Capitalism in Kusadasi

Photo taken by my son Jay in 2011

Kiosk carts jam-packed with souvenirs prominently feature neatly stacked Turkish Delights in a variety of favors next to assorted nicknacks.

Storefronts in the bazaar display tee shirts with humorous, often irreverent phrases emblazoned across the fronts.

Soft leather jackets, not just beige, cordovan and black but in red, turquoise and yellow, fill windows and hang prominently on racks in front of stores.

13th Century Castle in Kusadasi

If you can't find the exact cut of your dreams, then most likely it doesn't exist, and they're all priced for what seems like a fraction of similar quality at Macy's or even TJ Maxx back home.

Some clothing includes designer labels that have been knocked off as perfectly as the styles themselves.

Beautiful rugs and other handicrafts created painstakingly in rural villages using traditional materials and techniques compete side by side with mass-produced versions using machine woven textiles designed to be indistinguishable from the originals, and the knowledgeable salesmen can explain exactly why either is such a terrific value.

The salesmen, however, don't passively wait in the stores for someone to notice their wares.

Photo by Jay in 2011.

They're on the sidewalks actively engaging anyone who passes by, rapidly focusing on hints of common ground to make a connection.

Noticing my Beatles t-shirt, several approach me and sing a verse of "Let It Be" or relate how they learned English from Beatles songs.

Others divine nationality and make random statements hoping for a reaction.

"American? You like Tom Cruise?  Mission Impossible?"

Julie at our sidewalk cafe.

And of course, the direct approach.  "Please come look at my beautiful purses."

Or they needle, "Doesn't your wife deserve a beautiful piece of jewelry?"

Aromas of blended exotic spices on simmering meats and vegetables waft from grills through the streets, blending with the smell of Turkish coffee, incense and traces of tobacco, and once again the workers are not content to merely hope you will notice their lovely cafes.  They approach with menus, offering tables and chairs with polite waves of their arms.

Delicious Cappuccino and Tea with Complimentary Brownies

When Julie and I settled into seats at a vine-covered bistro, the waiter quickly took our order: cappuccino for Julie and the traditional Turkish tea for me.

If he's disappointed that we haven't ordered food, he doesn't show it.

Soon, a beautiful woman from a nearby street arrives with our order, accompanied by two delicious brownies.

Wind Star Shared Our Port Stop in Kusadasi

In Turkey as in Greece, restaurants treat you more like a visiting relative than a customer.

We enjoyed our beverages from our scenic perch, mostly people watching but also taking advantage of the free wifi, which is a general pre-requisite before choosing a table anywhere these days.

The host who had lured us to our table checked in with us a few times, and by the end, we were so pleased by the experience we wanted to leave a gratuity as large as the bill itself.

Another great lunch on Azamara Journey

When the waiter, who actually had done nothing but take our order, quickly pocketed the tip for himself, I felt bad that I hadn't put most of it directly in the host's hand or sought out the waitress who actually brought our snack, but what are you going to do?

We probably should have eaten in town, but again we had returned to the ship for lunch, because the food was inevitably terrific, as good as you can find anywhere in the world, as well as free.

Plus, we know Journey chefs use only the freshest ingredients, whereas any time you're a tourist in town briefly, you may accidentally wind up in a place that doesn't care about quality or uses ingredients that play havoc with our American digestive tracts.

A big advantage of cruising is that you can visit the most exotic places in the world and still be "home" for meals.

Jay's Delicious Local Lunch in Kusadasi circa 2011

Perhaps we should have dined at our sidewalk cafe, just to show support for the wonderful display of capitalism that is Kusadasi.

Coastal Turkey by nature of its convenient location on trade routes between Asia and Europe, made the Ottoman Empire the wealthiest and most powerful in the world by the end of Medieval Times, and the Turks have developed an ability to buy and sell with people from the east or west as part of their cultural DNA.

In America these days, young people in particular seem to think capitalism is nothing more than big corporations getting special crony deals from government and then providing lush benefit packages that too few receive while others eek by on government hand-outs.  Many have come to believe government, rather than free markets and individual effort, is the source of jobs, raises, benefits and financial security.

On the other hand, immigrants like these Turks, who recognize their livelihoods to be dependent on their own efforts, come to the U.S.A. and see amazing opportunity that many native-born Americans no longer recognize.

If you've gone to a swap meet, as I did weekly with my Uncle Bob when I was a long-haired 18-year-old, you've seen how people can gather up stuff in their garage, throw it in a truck and be in business that weekend.

The Turkish marketplace takes on that same philosophy to buying new merchandise that seemingly "fell off a truck" and then turning a profit with it through pure initiative.

Most travelers don't go around the world to find capitalism, of course, and in the case of Kusadasi, the big attraction is Ephesus, but Julie and I decided to forego a visit to that amazing ancient city this time, partly because we felt we have experienced it pretty fully in our two previous visits and partly because that night we would experience our complimentary AzAmazing Evening at Cittantica Ephesus Park.

On each Azamara Club Cruise, there is one special evening event ashore included free for anyone who signs up.  With a sense of camaraderie for a shared adventure, we boarded buses after dinner for a 45 minute drive beyond the night lights of the port city.

Upon arrival at the beautiful new theater, a scaled replica of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus as it appeared in its grandeur, we were greeted by Roman Legionnaires and beautiful beautiful nymphs in togas serving complimentary wine.

I wish I could say the white and red wines were as good as Sutter Home or at least Gallo, but unfortunately they were literally undrinkable vinegar, as hundreds of full glasses left sitting on any ledge with space attested.  This oversight really needs to be addressed by Azamara, which in every other case always ensures high quality food and beverages.

Unburdened from plastic chalices, most of us skipped past ancient street entertainment outside without giving it the attention it deserved in order to jockey for better seats in the modern auditorium. 

Large screens inside displayed movies of ancient Ephesus as it appeared at the dawn of civilization under Greek and Roman rule, with period-dressed actors interacting silently on the silver screens.

The show on stage turned out to be quite varied and entertaining, with a lovely harpist performing lilting songs as we took our seats.

Horns welcomed Marc Antony and Cleopatra, along with their entourage to honored seats at the back of the stage.

Belly dancers charming snakes and gladiators clashing weapons displayed impressive skills that demanded attention, but we most enjoyed the orchestra that debuted original music that would have fit an epic Charlton Heston movie.

At the show's conclusion, we were encouraged to visit the souvenir shops, but buses quickly filled and headed back to the ship, because another terrific destination would arrive to our floating resort early the next morning.