We arrive at Bodrum before noon and are picked up by hour hotel's transport service. Once we arrive, Orhan, the proprietor of the hotel, sits us down, gives us coffee, and shares with us the run down on Bodrum. We mention we want to go to Ephesus the next day and ask about the hotel's excursion to the site. Unfortunately we have a bus scheduled to leave the next day at 3:30 and the Ephesus tour runs from 6:30am to 7pm. Problem. We absolutely CANNOT miss Ephesus! Orhan has a solution! He has a friend at the otogar and he says he can have the tour bus drop us at a bus station on the way back from Ephesus and from there we can catch a later bus to Konya. He assured us he would inform the tour guide of the situation...We just wouldn't get our money back for the ticket we had already purchased. It seemed worth the lost cash. Orhan sent us to the otogar with one of his employees and he assisted us in purchasing our new bus ticket for tomorrow from Milas to Konya. Perfect.
Christine and I wander around Bodrum down along the seaside and through the shops. It was a beautiful relaxing seaside town on the Aegean. Apparently it is a city that is very popular for Turkish families and couples to vacation to during the summer.
We attempt to walk back to the hotel, only to discover that it is out of reach by foot for our tired bodies. We catch a dolmus and arrive at the hotel in time for Orhan to pile us, along with 2 Australian students traveling together, into the hotel van and take us to Etrim. Billy & Rachel (I believe) were two friendly girls, loved to laugh, and were very open. The ride to Etrim was rough...too fast, bumpy, windy roads, hard braking...but we made it in one piece.
We make it to Etrim, which is a small village where the woman make carpets, and the people live in simplicity and peace. It's extremely beautiful. There were chickens and cows meandering, old houses, dirt roads, etc.
A man who is friends with Orhan and who claims to be the Mayor of the village (he's lying...) greets us. He takes us into the village mosque and provides us with a basic understanding of Islam. He then takes us to what appears to be a type of cafe where we all share tea and where the local men play each other in backgammon (a common occurrence in Turkey). I tried Apple Tea this time which essentially tasted like a sour apple jolly rancher in liquid form. It was good, but sweet!
He then takes us to watch his mother demonstrate the methods used by the local women to make the carpets. Their work is incredibly detailed, uniquely dyed, and altogether beautiful. Girl's learn by first observing their mother's through early childhood and, if I remember correctly, begin making their own carpets (practicing and such) around age 14.
Afterwards, they serve us dinner and we then are shown carpet upon carpet upon carpet in their "showroom". Some of them really are quite stunning. We finally get on the road after 9pm to head back to the hotel. Christine & I pack our things for the morning since we have to be outside the hotel ready to go by 6:30am. I am beyond eager to actually lay down in a bed at this point and get some much needed sleep. Tomorrow will be an interesting day, to put it mildly.
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