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Kory and I woke up very bright and early (5:00 a.m.) and watched the sunrise over the ocean. After our boat docked at Kusadasi, Turkey, we joined some of the other passengers on the ship for our first cruise-organized shore excursion. We boarded a bus and followed a meandering and very scenic path up a steep mountain side. Our first stop of the day was at the House of Mary, where the virgin Mary is said to have spent her last days. The house and relics found around it are over 2,000 years old. Though I’m not a religious person, even I got a peaceful, serene feeling inside the house. It cannot be conclusively verified that Mary spent her last days in this part of Turkey, but apparently it is widely believed that she did. Documents have been found that verify that she came to Ephesus (an ancient city buried in the mountainous area of Kusadasi), with St. John and spent her last days in the house. Unfortunately we could not take any photographs inside the house, but it is such a sacred place that I didn’t want to anyway. Our next stop was Ephesus — Europe’s largest open-air museum and a magnificent archaeological site. Over 2,000 years ago, in the beginnings of Western civilization, Ephesus was a thriving commercial center and port. After being buried for millenniums, the ancient city was discovered and archaeologists have begun its restoration. We wandered around for several hours looking at the vast ruins including statutes, intricate carvings, mosaics and marble. The city had an amazingly sophisticated sewage and water system and we learned that the surgical tools found in Ephesus’ “hospital” are similar to tools used in modern hospitals today. It was fascinating. After our visit to an ancient era, we went back to the ship and had a nice siesta by the pool. Kory took a mountain bike ride to the top of a hill overlooking the city while I strolled the seaside shops. We dined outdoors on the deck of the ship as the sun was setting over Kusadasi. We ended the day with after-dinner cocktails (and Kory smoked a cigar) on the Balinese dream beds. Next stop — Mykonos Island, Greece.