But once you do manage to 'tetris' yourselves into the car, the necessary ingredients for a good trip are in place:
1) Map of location you're not going to: Check.
2) Cramped seating: Check.
3) Buying groceries that, in theory, should be kept below 4 degrees, but are left in the hot car for more than 5 hours? Check.
4) Finding out the gas tank is empty? Check.
Since there were enough Cecc's there that it could have been a family reunion, we were all set to adventure off. The main goal was to end up in Çavdarhisar, a small village 2 hours from Eskisehir. The draw of the area is a scattering of Greek and Roman ruins going back as far as 2500 years. Pretty old stuff. And since we're young, the contrast seemed like a good idea.
After three close encounters with drivers "passing" (in the wrong lane), we arrived in Cavdarhisar. The first site was the old stadium and theatre. There was no facility or ticket booth there. It was essentially a free for all among the ruins. I fell victim to ignorantNorthAmerican Syndrome, and thought it would be a great idea to see how I could climb on some of the 2500+ year old walls. I learned that just because something's been sitting there for more than two millennia, doesn't mean that it's sturdy. Or safe. Or won't crumble and crack.
The second site was a set of old Roman baths. I can see why they abandoned them- there was no water. I guess old Octavius dropped the ball on that one...
The third site was an old Greek temple, which looked stunningly like the Parthenon, only smaller. And more crumbly. And more Turkish, since there was a place to buy tea a few meters from it.
While in Turkish cities, it's easy to forget that this area has a rich, rich history. The Byzantines, the Greeks, the Romans, the Seljuqs, the Ottomans- all of them controlled Turkey at some time, and it was a crucial part of all of the empires. When you think about how far back civilization goes back here, it makes you feel pretty insignificant.
As always, there are accompanying photos.
Check them out at : http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2176134&id=94807105
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