Here we are in week 7 of my suggestions for your travel bucket list.
In no particular order, my top 10 suggestions for your travel bucket list are:
Kayaking and swimming in the bioluminescent bay in Vieques, Puerto Rico
Seeing the millions of monarch butterflies in Michoacan, Mexico
Desert safari off-roading, camel riding, and dinner show in Dubai, UAE
The Grand Canyon in the USA
Superman zip-lining in the cloud forests of Costa Rica
Machu Picchu in Peru
Ruins of the city of Ephesus in Turkey
Helmet diving in the Caribbean
Crossing the Andes
Sailing from Colombia to Panama through the Sand Blas islands
This week I’ll talk about Ephesus.
Ephesus is an ancient Greek city in Turkey that I visited while on a cruise last February stopping in Italy, Greece, and Turkey (the port is Izmir).
I’m not necessarily a ruins addict, though I have seen a number of ruins from various civilizations throughout Europe and Latin America, but Ephesus was pretty unforgettable. Firstly, the city is much more massive than almost any other ruins I have visited and its level of preservation is quite impressive. The streets, buildings, drainage, sewage system, and sign system is stunning when you consider how little we’ve progressed in so much time. Additionally, there are a number of fun facts the tour guide will give you that keep things amusing such as noting that there is a secret underground tunnel connecting the city’s main library with its most popular brothel to allow the men of this ancient city to have their fun without their wives suspecting anything.
The tour I took was pretty comprehensive and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit. I apologize, but since I visited while on a cruise and got ship to site service via the shore excursions team, I can’t really give you much information about how to get there.
Below are some photos from my visit.
My cousin and I in front the library (that has a secret underground passage to the brothel across the street).Ancient roadway leading to the library.View of the amphitheater.Part of a performance they do every hour or so on the edge of the ruins.Our tour guide showing us the toilets and sewage/drainage system.More from the performance.
I love to travel, so even when I’m not being a nomad I take a trip every year for my birthday. This year I took a cruise – with my parents and cousin – to Italy, Greece, and Turkey and it was AMAZING!
I’ve been trying to get my parents to try out cruising ever since I worked on a cruise ship after finishing undergrad and this is the first time they finally agreed to take one. We went on the Norwegian Jade out of Civitavecchia, which is about an hour outside of Rome. I’d been to Italy before, but this was my first time in both Greece and Turkey and it was also my first time as a full-fledged guest on a ship and my first time on Norwegian (I worked on Royal Caribbean).
We had some serious difficulties getting to Italy because of flight delays but, luckily, we’d given ourselves a day buffer so we didn’t miss our ship. I emphatically recommend getting to your departure port at least an entire day early if you’re ever going on a cruise. There are just too many things that could delay you and you wouldn’t want to miss your cruise just because you were too cheap to get a hotel for one night. Once we made it to the ship, however, it was smooth sailing (pun intended) and we had a fabulous time. Thank you so much to Freddy, Joe, Rodrigo, and the rest of the Jade crew for showing me a fabulous time! I’m still partial to Royal Caribbean (better food) but you all made sure my birthday cruise kicked booty.
We decided to go in the winter for a few reasons: 1) We didn’t want to deal with the crazy heat in the summer 2) We got avoid the worst of the crowds because it was low season 3) We chose winter for the other two reasons, but the bonus was it’s cheaper to go on the off season. All around, it was a GREAT decision and I would definitely do the Med on the off season again. The weather really wasn’t that bad if you dressed appropriately and we were happy to avoid the lines and sunstroke that we know are common at the sites we visited during the summer months.
After Rome we headed to Greece and visited Olympia and Athens. We took tours organized from the ship in both ports and had a great time.
In Oympia, we visited an olive farm and saw the ruins.
As our tour guide said: “The ruins are in ruins,” at Olympia.
Our tour took us to an olive farm where we got to taste ouzo and wine, enjoy a Greek lunch, and have some fun dancing.
In Athens we took a tour of the city and went to the New Acropolis Museum and saw the Parthenon.
In Athens we took a tour of the city including the New Acropolis Museum and the Parthenon (in the background of the pic).
Next we headed to Turkey where we stopped in Izmir and Istanbul. In Izmir we visited the ruins at Ephesus, which are probably the most incredibly ruins I’ve ever seen. The city is very well preserved and the infrastructure they had in place at that time was amazing.
This is one of the main streets in EphesusApparently, the library at Ephesus had a secret passageway that led to the brothel across the street. I guess some things never change,Another shot of the Library at Ephesus.The Amphitheater at Ephesus.One of the Main Streets in Ephesus.I added this pic just for fun, but this is an awesome sign we saw at vendor’s stand just outside of Ephesus.
Next we went to Istanbul and saw the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sofia, and the Palace at Dolmabahce. To be completely honest, I wasn’t all that impressed with either the Hagia Sofia or the Blue Mosque but the Palace was really enjoyable. I also got to see an old friend of mine who lives in Istanbul now so I had a blast.
Inside the Hagia Sohpia.Outside the Blue Mosque.My cousin and I right before we went into the Blue Mosque. I’m not sure why we’re sparkling, but it’s a cool photo.Outside a Mosque Lit Up at Night in Istanbul.Outside the Gate at Dolmabahce Palace.This aqueduct in Istanbul is special because it’s not closed off for preservation – cars still drive under it every day.
After Turkey it was time to head back to Italy and we stopped in Naples before heading back to Civitavecchia. We took a tour to Pompei and had some incredible pizza before getting back on the ship and heading home.
One of the main streets in Pompei.Our tour guide told us that as they excavated Pompei, they made plaster casts of the spaces left in the ash by the bodies of those who perished there. This is one of those casts.
After Pompei it was back to Rome for us where went to see St. Peter’s in Vatican City (a little hectic given we were there right after the Pope announced his resignation).
All in all it was an amazing trip and it was the perfect way to start out my year as a nomad. I had a wonderful time and I hope get to see my friends on the Jade again soon.
So far in my life I’ve been lucky enough to visit dozens of places around the world – many numerous times – and I love to explore new countries and cities. That’s why I’ve decided to bite the bullet and leave my day job so that I can have the freedom (one of the greatest benefits of being an entrepreneur) to travel where and when I please.
While I’ve loved helping the small businesses of Washington, DC start and grow I can’t be tied down geographically anymore so I’m heading out. Because I think aspiring entrepreneurs might need to see a little taste of where their lives could take them, I’ll be sharing some of my travel adventures with you here.
First up this month: Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Greece and Turkey are new for me – so please share your suggestions for what to do and see in Istanbul, Izmir, Athens, and Olympia! I’ve been to Italy before, but I’m excited to explore it as a slightly older and wiser traveler!
I might not be online much while I’m off exploring, but I promise to post as soon as I’m back. Wish me luck!
