Thank you for giving us such an enjoyable introduction to Turkey. We have been impressed by your depth of knowledge on so many topics and the passion and enthusiasm with which you deliver it.

You are a wonderful advertisement for your country.

Kathy McNally
kath_mcnally26@hotmail.com

Dear Ovunc,

Thank you so much for your warm and kind hospitality and information on Ephesus and life in Turkey. A friendly and charming person makes a great difference in the quality of a trip.

Good luck with your learning about the wonderful history of Turkey and your singing.

Thank you for not loosing Tom onthe tour. If you ever come to California please visit us.

Gina&Tom
earleg@pamf.org

Ovunc,

You really made the world of Ephesus come alive; you described the scenes so vividly that without much difficulty we could imagine what life must have looked like and sounded like-remember the fountains, and even smelled like-remember the spice shop when Ephesus was at the peak of its power. This was the most rewarding tour and your enthusiasm contagious. Thank you very much.

Rose.

Hello Ovunc

Now that we’ve been home a couple of weeks and the short term memories have had a chance to sift themselves into longer term memory or into the trash can, I wanted to send you a note to say how much the Wilson family appreciated your work to make our holiday enjoyable and educational. I know that I speak for all five of us when I say that we were very thankful for all your attention.

Our time in Istanbul went too quickly and from the Aya Sophia to the Cagologlu Hammam I know we were just scratching the surface. The Topkapi Palace stands out as one of the highlights of this or any other trip; the setting, architecture and contents are spectacular. We were glad to be taken to Istaklal Street and the Metrocity shopping mall to get a broader picture of the city, and your descriptions of the municipal government structure and the achievements of the recent mayor gave us a context that we could never otherwise have had.

The Gallipoli visit was very successful. Visiting the heights at Sari Bair and the beaches below and at Helles gave us a perspective on this campaign that eluded us in our reading. I have had occasion to discuss Gallipoli with a friend since we got back, using this new-to-me information. I have also rediscovered a long-neglected book written about the landings in 1915(!), and I know Christopher was able to increase his understanding of this unhappy part of WWI. Truly it is said that campaigns are won by those who make the fewest mistakes.

Honestly, having been there, I would not recommend Troy to a friend. The site is confusing and relatively inaccessible to people like us, whose archaeological knowledge is limited. Our best memory of Troy is definitely your story of Hera, Aphrodite, and the golden apple (was it really a quince?). Our time in Izmir was taken up enough that we could not consider a visit to Pergamon, and this is about my only regret. Ephesus is magnificent, a place that would be fun to revisit in a few years to see what else has been dug up. Our time in Pamukkale was worth the drive, and we were glad of the opportunities afforded by the shopping stop just below the cliffs.

The restaurants and the food were diverse, and we particularly appreciated being shown the wide range of traditional and contemporary settings. All the hotels were well chosen Our preparation during the time you were guiding us helped us a lot when we were without you.

Thank you for helping us again when our flight from Izmir was delayed. The arrangements for pickup and at the hotel went perfectly, and it was a relief not to have to worry about them. In fact all of the arrangements went without a hitch, and I know that does not happen by chance. You are a very good organiser.

We are recommending to our friends that they visit Turkey, just as two couples had recommended it to us. Our memories are happy, the sights were impressive, the weather was perfect, everyone we met was hospitable, and in many ways our understanding has increased. Thank you for helping to make it that way.

Best wishes
Robert Wilson
wilson@telus.net