NOTE-BUSY UPDATING AND BUILDING THIS PAGE!!
THIS PAGE IS A RECORD OF MY TRAVELS VISITING VARIOUS GREEK ISLANDS, SAILING ALONG THE COAST OF SOUTHERN TURKEY BY MEANS OF A GULET, AND INCLUDES PLACES WHERE PAUL TRAVELLED ON HIS VARIOUS JOURNEYS AS LISTED IN THE BOOK OF ACTS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
Here is our Gulet in which we will make the trip, which has 6 double berth cabins. It is powered by diesel engines, and most do not have any sails, although they have masts to make it look more like a yacht. It will be noticed that it flies a Muslim flag, but most Turks are generally non religious much like the Jews.
6 TIMES TOURING AROUND TURKEY-I have been fortunate to have toured the interior of Turkey for 2 weeks, and then later sailed 5 times on different tours over the years, in their various gulets to different destinations, which I really enjoy. One can imagine sailing 2000 years ago along the coastline of Turkey, or Asia which it was then. The following record is one of the trips.
IT WILL BE IN 2 SECTIONS
1.The Southern Dodacanese Islands,-which will include Bodrum port of departure-Kos Island-Nisyros Island with active volcano-Symi where Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine, lived 400 years ago-Rhodes Island with a quite large well fortified city which includes wall plaques commemorated to Paul the Apostle. I will also incorporate the peninsula of Cnidus, where Paul began on his voyage as a prisoner on his way to Rome, only to be shipwrecked on the Island of Malta
2 The Northern Dodacanese Islands.-which include once again Kos Island-then Leros Island-Patmos Island where the Apostle John was imprisoned, and wrote his prophetic book of Revelations-Lipsi-Kalymnos etc. The Island of Samos is also where Paul stayed over on one of his journeys is opposite Ephesus which once was a large and prosperous city and a gateway for travellers on the spice route.
iT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT MODERN DAY TURKEY WAS ONCE RULED BY THE GREEKS-AND WHEN THEY WERE OVERPOWERED BY THE TURKS, THE ISLANDS THEMSELVES STILL REMAINED IN GREEK HANDS, SO ALL THE ISLANDS ARE MOSTLY GREEK.
WE CAN START OUR JOURNEY FROM THE PORT OF BODRUM, ON THE SOUTHERNMOST TIP OF TURKEY ON THE WEST COAST.
1. SOUTH DODACANESE GREEK ISLANDS
KUSUDASI TO BODRUM BY CAR
START OF TRIP FROM KUSUDASI-(next to EPHESUS-see tour Turkey) A LONG WAY FROM BODRUM BY CAR
This trip started from Izmir (or SMYRNA in the Bible)on the mid western coast of Turkey, in a beautiful little town called Kusudasi, just around the corner from the ancient city of Ephesus. Hiring a car from Kusudasi and driving on the right hand side of the road where all road signs and toll gates are in Turkish was a real challenge, including self filling petrol stops etc.
FILLING UP PETROL AT SELF HELP SERVICE STATIONS
DRIVING ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE ROAD ONE SEES A SIGN TO MILETUS. THIS WAS WHERE PAUL STAYED ON HIS JOURNEY BACK TO TO ISRAEL, WHEN HE SAILED PAST EPHESUS AND WENT INTO THE PORT OF MILETUS WHERE HE CALLED THE BELIEVERS TO COME MEET HIM
THE RUINS OF THE MILETUS FORTRESS PROTECTING THE HARBOUR.
HARBOUR ENTRANCE TO PORT OF MILETUS
BELOW ARE 2 LION STATUES THAT WERE SITUATED ON THE HARBOUR WALLS, (ONE ON EACH WALL) NOW ALMOST COVERED BY SOIL, THAT MARKS WHERE THE HARBOUR ONCE WAS
A. BODRUM HARBOUR
IN THE BACKGROUND, AND THE MAVI HOTEL (WITH POOL IN FRONT ) WHERE ONE STAYS ON ARRIVAL.
TRYING TO FIND OUR BOAT AMONGST MANY OTHERS IN BODRUM HARBOUR
SAILING OUT OF BODRUM HARBOUR AFTER ALL FORMALITIES COMPLETED. ( Coming out of customs there are various rubber duck boats in which the immigrants from Africa almost drowned, and rescued by the Customs. Immigrants were on every Island, living in tents on the streets and next to Greek Orthodox Churches, who were feeding and looking after them)
B. KOS ISLAND
KOS ISLAND CUSTOMS OFFICER STAMPS PASSPORTS ON BACK OF SCOOTER
SOME SWORDFISH JUST CAUGHT ON THE HARBOUR WALL
C. NISYROS
NISYROS ISLAND HAS AN ACTIVE VOLCANO, AND EN ON ROUTE TO THE ISLAND OF RHODES-PAUL WOULD HAVE SAILED PAST ALL THE ISLANDS AS THEY ARE EN ROUTE TO RHODES ISLAND, A MAJOR DESTINATION AND LARGE ISLAND FOR SHIPS SAILING IN ALL DIRECTIONS
VOLCANO STILL ACTIVE -WATER BOILED INTO STEAM WHERE THE MUD IS BOILING
D. SYMI ISLAND
SIMI ISLAND HAS BEAUTIFUL PICTURESQUE HOUSES
SYMI-HOME OF FOUNDATION OF MODERN MEDICINE BY HIPPOCRATES
SIMI WAS HOME TO HIPPOCRATES, THE FOUNDER OF MODERN MEDICINE 400 YEARS AGO-HERE IS A MONUMENT ESTABLISHED IN HIS HONOUR. HE ALSO ESTABLISHED THE HIPPOCTRATIC OATH, WHICH ALL DOCTORS EVEN TODAY HAVE TO SWEAR TO OBEY FOR THE WELL BEING OF PATIENTS
HIPPOCRATES PLACE OF INSPIRATION UNDER THIS FIG TREE
THIS FIG TREE IS APPARENTLY AN OFFSHOOT OF THE ORIGINAL TREE WHERE HE WROTE THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH
E. RHODES ISLAND
E. RHODES ISLAND
ABOVE IS THE ENTRANCE INTO THE RHODES ISLAND FORTRESS, WHICH HAS BEEN NAMED PAULS’ GATE (SEE BELOW)
A STATUE OF SAINT PAUL
MORE TO COME AS TIME PERMITS-NEXT IS A HIGH SPEED FERRY FROM RHODES TO PATMOS, WHERE JOHN HAD BEEN IMPRISONED, AND HAD VISIONS OF HEAVEN-THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH EVENTUALLY BUILT A HUGE MONASTRY CUM CASTLE AROUND THE CAVE WHERE HE RECEIVED HIS VISIONS.
HOPE YOU ENJOYING THE TRIP!
F. DATCA TURKISH PENINSULA