Hot, hot, hot . . .

If you couldn't tell, it's pretty hot here. Normal temperatures are over 100 F. We went hiking last night to Selinus, which is right on the coast. The top drops off to the Mediterranean Sea. This morning we went hiking up Kestros, which wasn't much tougher just a lot hotter and A LOT of thorns. Some of the people in our group were wearing shorts and their legs were a little torn up and bleeding. The only problem I really had was the heat. We left the hotel around 9:20 and it was only a 5 minute drive to the site. Once we reached the summit, we walked around to the different buildings that Prof. Townsend and Hoff had mapped in the past. Interestingly, we saw a couple of Doric column drums in these Ancient Roman sites.

We have to wait until Friday to go get our ikamets (residency permits) -- that's when our representation gets here. Once she is here, we'll know when we'll be able to start working in the field.

By the way, the food here is amazing. The fresh fruits and vegetables are delicious. I have yet to try the drink ayran, which is basically watered-down plain yogurt with salt. Personally, it sounds terrible, but it's a very popular drink in Turkey. I think I should at least try it while I'm here.