Ephesus tours

[Mura]

Our trips to Ephesus have NOT been in the summer time, but this is a good warning! Do take water with you (not to mention a hat) at the very least.

 

We're doing the Black Sea cruise in August which will mean our first summer time visit to Istanbul -- no Kusadasi visit on this cruise --although we'll be there at the cusp of Aug/Sept so it's a good reminder to us as well. We tend to avoid traveling in the Med in the summer time but O only offers the Black Sea cruise at that time. So we'll be stuck this time ...

 

Mura

[Kissing Seahorses]

su-arizona and Mura make very good points, it can be very hot in Ephesus and once the descent from the top has begun, there is no option of turning back so be prepared ahead of time, the busses or vans relocate to the parking lot near the theater at the bottom of the hill. Water is essential and maybe even an umbrella if you are affected by the sun. The terrace houses consist mostly of staircases and platforms over the former houses, it is very interesting but if you have difficulty climbing stairs this is not the tour for you!

 

I have seen many people who have considered this tour torture because they were not up to the physical requirements, be warned and know your limitations.

[Mura]

Seahorses,

 

We are basically in agreement but I want to talk further about trying to do the terrace houses with mobility problems. I've had arthroscopic surgery on one knee, and mild arthritis in both, so I don't like stairs in either direction. But I didn't have problems doing the Terrace Houses. While you are talking about climbing about 4 stories, you don't do so all at once. So upi go up maybe 15 steps at a time. Then you stop and read a sign, maybe take a photo, or listen to your guide. So I didn't find going UP all that difficult even with my problems.

 

OTOH, coming down was another story and your warning is certainly apt. You leave the building and descend from the top ... I don't recall whether there was a hand rail but I think there must have been. (I also don't recall that there was NO handrail.) Someone please correct me here. But the steps are uneven and sometimes quite steep, and I came down very gingerly being afraid of falling. So I found knee problems on the descent to be much more problematic than on the ascent.

 

Then again, it isn't all that easy walking through the site either. It's a regular "down-cline" on cobblestones, and managing them isn't always easy. (We did see a few wheelchairs on our visit last October and I remain astonished that one could go through with a wheelchair and not topple over.)

 

And ladies, don't try to wear even low heels. You want real walking shoes here. I am constantly amazed at touring spots where women are wearing impossibly high heels ... I don't think I EVER did so even when young, but I certainly do not do so now!

 

It IS a large site and once you enter, you indeed are committed to going all the way through.

 

Mura

[hondorner]

...OTOH, coming down was another story and your warning is certainly apt. You leave the building and descend from the top ... I don't recall whether there was a hand rail but I think there must have been. (I also don't recall that there was NO handrail.) Someone please correct me here. But the steps are uneven and sometimes quite steep, and I came down very gingerly being afraid of falling. So I found knee problems on the descent to be much more problematic than on the ascent...

There is no handrail, as such, on the exit steps outside the covered area. The steps are uneven and very nervewracking if one has knee problems or vision problems (I had both -- arthritis in the knees, and, a couple of weeks ago when I was there, a fairly severe cataract (removed just two days ago) that affected my balance and perception of where the steps began. I negotiated the steps very carefully with use of the steel cables that secure the temporary roofing. They run paralell to the steps and, for the most part, can be reached if one stays to the right. Unfortunately, the cables run level while the stairs go down (duh), and therefore there are short distances where one cable ends about shoulder height until the next begins about knee height. They are firm enough to provide some security, but their use is very awkward.

 

I made it, but much slower than the rest of my group (Betsy, Stan, Jim, Cenia, Glen and our guide). As Mura says, negotiating the stairs within the covered area is very doable, although the floors at each level are clear plexiglass and are a bit nervewracking for someone afraid of heights (guilty again -- I know, I'm a mess). Still. I'd do it again -- it was absolutely worth it and not to be missed.

 

[Mura]

Don,

 

I meant to add a photo much like yours but forgot! So thanks for yours. I think it's a good idea for people to see what it is like inside.

 

I had similar problems going down as you did ... my vision isn't a problem (at least not yet) but since my knee problems started up I really depend on a hand railing ... and I do NOT like steep steps!

 

So for me (and I guess you) leaving was far more difficult than seeing the building.

 

I, too, was slower than the rest of our group -- only four people plus our guide.

 

Mura

[Senior Citizen]

We were on the MV of the Riviera with Don but we didn't go to Ephesus at that time because 5 ships were in port that day. We did, however, go to Ephesus two weeks later when we were on another cruise and there were only 2 ships in port. We were on a private tour for 6 and one lady had to buy a walking stick at the beginning of the tour or she would have found the site almost impossible to negotiate. Since we were a small group, we were able to go at a slower pace and accommodate her. She loved it and was sooo happy that she wasn't with the ship's large tour group because she wouldn't have been able to keep up.

[hondorner]

...one lady had to buy a walking stick at the beginning of the tour or she would have found the site almost impossible to negotiate.../quote]

Smart lady. A walking stick would have provided all the balance and reassurance I needed for the exit steps, and more. The sad thing is that I HAVE nice, collapsible trekking poles; they were my savior at many of the National Parks we visited last Summer. They would fit in our medium suitcase. But, I somehow forget to pack them for European ventures -- maybe this will be my memory jogger.