The Road Almost Not Taken
We almost skipped going ashore at the Kusadasi/Ephesus port. The notion of visiting Turkey was a bit discomforting, and most of the excursions focused on the Virgin Mary's house. But, after learning about the Celsus Library and the incredible archaeological site at Ephesus, Ned and I decided to give it a go, initially purchasing a four and a half hour excursion through HAL and then trading that in for a more streamlined 3 hour one. The kids opted out of this one and stayed on the ship, sleeping and sunning. It's fair to say that the Turkish government has put a lot into turning the troubled country back into a cruise ship stop. Due to local unrest, most lines haven't put into port since 2016, which is a lot of lost revenue for a country without many other consistent sources of income. Some lines began returning this year and more will return next year. Perhaps that's why Kusadasi was the only port at which we were welcomed by folkloric dancers, a...