Overcast Morning in Budapest (plus Turkey!)

Chisinau Moldova ceased to be our home at 6 am this morning, as we said our goodbyes to the two Sergheis, both of whom accompanied us to the airport. Various feelings about this departure, but both of us are glad for our stay in Moldova, yet also glad that we should be home in the US tonight. Right now, I'm sitting in the Budapest airport, foot propped up on the base of a large airport window wall overlooking the taxiways and runways. The sky is gray, but a few holes in the clouds hint at a sunnier afternoon.

I still have a lot to post, in particular about our travels to Turkey. Some is in this post, and more will come in the next few days, though I am not sure you all will be as interested to read this blog once we're actually back home in the States. I'll assume you are, and you don't have to correct me if you're not! :)

...but first, I'm very happy to mention this:

IT'S JUST BEEN GLORIOUS
The storied life of Marlene Smelser

As many of you know, my Dad has written a book about my Mom's life – we lost her in 2002. It's a great book (I might be less than plainly objective, but it's still a great book!). It traces her beginnings and the things that might have held her back from what she made of herself, and shows the godly woman and lady she became. Dad avoided writing as a preachy instructor, and simply told her story. It, as was her life, is filled with adventure. The main title line is a statement she made more than once in the days just before her death, and reflects her general attitude about what life can be, and more directly about her experience in particular.

The book is to be available this very week, and will be initially available through Dad and us three sons (Jeff, Scott, and I). Bookstores will have it a little later. The cost is $20, shipped without tax, though I'll add shipping cost (actual shipping amount). Feel free to contact me for placing orders, or any of us for picking up a copy in person. I'll provide more exact info in a day or so.

TURKEY

Entering the country from Malko Turnovo Bulgaria, this is the first Turkish village we came to. It was the mosque's minaret, the first I'd ever seen, that caught my attention and made me stop for a picture.

We ended up getting to see a little more than I was expecting as of the beginning of the week. In our order of travel, we saw Troas, nighttime in Assos, Ephesus, Miletus, Colosse, Laodicea, Hierapolis, Antioch of Pisidia, Pergamum, and finally Assos in the daylight. It was great!

To cross the Dardanelles, that narrow strip of water that helps join the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, we came to the town of Gelibolu. Very attractive downtown area next to the water, friendly staff in the little restaurant where we got sandwiches and sampled some eggplant and peppers, and friendly little school kids eager to talk with the Americans. And then there are the Turks who seek to make a buck from the tourists, especially I suppose from the richer western tourists. We had about 45 minutes before the ferry would take us across, so we left the car in the line at the ferry to go explore, get lunch, etc. When we returned, we saw that all the windows of our very dirty car had been cleaned, and two guys approached wanting to be paid for the job. They of course put the guilt trip on everybody, we cleaned your windows and you don't pay! We were not convinced.

Once that was cleared up, a fella selling cologne (Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, etc.) came around trying to make us his customers. We were sitting in the car with windows down waiting to board, and he comes up, speaking mainly Turkish but enough English to get the idea across. We on the other hand, hadn't shaved or bathed for two days, but/so (?) he was persistent. Very friendly, some Turkish, some English. Wouldn't take no for an answer. We finally had success in turning him away, a bit later drove on board the ferry, and before we got out of the car he was back at the window. It was now much more Turkish than English. Finally I said, smiling as I did so, “Cologne will not help us! And we don't understand what you are saying. We don't understand the words that are coming out of your mouth!” Some of you will recognize that adapted line. We enjoyed the moment, and he finally gave up.

Other people in town were very friendly to us with nothing to gain for themselves, and I'll say more about that later. An hour or so after the crossing, we were at...

Troas

Paul first visited here on the second journey, having come west past the Galatian cities, accompanied by Silas and Timothy. There he was shown the vision of the Macedonian man saying “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” There Luke joined Paul and his companions as they set out to cross the sea to Neapolis and Philippi, and the rest of Macedonia.

Paul visited again on his third journey, assembling with the saints to break bread, preaching until midnight, and raising sleepy Eutychus from the dead after his fall from the window.

Troas is divided by the little narrow road that now runs through it, with widely scattered ruins. We had hoped to find an upper room window in which to pose "asleep" for a picture, but had no luck. In the previous post is a picture of temple ruins there. From the main concentration (as best we found) of ruins, it's about a 20 minute hike to the sea, across tilled fields and through olive groves where friendly local Turks were picking olives. Then a little north along the shore is the ancient harbor. From there, Paul sailed to Neapolis and Philippi, and into there he sailed in order to assemble and break bread with the Troas church in Acts 20. The harbor now is partially filled in by silt.

(looking past the harbor site -partially hidden- across the Aegean Sea, toward Neopolis and Philippi)

ASSOS

Daylight was dimming as we left Troas, and we didn't make it to the seaside town of Assos until after dark. The city of Assos was high above the water on a hill, with nearly a cliff dropping down to its harbor, still functional today. I'll save my pics of Assos until we come back to it in daylight. But as we drove toward the top of Assos, looking for a way to head out of town to the east, the cobblestone street narrowed considerably, and as we happened to be there right at 6:30 pm, the prayer call from the minaret began. We finally came to a spot where we saw no further lane going upward, just as several muslim Turks were walking across right in front of us, who possibly (at least in our minds) looked annoyed at our presence, our headlights, and our activity at the time of their prayer call. And this is our first night in Turkey. We made a retreat downhill, and found the road headed out.

We drove a few hours that night, finally reaching Ephesus. More on that in my next post.