Last night I didn't get nearly enough sleep. I thought I would crash from the long day driving and the added cold medicine, plus allergy medicine I took to fight my runny nose (hmm....overdose?) but I still didn't fall asleep until about 1 am. When I finally did fall asleep I ended up having a weird dream about a plane flying over my house and then landing in the old airport on 22 or 23 and Romeo Plank. Weird. It also didn't help that my bed made strange, suggestive noises when I moved in it to get comfortable. It makes me shiver just to think about it. Gross, Gross, Gross.
After a not so restful night we rose early to at Efes (the local beer favorite of Turkey is named after this city) so that we could be there by 8 am and avoid the crowds of tourists who go there and also the heat. We never escaped the heat though. It was 110 degrees when we left at about noon. Efes is one of the largest displays of Roman houses, baths, latrines, theater, and library in the world. I've heard that not even Pompeii compares to this city and that says a lot. It was, for a lack of better terms, amazing. I won't even try to describe it. I'll leave that to the pictures. Save to say, I was in awe. The best part was the reconstructed library that had crumbed in the 3rd century from earthquakes. In the 1990s it was put back together in an amazing attempt to restore history. Four statues would have stood at the very front of the library; wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and friendship. Man, those Romans were were smarter beyond their years. Wisdom, the art of being insightful, knowledge, the art of learning and wanting to learn more, understanding to know how to use the wisdom and knowledge to benefit mankind, and friendship, to help spread wisdom, knowledge and understanding....sharing. I could keep learning all day and never get tired of it. There are just too many things I want to do and see and understand. Romans....deep stuff. Of course, they stole all of it from the Egyptians. I'm telling you...all these "ruins," in this country and around the world, but you don't see that in Egypt. There isn't a Great Pyramid of "ruins." Tisk, tisk. Someone wasnt using their knowledge wisely.
After the ruins we took a quick bus ride further up the mountain to visit the supposed home of the Virgin Mary. Now religion is something that fascinates me. There is no solid proof that the Virgin Mary lived here because no one has found her tomb, which should be in the area if the legends are true and she really did die here. Unless, you believe the DaVinci Code (all my good Catholics turn away now) and then you believe that she is buried under the Louve in Paris. However, ther are other factors that make this story more likely.
A) The Bible tells us in The Gospel of John 19:25-27, "When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing near by, he said to his mother, 'Dear woman, here is your son' and to the disciple, 'here is your mother.' From that moment the disciple took her into his home." Translation - When Christ was on the cross the Bible says that he left his mother in the care of John the Baptist.
B) We know for a fact that St. John did in fact come to Turkey and lived in Ephes. We know Paul was chased out of this very city. If John was living here and was suppose to be taking care of the Virgin Mary then its a possibility that she could have lived her.
C) There is a Church not far from the "home" that is called the Church of Mother Mary. No Church was ever declared a church in the name of a Saint or holy figure unless they had lived in the area. It was an old Christian tradition.
SO...basically the Catholic church believes that this information is sufficient to declare it a pilgrimage point for Catholics and Christians alike. Pope Paul VI was here, Pope John Paul II celebrated mass here and declared it a house of worship and even the current Pope, Pope Benedict XVI was here and celebrated mass.
Whatever version you believe, it was cool to be there, watch the pilgrims, walk though the house, see people pray and light candles at possibly the place the Mother of Christ spent her final days in. Now, I didn't light a candle, its no secret that I'm not Christian, but I did take one. They were free and we were allowed to take two. So I took one. A candle from the home of the Virgin Mary. Maybe I'll keep it, or maybe I'll give it to one of my Catholic friends. Either way, it was healthy to be there.
Quote of the Day: A not so Holy one...sort of...
"Eww...there's a spider in my hole! I mean my toilet hole. That sounded better in my head." - After I found a spider in its web in my latrine at the Roman ruins after the pictures.
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