It's taken us a couple of days to get a feel for this place. It's quite different to Greece and anywhere else I expect. We've weaved through the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar and after a couple of false starts we eventually found the Topkapi Palace which was the palace of the sultans in days gone by. It cost 40TL each to go in. We found our own way around, bypassing all the tour groups who were patiently taking their lessons from their guides. ...

The flight to Istanbul was delayed about an hour. Arriving in Istanbul, we couldn't believe how big and busy the airport was. Getting through border control was the most hectic I have seen...worse than Heathrow or LA. We had arranged to be met at the airport for transport to the hotel but the throng of people holding up name cards was overwhelming and it took about 4 passes before we could find our own names. Then there was a mix-up with the drivers and ...

We arrived at Kusadasi, Turkey about 6am and after breakfast joined an excursion to see the archaeological site of Ancient Ephesus. We were then taken to a rug making demonstration and to visit the bazaar in Kusadasi. The traders are extremely pushy here and already I don't like the Turks anywhere near as much as the Greeks. We were back on the ship for lunch and the on our way to Patmos where we expect to arrive at 4pm.