.

Now, these castles are different from the castles you see in England or other parts of Europe.

A lot of these castles are basically walls.

Maybe a building or two inside.

But still, it was cool.

It had a lot to explore.

And the price was right.

Below the basilica is İsa Bey Mosque.

Honestly?

Nothing specifically blew me away.

I’ve seen tighter mosques in Egypt and other parts of Turkey.

But what was interesting was one of the men there.

I think he was hoping to talk to me about Islam.

He was incredibly respectful.

He talked to me.

Gave me a free Quran.

Gave me some beads.

I don’t even know exactly what they were because my knowledge of Islam is basically nothing.

But the interaction was cool.

I’ve never been to a mosque and had someone approach me like that.

It was a good experience.

Claros — The Forgotten Ruins That Hit

Claros was my first stop.

And honestly?

This place hit.

Not only was it practically empty, it was free.

It was a small site, but it had flavor.

There were some cool sculptures, including some with some nice asses.

😂

There was murky water, turtles, and fish living within the ruins, which added a lot to the atmosphere.

The ruins themselves were legit.

Were they mind-blowing?

No.

I wouldn’t drive all the way out here just for Claros and Notion.

But if they are on the way?

Hell yeah.

This is exactly the type of place I like finding.

No crowds.

No bullshit.

Just a place sitting there, slowly being reclaimed by nature.

Notion — The Ruins Nobody Knew About

Notion was much harder to find.

Even with Google Maps.

It’s super close to Claros and right on the coast, but I asked people for directions and nobody could help me.

Nobody even knew what Notion was.

I drove up and down, went to the wrong spot, and almost gave up.

If you’re going around the turnaround back toward Kuşadası, look for a small sign on the right side that says Notion.

It’s easy to miss.

The road is dirt.

The entrance is small.

There isn’t some huge parking lot or obvious tourist entrance.

I drove in and parked where two other cars were parked.

I don’t even know if that was official parking.

I just made sure I wasn’t blocking anything.

I talked to these two kids who had just graduated high school.

One of them told me he was taking some time off before college because he needed to help make money for his family.

The kid was climbing up the cliff doing some rock scrambling.

The exact type of shit I hate.

😂

And of course...

He ate it.

Nothing serious.

Just some minor wounds.

I asked him about Notion.

He had no idea what I was talking about.

Nobody did.

So basically, after parking, you walk toward the ocean.

There’s a river running parallel to the road.

What was cool was there were these tiny boats docked there.

It actually looked pretty cool.

Across the river?

That’s where the action was.

Hella Turkish people at the beach.

Music blasting.

Speakers.

Everyone hanging out and having fun.

Where I was, there were some people having picnics and relaxing, but it was much quieter.

To my left was the hill.

Or really, a tiny mountain.

There are paths going up, but Notion isn’t like Ephesus.

There isn’t one obvious route.

It’s not a perfectly organized archaeological site.

It’s basically:

"Go explore and see what you find."

And honestly?

That was both the cool part and the frustrating part.

I was climbing around looking for ruins.

But half the time I was thinking:

"Is this actually a wall?"

"Or is this just nature stacking rocks together?"

😂

I’m not an archaeologist.

I’m just some dude walking around with a camera trying to figure out what I’m looking at.

I went all the way to the top.

There wasn’t much there.

I ate shit a few times climbing around.

The view was nice though.

There is a coastal path that continues along the water, and honestly, that looked like a cool walk.

But I wasn’t there for a coastal hike.

I was looking for ruins.

And it was hot as hell.

So here’s my advice:

Skip it.

Or if you’re going, don’t go in expecting some hidden Ephesus.

Stay closer to the road area.

Most of what you’re going to see is there.

It’s not some incredible archaeological site.

But was it fun?

Yeah.

It was an adventure.

And that’s why I don’t regret it.

Finding it.

Getting lost.

Talking to random people.

Trying to figure out what I was looking at.

That’s the experience.

The End of a Long Day

After Notion, that was a full day.

I hit a lot of places.

And honestly, it was mixed.

Some places were dope:

St. John Basilica.

Ephesus (minus the crowds).

Claros.

Some places I could have skipped:

House of Mary.

Notion.

But at least Notion was free.

😂

I returned to the hotel and walked about 10 minutes to a restaurant on top of a hotel.

The view was amazing.

And this was where I noticed the colorful houses next to the Kuşadası sign.

I thought:

"That actually looks pretty cool."

I figured I would come back another day and take some photos.

Then I went back to the hotel and passed out.

DAY 2 — TURKEY’S COAST, LOST CITIES, AND THE RUINS THAT DELIVERED

Day 2 of Kuşadası was going to be a long day.

There was a lot of driving and a lot on the list.

The first stop was Dilek Peninsula National Park, about 40 minutes south of Kuşadası.

Dilek Peninsula National Park — Is This Really a National Park?

The first stop was Dilek Peninsula National Park. This was about 40 minutes from the hotel, south of Kuşadası.

I don’t know, I didn’t really understand the name.

When I think of national parks, I think of Lassen, Yosemite, Pinnacles, Zion, and others.

Just dope-ass parks with multiple entrances, multiple hikes of varying levels, and little human footprints.

Today, I had to think of national parks like some of the ones in China that have elevators, slides, movies, and other bullshit.

This national park was unlike any park I had visited, and I’m not sure how I feel about it, but compared to the ones I mentioned in the US?

It sucked.

Okay, so I go past the gate.

I guess it was free.

There was no one at the booth, so I drove right in.

I drove to the first beach.

This shit was filthy.

It was fucking filthy.

Garbage cans overflowing.

Litter all over the floor.

Disgusting bathrooms.

I don’t give a fuck.

It was shit, and I hope people read this.

It was fucking dirty as fuck.

CLEAN THAT SHIT UP!

The beach area itself was a lot cleaner.

Clear water.

The water still delivered.

But it was crowded with hella people.

Umbrellas.

Chairs.

All that shit.

It made me think more of a dirty-ass resort area than a national park.

I took a couple videos and left.

Fuck this shit.

So I went to the second beach.

This beach was clean, thank God.

Less people.

But it still had that commercial look.

Umbrellas.

Chairs.

Music.

All that shit.

The water was still nice.

Just not for me.

So I left.

Then I drove to the third beach.

This was the nicest one so far.

It felt the least commercial.

I started thinking:

"Unless the last beach really sucks, I’ll probably just post here."

There was only one more beach to explore, so I kept going.

The fourth beach was also really nice.

It was similar to the third one, but more commercial.

It had a restaurant.

Those beach bed things.

I don’t know what the fuck they’re called.

😂

I wanted to see fish, so I walked toward where the cliffs were and swam around there.

The water was great.

Super clear.

Decent fish.

But I knew I wasn’t going to stay here long.

DAY 2 — TURKEY’S COAST, LOST CITIES, AND THE RUINS THAT DELIVERED

Day 2 of Kuşadası was going to be a long day.

There was a lot of driving and a lot on the list.

The first stop was Dilek Peninsula National Park, about 40 minutes south of Kuşadası.

Dilek Peninsula National Park — Is This Really a National Park?

The first stop was Dilek Peninsula National Park. This was about 40 minutes from the hotel, south of Kuşadası.

I don’t know, I didn’t really understand the name.

When I think of national parks, I think of Lassen, Yosemite, Pinnacles, Zion, and others.

Just dope-ass parks with multiple entrances, multiple hikes of varying levels, and little human footprints.

Today, I had to think of national parks like some of the ones in China that have elevators, slides, movies, and other bullshit.

This national park was unlike any park I had visited, and I’m not sure how I feel about it, but compared to the ones I mentioned in the US?

It sucked.

Okay, so I go past the gate.

I guess it was free.

There was no one at the booth, so I drove right in.

I drove to the first beach.

This shit was filthy.

It was fucking filthy.

Garbage cans overflowing.

Litter all over the floor.

Disgusting bathrooms.

I don’t give a fuck.

It was shit, and I hope people read this.

It was fucking dirty as fuck.

CLEAN THAT SHIT UP!

The beach area itself was a lot cleaner.

Clear water.

The water still delivered.

But it was crowded with hella people.

Umbrellas.

Chairs.

All that shit.

It made me think more of a dirty-ass resort area than a national park.

I took a couple videos and left.

Fuck this shit.

So I went to the second beach.

This beach was clean, thank God.

Less people.

But it still had that commercial look.

Umbrellas.

Chairs.

Music.

All that shit.

The water was still nice.

Just not for me.

So I left.

Then I drove to the third beach.

This was the nicest one so far.

It felt the least commercial.

I started thinking:

"Unless the last beach really sucks, I’ll probably just post here."

There was only one more beach to explore, so I kept going.

The fourth beach was also really nice.

It was similar to the third one, but more commercial.

It had a restaurant.

Those beach bed things.

I don’t know what the fuck they’re called.

😂

I wanted to see fish, so I walked toward where the cliffs were and swam around there.

The water was great.

Super clear.

Decent fish.

But I knew I wasn’t going to stay here long.

Like China, it’s just not how I like my national parks.

I’m still trying to decide which is worse.

This or China.

😂

On top of that, the road did continue, but it was closed off and police were guarding the road.

There was another turnout for a hike, but that was closed off too.

Not sure if it was seasonal or permanent.

But this felt like China in the sense that you don’t really have options.

No trails.

Just four beaches to choose from, and all of them are pretty commercial.

You follow a path and that’s it.

Looking back, could I skip this place?

Hell yeah.

I don’t need to go here again.

This is Turkey.

I can find beaches that are similar with no people.

So I was off to a bad start.

Or maybe a good start, because I was expecting today to be intense.

I only stayed at this park for about an hour total, and that was with hitting every beach spot.

Zeus Cave — Closed

Close by was Zeus Cave.

It was closed.

I probably could have snuck in or whatever, but I had a lot planned today.

I took the L and moved on.

About 45 minutes later, I arrived at Priene.

And this is where my luck changed.

Priene — The Place I Wanted to Find

The drive itself was great.

I got a little lost, but that was actually part of the fun.

I drove through towns I would have never seen otherwise.

The roads were annoying as hell sometimes.

Tiny streets.

Random turns.

And it was hot.

Like 105–107 degrees.

But I was enjoying the drive.

Priene was dope as fuck.

This place hit everything I wanted.

It was a fairly large area.

Not because there were endless ruins everywhere, but because everything was spread out.

The ruins were well maintained.

There were some really nice pieces.

And there was a lot to explore.

The best part?

It was free.

And you could go wherever you wanted.

No ropes.

No "stay here."

No perfectly designed tourist path.

I was wandering.

Finding things.

Going off trails.

Doing stupid shit.

Having a great time.

I would follow a path, climb a hill, and find something else.

It felt like exploring.

Not visiting.

There was a small theater with VIP seats.

Cool-ass Romanesque columns.

And tons of other ruins.

And did I mention?

There were like seven other people there.

That’s it.

I actually liked Priene more than Ephesus.

Not because the ruins were better.

Ephesus is obviously more impressive.

But because of the experience.

No crowds.

Free.

Freedom to explore.

It felt more like being an explorer than following a set route.

I thought:

"Nothing is going to beat Priene."

Miletus — The Surprise Winner

Then I drove about 30 minutes south to Miletus.

This one is difficult.

Because I think I liked Miletus more than Priene.

But for completely different reasons.

Miletus cost about 6 euros to enter.

Completely worth it.

Honestly?

I would have paid 20 euros for this.

It was that good.

Miletus had the freedom too.

The ruins are spread out.

You can walk around and explore.

But compared to Priene, it felt different.

Priene felt like:

"I discovered this."

Miletus felt like:

"I am walking through a huge ancient city."

The theater hits you immediately.

It is massive.

Those two giant openings look like they were built for stone giants.

The scale is ridiculous.

And when you climb to the top, you can see the rest of the ruins spread out below.

I explored as much as I could.

I didn’t see every single site unfortunately.

I missed one or two.

But the ones I did see?

I explored deeply.

One of my favorite parts was the bathhouse area.

There was this statue of an old man in robes.

And this dude looked pimpy as fuck.

Below him was the pool.

Obviously no water anymore.

But I started imagining being there back then.

Walking in naked.

Jumping into the pool.

And this old man just sitting there watching everyone.

😂

That was one of the most pimpy thoughts I had the entire trip.

After exploring, I drove over to the museum.

Air conditioning.

Beautiful artifacts.

And another version of that same statue.

Even cleaner.

Miletus might have been the most pimp ruin I saw on this entire trip.

And it wasn’t expensive.

Didyma — The Tourist Ruin That Delivered

The final ruin was Didyma.

A much smaller site.

And definitely more touristy.

You park and walk down a street with:

Restaurants.

Shops.

Cafes.

Tourists.

This was the first place all day where I saw a lot of English speakers.

Despite the tourists, it wasn’t terrible.

It was still nowhere near Ephesus levels.

The ruins were impressive.

Huge Roman columns.

Beautifully preserved details.

And the Medusa faces?

Clean as hell.

Almost turned me to stone.

Luckily, I made my Fortitude save.

😂

Didyma is easy.

You don’t need a whole day.

You can see it quickly.

If you’re hungry, thirsty, or need shade, everything is right nearby.

The only downside?

It is far from Kuşadası.

Over an hour.

I wouldn’t drive here just for Didyma.

But if you’re already in the area?

You would be crazy to skip it.

Mavişehir — Ending the Day by the Sea

After Didyma, it wasn’t even that late.

The national park only took about an hour because I hit every beach.

So I decided to find somewhere to eat on the ocean.

I ended up in Mavişehir.

I ordered sea bream and fried calamari.

This was a cool little coastal town.

Exactly what I needed after a long day of chasing ruins.

Where I was sitting felt 10 degrees cooler.

The breeze was perfect.

I was exhausted, but comfortable.

I wandered around afterward.

Colorful buildings.

Coastal park.

Just enjoying the atmosphere.

A Turkish OG ended up talking to me.

His English wasn’t great.

My Turkish wasn’t great.

But we had a basic conversation.

He was the one who told me the name of the place.

Later, I grabbed some ice cream.

I was eating a lot of ice cream and gelato in Turkey.

😂

After that, it was about a 1.5-hour drive back to Kuşadası.

The next day I would return the car.

After that, I would be on foot.

DAY 3 — THE COLORED HOUSES THAT I NEVER SAW

The last day in Kuşadası, I had to return the car.

The night before, I did some sunset shots and long exposures from my balcony.

That’s when I saw the colorful houses again.

I figured that would be my mission for today.

Are The Colored Houses Dangerous?

I went down for breakfast and asked one of the hotel employees about those houses.

What he told me was:

"That place is dangerous."

I asked the rental car guy.

Same thing.

I asked a third person.

Same answer.

Everyone was basically telling me not to go.

And I’m thinking:

Why?

Turkey had seemed rich as hell to me.

The entire country had felt comfortable.

I haven’t felt intimidated at all since arriving.

So I asked:

"If I go there, are cats going to pull guns and knives on me?"

😂

Obviously not.

But they basically explained that if things went sideways, I would probably get robbed, beaten up, and have my gear taken.

And honestly?

They were probably right.

I’m not giving up my camera gear without a fight.

I wanted to visit the Grand Bazaar area anyway.

It was close to the colorful houses, down on the flats.

It was also near the ferry, and I was leaving for Samos the next day, so it made sense.

The hotel called me a taxi.

I asked the taxi driver about the houses.

Honestly?

I don’t think taxi drivers always listen to what tourists are asking.

He just said:

"It’s fine."

I didn’t really like that answer.

It sounded like someone who just wanted to agree with me so I would use him again.

Maybe I was wrong.

But I wasn’t really vibing with him.

He gave me his card and wanted me to call him for future rides.

I took it and said:

"We’ll see."

The Grand Bazaar — I Don’t Look Like A Customer

The Grand Bazaar area was funny because I wasn’t there to buy anything.

I was there for the people.

The conversations.

The banter.

I don’t buy shit.

😂

These dudes are trying to sell me rugs.

And I’m brutally honest with these guys.

One dude tries selling me a rug.

I said:

"Do I look like someone who wants to buy a rug?"

He says:

"Only 300 dollars."

I literally paused.

"300 dollars? Seriously? Do I look like someone who has 300 dollars to spend on a rug?"

These dudes are trying to sell me watches and jewelry.

And I’m looking at myself.

Look at my neck.

My fingers.

My arms.

Do I have anything on me?

Do I look like someone who's buying a watch?

Maybe I do.

I don’t know.

😂

I just think it’s funny when people assume that because I’m American and traveling, I’m rich.

And this reminds me of something the internet loves doing:

Finding some dumb American and using that person to represent everyone.

"I didn’t know they had schools in Brazil."

Some dumb shit like that.

But let’s be clear:

Every country has people like that.

Not just America.

You have people who think only white people are American.

You have people who think Americans shit gold bricks.

I’ve heard some ridiculous stuff.

So if you’re American and you feel like you’re getting judged because of some dumbass American stereotype, remember:

Every country has dumbass people.

The Colored Houses — The Decision Not To Go

After having fun bullshitting with everyone, even I eventually got bored.

I found these colorful stairs with names of cities painted on them.

I walked up.

All the way.

And I thought:

"I can’t see the colored houses, but I have to be close."

So I wandered around.

I probably hit the outskirts of the colorful houses.

The streets were empty.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t actually go into the area.

But honestly?

I don’t think anything would have happened.

Maybe at night.

But I’ve been jumped.

Robbed.

Had guns and knives pulled on me before.

I know what that feeling is.

I have nothing to prove.

I’ve been through hard neighborhoods in Mexico, the US, and Honduras and had good experiences.

I’m not here trying to act tough.

If someone came out wanting my shit?

I would probably get robbed and beaten up.

That’s a fact.

Been there.

Done that.

I headed back down and asked some kid, probably around 16, about the colorful houses.

I don’t think he understood me perfectly, but he said it was fine.

So now I had:

Tourist hotel workers saying no.

Taxi driver saying it’s fine.

Kid saying it’s fine.

I guess the only way to know was to go.

But I decided not to.

And I don’t regret it.

I wasn’t there to prove anything.

The Farmers Market Surprise

I needed a memory card for my camera.

I was out.

There was a store about 30 minutes away, so I decided to walk.

On the way, I stumbled into this market that happens once a week or once a month.

Just a farmers market.

Nothing crazy.

But it was cool.

I walked around.

Photographed.

Filmed.

Watched people doing normal life.

Those random discoveries are usually my favorite.

I went to the electronics store and talked to one of the employees.

He gave me some advice I didn’t agree with.

He told me the best beaches in Turkey — or maybe just this region — were inside the National Park and that I should go.

I played dumb.

"Oh really? Maybe I’ll check it out."

😂

I was there yesterday.

The beaches were nice.

But I’ve seen better around Çeşme.

Hell, just driving along the coast, I saw beaches that looked better and had nobody there.

Dorito Sushi and Turkish Tacos

After getting my memory card, I walked back toward the ferry area.

Before that, I stopped at this restaurant that sold some kind of Dorito sushi Turkish food and Dorito Turkish tacos.

I had no expectations.

But since I already destroyed my gluten-free diet on this trip, and surprisingly I was holding up well...

Why not?

Honestly?

It wasn’t bad.

Actually better than I expected.

Would I eat it again?

Probably not.

If someone wanted to try it, sure.

But there are other things I would rather eat.

I might take it over McDonald’s though.

😂

The Last Night In Kuşadası

It was funny because the electronics store was near the bus station.

And I realized:

Damn.

I was about to walk all the way back from there to my hotel.

Crazy.

Before heading back, I went to a coastal cafe and had shisha and a mango smoothie.

Always good times.

Then I went back to that seventh-floor restaurant with the amazing view and had sea bass.

While I was in Kuşadası, I had a little routine.

There was a Carrefour about 10 minutes away.

I would walk there, grab some beers, and every night sit on my balcony.

I would watch the scene below.

Huge cruise ships coming in and out.

People moving around.

The city alive.

Tonight was the last night.

Tomorrow I would head back to Greece.

But this time...

The Greek island of Samos.