Our Cruise - Day 8 - Ephesus, Turkey

Today we woke up in Asia: Kusadasi, Turkey. After docking, Carol, Sheila, and Wande took the 20-minute trip to Ephesus, while Terry stayed behind to tend to Julie.

During the bus ride the tour guide (more business-like and not as warm and fuzzy as our Istanbul guide, Manny) explained that in Turkey teachers are paid very poorly (much, much worse than in the U.S.). This has become very bad for the Turkish educational system, but has benefited the tourism industry because many teachers change careers to become tour guides.

Today was a fabulous day to visit Ephesus, one of the oldest settlements/cities in the world. Once a bustling seaport, it is now several miles from the Mediterranean and is nestled on a plain between two mountain ranges. Human settlement in Ephesus occurred during the Neolithic period, approximately 6000 BCE; however, it was most prosperous during the Hellenistic Period when it was affiliated with several Maritime Leagues in the Mediterranean.

This city contains the ruins from one of the earliest Christian civilizations. It is estimated that nearly 250,000 people used to live here. Ephesus is considered to be the most intact ancient city that can be seen today, and is home to the Celsus Library, the Grand Theater, the Stoa Basileios (Royal Walk), the Gates of Hercules and one column of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. (The Seven Ancient Wonders: The Great Pyramid at Giza; the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus; the Colossus of Rhodes; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; the Lighthouse at Alexandria; the Statue of Zeus at Olympia; and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in Turkey.)

We began our day with a gift from the Tourism Bureau of Turkey, a small urn for the holy water at the home of the Holy Mary, an Ephesian medallion and an “Evil Eye” pin (which we had to pin on to disperse any bad karma!). Our first stop was the House of the Virgin Mary, in the hills above Ephesus. Shaped as a cross, the simple brick dwelling was visualized in the 19th century CE by a stigmatized German nun, Anna Catherine. She had never been outside of Germany, but described the hills above Ephesus, the home, and the location of the home with amazing accuracy.

There is some historical data that supports Ephesus as the last home of the Virgin Mary. The Apostle John is known to have sworn to care for and stay with the her. He is known to have lived and died in Ephesus, where he is buried at the site of the St. John Basilica. The first basilica in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary is found in Ephesus, and at that time in history, basilicas were only established in areas in which a person had lived. The First Council of Ephesus of 431 CE (the third ecumenical council of the early Christian Church), met at this Basilica of the Blessed Virgin.

When we arrived, we had 30 minutes to visit the house, light candles, and visit the prayer wall where millions of pilgrims leave their prayers. Somehow we did it all, although we did get scolded for stopping to have our picture taken by another tourist at the doorway (who had the misfortune of being right behind us, and was the one most scolded), delaying entry to the building! Somehow, Wande even had time to send her mom a postcard from the Virgin Mary post office.

Next stop, the largest existing ancient city in the world. Ephesus became part of the Roman Asia Empire in 189 BCE, and during the Augustan Period became one of the most important cities of Roman Asia. Construction of the triumphal arch, the aqueduct system, and the Royal Walk made Ephesus a destination for military and trade. The Royal Walk was a two-story grand walkway 1,175 feet long with 67 Ionic columns and bullhead capitals. Carol, Wande, and Sheila stopped for a picture on the walk!

The Library of Celsus, discovered in 1905-1906, is a fantastic two-story structure with porticos, windows, and intact statues. The library was built from funds bequeathed by Celsus, Governor of Asia Minor in 114 CE, and housed over 12,000 books.

Wande, Carol, and Sheila jostled for a position on the stage of the Grand Theater, built on the slopes of Mount Pion with a seating capacity of 25,000. Better judgment prevailed, however, and a decision was made not to attempt the steep stairs that descended to the stage. Rather, we opted for balancing on the seating and braving the underground tunnel to emerge onto the Royal Walk and an entourage marching to the beat of “Fanfare of the Common Man”. The Caesars, their ladies, the noblemen and senators, and the gladiators staged a 15-minute costumed reenactment of a near-fatal battle. Fortunately for the fallen gladiator, it was thumbs up at the end.

After being out in the heat for several hours and imagining an excellent Turkish lunch, the tour guide suggested that we skip lunch and complete the rest of the day. Everyone in the group looked around waiting for someone to speak up and say that lunch should be first, but that never happened. So, our growling stomachs were off into the ruins of St. John's Basilica and what is believed to be the burial site for St. John.

While visiting this very beautiful site on a hilltop, we could see in the distance the one remaining column of the temple of Artemis. It was disappointing to hear that the British had pilfered most of it and that it’s in one of their museums. But, one can see the footprint of the temple that once covered 345 x 181 feet and utilized 106 columns.

Somewhere along the way we also went to the archeological museum of Ephesus. This was a highlight, with the remains of the colossal statue of Artemis, excavated from the temple. A lovely goddess, and symbol of fertility, she is embellished with eggs covering her torso and a gown covered with cow udders. Additionally, a room dedicated to burials included “Hocker Jars,” named after the scientist, Hocker, who first discovered this method of burial. The Ephesians buried their dead in the fetal position, in large earthen jars, so that they could be “reborn” in that position. The only problem was, during an earthquake (and there were many in Ephesus), many of the jars would fall over and break…not so great for the townspeople.

Most important, it was finally time for LUNCH!! After the exquisite meal in Istanbul, we had been imagining all day what was in store. However, we all thought it was a little odd that the tour guide wanted the evaluation of the trip before lunch. We all had surprised looks when we pulled up to a water park, complete with huge slides and screaming kids. We thought that we were going to turn around in the lot, but then the bus stopped and everyone was instructed to get off and head upstairs.

Lunch was served at a Turkish family resort, and was a buffet of grilled meats and vegetables, curried noodles, Turkish bread, spring rolls with baked feta, etc. We were told, however, to save the cocktails for the rug show and exhibition meant to be our last stop.

And then we were off to the rug presentation, where Sheila would not be denied her shopping desires a second time. Back to town, we arrived at the rug shop, where we were greeted again with “Lion’s Milk” (raki), Turkish wines, Turkish beer, Turkish coffee and teas. Our Turkish hosts were warm and knowledgeable. “Oohs” and “aahs” sprang from our mouths as we sat around the room sipping our libations while the carpets rolled with flourish at our feet.

At the end, Wande and Carol ducked out, only to come back 20 minutes later to find Sheila in the top floor gallery, commanding eight men who were arguing prices and rolling out the many carpets. Wande and Carol thought that one of the salesmen looked familiar….it was our tour guide who was convincing Sheila to buy the beautiful carpet! Being held up high by three men was a beautiful Mediterranean blue carpet, looking very hopeful. In the end, a beautiful Turkish carpet was purchased (since Julie and Terry were a safe distance away on the ship), with Wande and Carol laughing about the central role played by the tour guide.

In the mid-afternoon, after Julie took more pain meds and enjoyed a long nap, Terry visited the port town of Kusadasi, just off the dock. It was quaint and a little lonely, with most of the tourists were still in Ephesus. He took the opportunity to engage in conversation with local shopkeepers, who were warm, curious and very friendly. He found the closest mosque, tucked away off the main street, and observed a policeman performing prayers in an alcove in the front of the mosque. It was intimate and he felt a little intrusive, so moved on.

He walked down a narrow alley filled with shops and restaurants, and was invited to enjoy lunch in a restaurant garden by the owner. While not hungry (he had already enjoyed lunch with Julie on the ship), he did stop for a Turkish beer. The restaurant was not too busy, with only a few locals and tourists, but it was bright and buoyant in the garden with the golden sun warming everyone’s spirits.

The owner tried taking one of his young sons around to proudly introduce him, but the boy was shy and kept darting off. Determined, the owner brought the boy around to a table of tourists and tried again, but the boy was already plotting his escape. This time, however, he spied Terry aiming his camera at him.

The boy stopped; this kind of attention he did not mind. He clearly enjoyed having his picture taken. Terry snapped a couple of shots when the boy’s older brother came up to join the fanfare. After snapping a couple more photos, Terry showed the boys their pictures, and they were absolutely delighted. Then, suddenly self-conscious again, the little boy ran off to the protection of the kitchen.

Finished with his beer, Terry thanked the owner, bid adieu to the boys and went in search of another T-Shirt. He found a bright red one with the Turkish flag on it. He returned to the ship, where he found Julie still peacefully sleeping, enjoying her respite from the pain of her broken arm.

After shopping, and exhausted from the full day (and bargaining), Sheila, Wande and Carol all returned to the ship. They visited Julie and Terry’s cabin and regaled them with their adventures. Sheila pulled out one of the small urns, which she had filled with holy water from the House of the Virgin Mary, and sprinkled it on Julie’s arm. They all showered gifts upon Terry and Julie, including a Turkish hat for Terry. Soon, we pulled out of Ephesus, saying goodbye to the wonderful and warm people and country of Turkey.

Julie and Terry did not go to dinner, and had planned on ordering off the room service menu. Soon, however, there was a knock at the door. Carol had ordered dishes for them from the dining room menu (which was superior to the room service menu), and enjoyed a delicious dinner in their cabin with the beautiful view out their balcony.

Wande, Carol and Sheila arrived at the table before the Tones, and two of them (you’ll have to guess) switched the table numbers back to their rightful places. Soon, Mrs. Tone arrived and explained that Mr. Tone had a cold. Mindful that the seating arrangements had changed, she took her proper place and said nothing about it. Everyone enjoyed a fine dinner and shared their experiences of the day.

Our Cruise - Day 7 - Istanbul, Turkey, Day 2

Istanbul was the only port where we stayed two days, and we were happy about that, because there’s so much to see. We were anxious to see Topkapi Palace today, but there was something else on the itinerary: “Tour includes a carpet presentation.” We were going to a carpet store. That’s the reality of ship excursions; they always take you to “preferred” vendors where you can get “very special prices,” and somebody gets kickbacks.

So, our first stop was the carpet store, and they were ready for us. It was a very nice store with three stories and in an interesting neighborhood. They had a very nice roof deck with views, and the store was built over an ancient cistern (it was nothing like the Basilica Cistern, but more like a large basement.) But first we were herded into a large showroom.

We were first offered refreshments: Pastries, Turkish coffee, tea, and something called “Lion’s Milk.” A few of us opted for it. More formally, the drink is known as raki and is the Turkish national drink. There was no milk in this. Raki is an anise- flavored spirit that’s distilled twice. It’s usually “cut” with water. It’s doubtful that the Turks drink this in the morning themselves, but they had some tourists (and wallets) to loosen up.

Then the carpets started to roll. They were of various sizes, colors, fabrics and age (some over 50 years old). All were hand woven; not one in the store was machine-made. The owner carefully explained to us the difference in quality and appearance between handmade and machine products. It was actually quite impressive.

A couple of 5’x7’ carpets caught Julie and Terry’s eyes, and the owner caught their eyes. Before they knew it, they were whisked off to a “private” showroom, where the carpets flew almost magically and landed at their feet (maybe it was the Lion’s Milk). It became a bit bewildering, a kaleidoscope of fabrics, with one flying atop another. J&T inquired about one and the price brought them back down to earth, Lion’s Milk notwithstanding.

Of course, prices were negotiable, but still, nothing impressed either of them that much. Besides, they had to conserve their money because Terry still had more T-shirts to buy and add to his growing collection. J&T finally managed to escape this magical chamber by going to the restroom, and explaining that they really weren’t interested.

After the restroom stop, J&T tried to make their break, but were ambushed outside another private showroom right by the stairs, where the owner was lying in wait. “How about this one? No, this one then? Wait, we have more...” Terry assumed the role of the bad guy and kept saying no. Finally, the owner, clearly exasperated, told his employees to stop. “He’s going to say no to everything,” the owner said with an accusatory glance at Terry. Our escape route now clear, we went downstairs.

But someone was still upstairs. Carol told Julie that Sheila was very close to buying a very expensive carpet. Julie bravely reentered the Lion’s Milk den. She somehow persuaded Sheila to come downstairs and talk about it with Terry and her. They helped convince her to resist the temptation, and Terry got the Evil Eye from the owner. Fortunately, Terry was girded with his Evil Eye T-Shirt that he bought the day before (which wards off the Evil Eye).

We all managed to escape unscathed except for Carol, who found a beautiful carpet that she just had to have.

Now we were on to our final stop, Topkapi Palace, the grand palace of the Ottoman sultans. Sultan Mehmed II, who conquered Constantinople, constructed Topkapi between 1460 and 1478 CE. It was both the residence of the sultans and their administrative center for over 400 years. Topkapi consists of courtyards, gardens, palaces, and other buildings. Over the four centuries of use, each sultan added to the palace, becoming bigger and grander and something of a maze. Three main gates were developed.

The first, the Imperial Gate, was built as the main entrance, and leads into the First Courtyard. The largest of all the courtyards, various ceremonies were held here and it was the only one open to the public during the sultan days. In the First Courtyard, Grumpy Guy manifested himself again. Manny, our guide, stopped and said that someone had complained about the fast pace he was taking, and looked squarely at Grumpy Guy, who reacted with a smirk on is face. "Victory," GG must have thought.

But Manny explained that he could stop at every obvious location identified by the tourist books, exclaiming, "Look at this," and "Look at that!" But, Manny explained, "You can read about this on your own; you can pull it all up on the Internet. But you don't need me for that. I want to get you to the things that the other tourists don't flock to; I want you to see the subtleties, the beauty and to understand the lesser-known things that you won't take away on your own."

Foiled, GG's smirk faded, then his face morphed back to its natural grimace. He was unhappy again, partly because he couldn't suck the rest of us into his misery. Manny's point was well made and understood by the rest of us; we continued at our brisk pace and although we didn't know it at the time, that would be the last we heard or saw of Grumpy Guy for the duration of the trip. With all these gods around us on the trip, one of them was finally looking out for us!

The second gate, the Gate of Salutation, is distinguished by two grand towers and leads into the actual palace. Only official dignitaries were allowed to pass through this gate, where regal functions were held in the Second Courtyard.

The third gate, the Gate of Felicity, is the entrance to the Third Courtyard, and was the exclusive domain of the sultans, and only they could grant entrance to it. And, of course, there was the Harem Apartments, with over 400 rooms, originally. Here the sultans lived with their families, consorts, concubines and eunuchs to guard them.

Another highlight was the imperial Treasury, with priceless jewels and relics, such as the 86 carat Spoon Maker’s Diamond and the Topkapi Dagger. Adjacent to that is the Chamber of Holy Relics, containing objects of the Abrahamic traditions. Among these are the tray used by Abraham; the sword of David; the staff of Moses; the Mantle of the Prophet Muhammad, his beard, his footprint, and more.

Soon, it was time to leave these grand grounds. We thought about the gates we freely walked though, the rooms we entered, the grounds we walked on and the exclusive views of the Bosporus enjoyed by the sultans for four centuries.

We also thought about the people, not just the ancient ones, but also those around us. Turks, which make up 75% of the population, Kurds, Armenians and Greeks are seen everywhere. The predominant religion in Istanbul is, of course, Islam – practiced by 99% of the population – mostly Sunnis. There are small minorities of Greek Orthodox Christians, Armenian Christians, Catholic Levantines and Sephardic Jews.

But here we observed and experienced Muslims in their own environment, comfortably going about their daily lives trying to make a living, practice their religion faithfully and piously, raise their families, make friends, get educated and do everything else that people of other faiths and walks do every day.

We were always treated graciously and warmly. Our tour guide Manny told us at the beginning of our first day in Istanbul that while things would seem foreign to us, we would see by the end that we are all alike. It’s very difficult to travel to foreign lands and not appreciate how true this is.

Travel opens our minds, exposes us to cultures, beliefs and practices that we witness firsthand, rather than through the lenses of other people who get no closer to foreign lands than their flat screen TVs. It fosters tolerance. Mark Twain said it well:

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness."

Our excursion was over, and we were back on the ship in the early afternoon. Carol, Julie, Wande and Terry had signed up for a wine tasting session sponsored by Reidel, the exclusive wine glass company. The tasting was set for mid-afternoon in a beautiful wine bar, with leather chairs and sofas and dark woods. We learned that this was less about tasting wine than a hands-on (or mouth-on) education in experiencing wine in the right glasses.

Frankly, when we learned what this was all about, we were skeptical. For those readers who are wine connoisseurs, you already know better. Wine glasses come in a variety of shapes for specific reasons. Drinking a white varietal out of a glass designed for a red varietal greatly diminishes the taste and bouquet of the wine, even ruining it.

We went through the experiment, drinking a varietal out of the “right” glass, then out of the “wrong” glass. The results were dramatic. We could tell the difference, and unless they had laced the wine with Lion’s Milk, this was genuine and not imagined. After a wonderful hour, we all left with a set of Reidel glasses, feeling more sophisticated and armed for smarter wine drinking back home.

After a relaxing and leisurely afternoon, and our usual rendezvous on our balconies, it was dinnertime. We were all dying to see the configuration of the table after Terry’s “observation” (Julie may have used some foreign term, like faux pas) the previous evening. The Tones were not there. Were they avoiding us? Had they changed tables? Would they be back? Another evening would tell. Meanwhile, we enjoyed the entire table to ourselves.

After dinner, Julie and Sheila went to the casino and the rest of us went to our rooms. Ephesus was coming up the next day, so some of us were looking forward to a good night’s rest after such a full schedule the past two days. The course of events was soon about to change, however.

About 11:30 PM, Julie woke Terry up. After coming back from the casino she had tripped over the threshold to the bathroom and hit the sink with her shoulder. She was sure her arm was broken. Terry called for help and a staff person came with a wheelchair to take her to the medical office. Sheila accompanied them.

The doctor took an X-ray and, sure enough, she had broken her right arm, on the humerus. The doctor put her arm in a sling and said that she should see an orthopedic surgeon when she got back home. It was a clean enough break that nothing could really be done but to immobilize it and let it heal. She also broke a toe, and Sheila splinted it to another toe.

After getting back to the room Terry picked up a few things that Julie had dropped in her fall. One of them was a slot machine receipt. It had a 46-cent credit. Sigh.

Our Cruise - Day 6 - Istanbul, Turkey, and a Sharp Kick to the Shin

We arrived at port in Istanbul early and were greeted with a majestic view of the city from our rooms. Mosques, minarets, apartments, industrial buildings and skyscrapers painted the landscape. We were all excited to disembark and take our shore excursion, which we booked this time through Celebrity.

For a little background, Istanbul was founded in the 7th century BCE by Greek colonists under King Byzas, hence took its original name as Byzantine. Byzas, however, did not pick this location by chance for his eponymous colony. Instead, he consulted the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi, who told him to settle across from the “land of the blind ones.” Unaware of any land occupied by blind people, Byzas deciphered out the riddle.

The king found a site by a natural harbor on the Bosporus (a strait that partly separates Europe from Asia), across the Sea of Marmara from Chalcedon, an ancient maritime town. He concluded that the Chalcedonians must have been blind not to have chosen this more beautiful and ideal location. Hence began Byzantine.

In 330 CE, Roman emperor Constantine rebuilt Byzantine to be the new capital of his far-flung empire. First known as New Rome, it later was renamed to Constantinople. This great eastern European city would reign for 16 centuries as the imperial capital for many empires, up to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 CE, which renamed it Istanbul. The Ottoman Empire survived until 1923, when it was succeeded by the modern-day Republic of Turkey.

A metropolis of over 13 million people today, Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey. It is said to be the only city in the world that spans two continents: Europe and Asia, separated by the Bosporus.

We ate a quick breakfast, got our coffee and boarded our bus. Our guide was Ibraham (he preferred “Manny”), who was excellent. We were lucky that our tour group wasn’t too large, although we had the bad luck to have Grumpy Guy with us.

Our first stop was Hagia Sophia. Formerly a Christian cathedral, it was converted to an Imperial Mosque after Sultan Mehmed II laid siege to Constantinople in 1453 CE. Today, Hagia Sophia, sometimes called St. Sophia, is a museum rather than a place of worship. Originally built in the 6th century CE, it has a spectacular dome 180 feet high that’s adorned with both Christian and Islamic art, an unusual juxtaposition: Islamic calligraphy, Christ, geometric patterns, angels and more.

We explored this vast and unusual structure, including the upper levels. Birds flew freely throughout and also dropped an occasional “white bomb.” A young lady in our group had one land squarely on her head, and it was loaded; the tour guide announced to the crowd that an ostrich must have just flown overhead. It was time to go move on.

We walked to the magnificent Sultanahmet Mosque, popularly called the Blue Mosque, but not for its color outside, but inside. It faces Hagia Sophia. This was not a museum, but a holy place of worship. Women wore scarves, and knees and shoulders had to be covered and shoes removed. It was our first time inside a mosque, and it was exciting.

Completed in 1616 CE, the Blue Mosque was built on the site of the Great Palace of Constantinople and the Hippodrome, the sporting and social center of Constantinople where exciting chariot races took place.

The mosque is made up of a series of cascading domes and six minarets, both unusual. Most mosques have only four or less minarets. Seeing the mosque from afar gave us an amazing perspective.

We put our shoes in bags provided by the tourist bus, and the ladies put on their scarves. We learned that non-Muslim women are not required to wear scarves, but are encouraged to as a sign of respect. Terry insisted on his harem donning them.

Inside, the mosque was a bit of a surprise. It was not as ornate as Hagia Sophia, and had larger unobstructed space. But it was beautiful. Non-Muslims were required to stand behind wooden gates, but photography was allowed (as long as a public prayer session was not going on). Terry remarked that he could feel the sacredness and spiritually of this place, similar to what he had felt when at the top of the Acropolis in Athens.

The Islamic art and blue ceramics were gorgeous. We observed a curious scene, which was a man walking around with a vacuum cleaner in the prayer area that was off limits to us. We supposed that we expected that cleaning would be done in a different fashion, ritualistic, perhaps, but this just showed how little we knew about this religion and culture.

After much picture taking, it was time to rejoin our group. On the way out Terry observed a tourist putting his shoes back on inside the mosque (you’re supposed to wait until you’re outside and off the carpet), when a man appeared and sharply rebuked him, “You’re in my country, so please show respect.” Duly chastised, the tourist took his shoes off and scurried away.

Next we were off to the Basilica Cistern. Built in the 6th century CE, it provided a water storage and filtration system capable of storing 100,000 gallons of water (although it’s mostly empty today). We walked down 55 stone steps to reach it, where we beheld hundreds of supporting marble columns: 336 to be exact, arranged in 12 rows of 28, each column 30 feet high each. Some were of Corinthian style, others Doric. It was eerie with the muted red lighting and dark, mysterious shadows, but that was nothing until we saw her: Medusa.

Two Medusa heads were used as column bases, but installed upside down. Was this to avert her gaze, so that we wouldn’t be turned into stone? Or was it for more practical matters, such as providing a stronger base? You decide.

Now it was time to go to the Grand Bazaar. We were all looking forward to this, but it wasn’t quite what we anticipated. Don’t get us wrong—it’s huge, but it’s all covered and filled with shops, not tables with messy heaps of garments, goods and produce piled on them. Ah, once again, our lack of exposure. Yet, it was fun and not at all like an American shopping mall. We all found things to buy, with Wande twice visiting a shop after the shopkeeper told her she was finer than Naomi Campbell.

We then had some time to find a café and sit down for a snack and some Turkish coffee and other refreshments. It was fascinating watching all of the people walking by, and very exotic. And then the call to prayers began. There was a mosque very close and we could hear the call clearly (but not understand it, of course). Calls to prayer, broadcast from the minarets, are not like, “It's prayer time, people!” No, instead, the calls are a summary of basic Islamic beliefs, intended to inculcate into the minds and hearts of believers and nonbelievers alike the substance of the faith. At times it sounds like singing, but always with male voices.

Finally, it was lunchtime. We were taken to a very nice hotel for a traditional Turkish lunch in their large dining room. We were each served plates of local delights: Kisri, hummus, fava, dolmus, and much more. Since we had already snacked at that café, we were stuffed and most of us couldn’t eat it all.

And then we learned that was just the appetizer.

Out came the other plates: The hot appetizer (borek pastry); the mixed salad; the main course (döner kebap); and then dessert! We were completely stuffed and groaned when we stood up.

The day wasn’t over! We still had to two other stops. The first was a boat ride on the Bosporus, where we would see close up the European and Asian parts of Istanbul. The day was so beautiful and being on the water with the wonderful sights was peaceful. The boat guide pointed out expensive and expansive mansions, some worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

We passed under the two suspension bridges that connect the two continents, then turned around. Coming back into the main harbor we could see panoramic views of the city, including the grand structures we had already visited.

Our final stop for the day was the spice market. Now this was more of what we had expected for a market! There were long winding streets, snaking off in different directions with vendors selling their wares, mostly spices, but more utilitarian things, such as pots and pans.

Manny, our guide, told us to follow him to a particular booth, to get us started. He walked at a brisk pace because we had a limited time spend there and he wanted us to have some time on our own. It was difficult following him, because of the narrow streets and the crush of people. A few of us got separated and fell behind. Terry was one who fell behind (because, he admits, of taking photos), and who else fell behind with him? Grumpy Guy and his wife. Such luck.

Grumpy Guy did nothing but curse and gripe about how “outrageous” and “ridiculous” it was that Manny was going at such a fast pace. His wife tried to console him and assure him that we would catch up, but this only served tp work him up even more. When we temporarily lost sight of Manny and the group, he fell into sputtering mode. Terry could barely understand him, but it didn’t sound good. This guy was clearly not having a good time.

We finally caught up with Manny at the spice shop, and it was delightful, full of known and unknown spices. The smells were wondrous, conflicting, exotic and foreign. Julie and Sheila bought fresh saffron in little bottles (for small fortunes). Terry bought a strange spice that was recommended as a chicken rub, as well as an herbal tea made up of, well, many things.

We all wandered around and stocked up on fresh and unusual spices and other things. The people in the marketplace, mostly locals, were as interesting as the shops, with their dress and their language and the hustle and bustle.

It was time to head back to the bus. The five of us reunited and got on the bus with our treasured wares. It was a long and full day, but one full of excitement and even more treasured memories.

We all relaxed back in our rooms, and then took to our balconies. We watched the sun set slowly over the horizon, which accentuated the darkening minarets. It had been a warm day, and with dusk we were refreshed with a slight coolness in the breeze. The calls for prayer began again (which is done at least five times a day). The calls echoed throughout the city, close and far, almost harmonizing but never in sync. It was beautiful to hear.

Then dinnertime came. All of us were there, including the Tones, who were sitting by the window, their table still marked as Table 434 and ours at the end. Early in the dinner the subject of the “Captain’s Club” came up, which Terry and Julie belong to by virtue of having cruised with Celebrity two years ago. Wande inquired as to what benefits one got from such elite status, and Terry – who could take it no more – said, “Oh, we get things like being seated next to the window, but somehow our table numbers got switched.”

Silence. Then, Terry received a sharp kick from to his shin from Julie. (“Ouch,” he silently cried.) Wande looked at Terry askance, Sheila raised her menu to conceal her face and deliver a secret grin of approval and Carol just concentrated on her menu. Somebody finally broke the awkward moment of silence (“So how was your day, Tones?”), and the dinner chatter picked up. Terry knew that he would hear more about this later (he did), but meanwhile he enjoyed the satisfaction exposing up the caper.

Where would table 435 be the next evening?