Pergamum

After leaving our hotel we had an 6 hour drive to our next set of ruins at Pergamum.  Along the way the tour company took us to a small village for lunch.  The idea is for them to cook us meals they would cook for their families. When we arrived, we first met the mayor, and were then lead to the square where our hosts were, as well as the rest of the village.  We were  first fed bread fresh out of their outdoor oven. Man was it good.  The old people were having lunch in the town square because there was a baby 14 days old and they have a celbration and introduce the baby to the viilage.  They looked and dressed just as I might have expected. A bit weather beaten, the women were wearing scarves.  The villagers take the tourists into their homes for a meal.  They are told to cook local dishes of the it choice.

The hostesses wear wedding dresses so we can see what they look like.  Our hostesses name was Gushim and she was wonderful.  None of the villagers speak English and we have just managed to sort of learn "hello, thank you, how much is it, good morning and please.  Gushim escorted us to her home.  She opened a metal door that led into the garage and up a flight of stairs to the house.  We all, 7 of us, removed our shoes.  The bathroom was at the top of the stairs and to the right was a outdoor area.  We entered the living room where a long table was set for us.  There were couches on either side of the room so there wasn't much space left for the white plastic chairs we were to sit on.  John and Ruth, Dave and Jill and Shelley were the other guests.  There was a small, older tv, pictures of their only daughter and her son on one wall, a small picture of an ancestor on another and behind us was a picture of Gushim and her husband.  We were seated and she asked Shelley to come to the kitchen with her so Shelley got to help serve a delicious soup.  The dishes and cutlery were their best but corelle type and not much matched.  That didn't matter we felt very welcome.  Gushim is a gracious host.  Thankfully she ate with us so we could follow her lead. We admired her dress which she had made herself and the pictures. Shelley was so good at pantomime and she is a natural actress.  She helped us communicate and had everyone laughing.  After the soup (there was a dish of olives on the table - Turkish people only eat olives at breakfast and sometimes for lunch) we were served fried egg plant -it was soon good, it was followed by tiny rolls of rice and lamb wrapped in grape leaves, then came the deep fried phyllo pastry with cheese in it - every one had a few of those. There was lots of ekmek as well (bread). During lunch the husband came in.  They served their homemade liquor to us.  It came to the table in a plastic water bottle.  Potent stuff, but it tasted pretty good.  Hubby was seated by Roy and gave him a second shot.  Roy wouldn't have more so poor hubby had to drink alone. Before dessert their daughter came.  Proud parents!  She interacted with us too and said good morning in English.  It was afternoon but what the heck!  We had a wonderful time with this family and are so glad the tour company started the program.

We all wondered how to say thank you in a tangible way but Gushim solved the problem gracefully.  She had a tray of scarves that were 25 or 30 lira each.  All the ladies were thrilled with their scarves.  She tied mine on her head the same way she was wearing hers.  I will never remember how to do it.  We all got our pictures taken with the family.  Everyone enjoyed their experience!  It was better than a meal in a 5 star restaurant.  On the way out she showed Roy her kitchen.  It made us all feel like we had experienced the real Turkey. The people in this village are Alive Muslims.   There 12 million of them but they are not recognized by the government.  They are the only Muslims who drink alcohol.   They don't have mosques and their worship is a former of dance.

After this we were off to Pergamum, an ancient medical centre.  The place was vast, with an amphitheater that seated 14,000.  They used it for music therapy to help people with mental disorders.  Patients were sent for treatment from all over the country.  Not everyone received treatment. Patients went through triage before they were admitted. If they felt that you couldn't be cured you didn't get in.  Psychological treatment was used.  Patients, on the day of their treatment walked along a long tunnel.  The tunnel had evenly spaced vents in the ceiling.  As the patient walked priests would whisper, you will be healed through the vents.  At the end of the tunnel was the incubation chamber where they rested before receiving treatment.  Priests would whisper positive things in their ear. The upper floor, where they were treated has not been restored.

Back on the bus to our next hotel in Kusadasi. On the way to the hotel Tolga informed us that the hotel was full and we wouldn't get sea view or hillside view rooms.  It was his surprise for us when everyone got a glorious view of the sea.  The rooms were very nice and the food was beyond good.  Everyone was happy to be there for 2 nights.  Roy got his swim in the Agenan Sea.  It was a lot chiller than it had been in Greece but he managed to stay in for about 15 minutes.