First of all, the pickup was scheduled for 0630 and the bus did not arrive until almost 0700. After that we were herded like cattle to the restuarant were we were met by another bus of people going along with us who were extremely rude, pushed and shoved us in the food line, and elbowed their way to the coffee stand demanding things that the poor guy pressing the buttons on the coffee machine could not give! I do realize that the organizers are NOT responsible for the behaviour of others, but to add insult to injury, there were now other people brought in on smaller busses to join us, and some of them were the TWO DAY tour people.
So after the breakfast we travel a long ways to the site -- ooops not the site, but a shopping stop! To buy natural olive oil products... Which means we FINALLY GET to EPHESUS almost at the stroke of noon: in the BLAZING HOT SUN!!! We followed the guide, who tried to get us under shade for most of his talks, then were given 1/2 hour free time: some of the people wanted to pay extra to go into the well-preserved homes but by the time they figured out they should have USED the free time for that it was too late!
Hurried breakfast at 0715, then all the walking in the heat, then no food until almost 230pm 1430 this was a long time in between. After this people then split up into the individual groups to do either the: Museum which almost all went to because of the air-condition Virgin Mary Site--which we got told was not really Virgin Mary or the Basilica of St. John--where the guide went, which is why I went there.
After we were all done, we were then told we would have to change busses: that involved an extra trip/stop to a central Petrol station, where we all got out --those of us NOT on the Two-Day Tour, and stood in the heat for almost 45 minutes while the organizers decided which bus we should go into based on our hotel location in Marmaris. Then once we were on our way, looks like the leader forgot something, so we had to go back to the Petrol station to get it: we all said it was a Comedy of Errors and a game of Send the fool Further!
We finally arrived back to Marmaris about 820-830 pm and the first group of people were just let off the bus and left standing in the street!! For many of us, Dinner ends/ended at 9pm 2100 so it was a mad dash to get cleaned up to go grab a bite or you were going to starve or have to pay for dinner if you were at an all-inclusive and had already paid!
It is NOT that I didn't like the tour, I just think it could have been better scheduled:
1. How about boxed breakfast to eat on the bus to get us there earlier, when not so hot?
2. How about skipping the shopping till when we do need the cooling off: on the way back, also, this way, people don't have to be moving their things around in two different busses?
3. How about early in the AM, when you KNOW from where you picked people up, and the distances, that the
seating and bus choices for the RETURN trip are aranged, then, so we do not have to suffer in the heat while you try
to figure something that is apparently so simple?
4. How about being more accurate on the start time of the tour, so that people are not shocked to see a pick up time
of 0630 for an 0830 tour?
5. How about being MORE SPECIFIC as to the CHOSEN LANGUAGE of the tour, so that there are not two-three languages
attempting to be spoken during the presentations?
6. How about if you can implement some of these suggestions, then LUNCH would be earlier, and people would not be feeling
faint?
I am NOT saying this was a BAD tour just I came away AWED by the ruins of Ephesus, and awed by the general demeanor and handling of the guests.