I said never again would I take an overnight bus, but I took an overnight bus from Istanbul to Izmir. This ride was much better: no smoking driver, a shorter ride, a cute and friendly host. The host is like a stewardess that goes down the aisle every once in a while offering you snacks and drinks. The company is Kamil Koç and I recommend them if you are ever in Turkey and needing to take a bus somewhere. I do not recommend the company called Kent, which I took to Cappadocia.

Izmir is nice, my host lives with his mother whose house is right next to the sea. I arrived on Thursday the 22nd and the weather was awesome. Walked around the city, near the coast and then down a street with shops. Ate some dinner, had some dessert and tea, then went back home and slept.