John H. & Donald P. - NY
October 9, 2003

Dear Rina,

We had such a wonderful trip. Thanks so much for helping us at every step along the way. 

Looking back, I would say your idea to have Ayhan drive us was the biggest key to making the tour a success. He looked after us very well. Almost like having a guardian angel. In retrospect, driving it ourselves would have led to divorce or, at the very least, tension filled days of trying to find the hotels, not to mention the sites.

We were very pleased with all of the hotels. The Elkep Evi in Cappadocia was especially memorable. They gave us a large, gorgeous cave room.

As for the sites, we should have allowed a full day for Pergamon. It was the place that most captured our imaginations. Less touristy and roped off than Efes. And of course it's huge. Note for future ruin buffs: None of the guidebooks emphasize how long it takes to see Pergamon. They all say to give a full day to Efes. We found just the opposite. Efes is easy to see in half a day being just one street with almost everything else blocked off. Pergamon, however, is sprawling and requires much time to wander and ponder. But this is a minor regret. And maybe a reason to return!

The Angora House hotel in Ankara was also very special. Fantastic old Turkey atmosphere. Like stepping briefly into another century.

As for Istanbul, we were captivated by the contrasts and textures of the city. The walk we did with Suleyman (looking for obscure mosques and churches) gave us a good feel for a part of town we would have missed otherwise. And we took his advice and spent the evening across the Horn, ending up in Taksim. So we experienced the crumbling conservative quarter and the ultra modern European town in the same day.

As for restaurants, we loved Magnaura. For our last evening I asked the Four Seasons to serve us a private dinner on one of their roof terraces. They were happy to comply, for no extra charge, and we were able to watch the moon sparkle over the sea. A sublime ending to a superb trip.

Once again, many thanks for all of your services.  Best wishes to you and Suleyman and Emre.

John (+Don)