Kuşadası, Turkey

I didn’t know what to expect when our cruise ship ported in Kuşadası, Turkey. I was expecting something completely foreign, but instead found a charming place.

In Kuşadası they accepted almost any kind of currency, which was good since I only had Euros.

Walking through the main flea market, I found instruments of every kind, Turkish spices and Turkish delight, which my friends and I recognized from The Chronicles of Narnia. I bought it all, and for less than 10 Euro, which if you’ve ever gone souvenir shopping in Europe is quite a steal.

The port of Kuşadası was sleepy, with bright blue water surrounding the place. The houses were small and built on top of large hills. Walking around the market, you could see the Evil Eye cemented into walls and floors, protecting shop owners.

I grabbed a Turkish coffee at a coffee hut called Pacifica Coffee and sat in the port’s shopping center. Everyone had warned me that Turkish coffee was disgusting. I looked into the dark and cloudy cup and took a sip. It was rich, strong and warm. Delicious.