Pine trees were everywhere when we were around Gallipoli and Kusadasi.
Wild ones or cultivated fields of them
Some only 12 inches high, just planted.

And Oleanders are everywhere in the built up areas.

The Pine trees have given way to Olive trees now and there are Poplars in amongst them.
It's very, very dry and dusty.
Not surprising with the temperatures.
A lot of fences built out of rock, but crumbling.
Food stalls, pottery stalls all along the way we are travelling.
And it seems poor or just very hot or both.
Tall weeds grow up through the bricks at the side of the footpaths and roads.
This is outside of the big cities.
The gardens are very unkempt around the houses.
I think they spend all day working in the fields.
The medium strips are just a grey dirt with sparce, tall weeds and rumble.
There looks to have been a lot of road construction and the rest was just never finished.

I saw one older lady, covered from head to foot in clothing, sitting outside a small milk bar as we drove by in our enormous, big, shiny bus.
She was simply sitting there, waiting for customers.
I wondered how much her life would change if just one bus a day stopped at her shop.

The places where the bus does stop go all out with service.
The bus windscreen is washed and the service is very quick.
Like huge BP Service Stations with large areas of souvenirs.

There is a team of washers.
They wash a complete car as it pulls in.

I haven't turned the wrong way out of an elevator yet!

Our tour guide's name is spelt Fulya.

Have just found out that the silver pendant I showed you all officially means that I am a member of the Sultan's Harem.
I did buy another pendant and I will bet you anything that ones means I have been booted out of the Harem!

There are only 24 on the tour.
So we have lots of space on the bus.
Emily and I nabbed the whole back seat on the first day and so far, no one has challenged us.
Lots and lots of space.