Here you can browse through my blog posts prior to February 2022. Currently I'm sharing my travel experiences, candid opinions, and what's on my mind solely on my Facebook page. — Rick
On the outskirts of Ürgüp, Turkey, we stumble upon the construction of a new showpiece mosque. While dreary-looking today, this will soon be an impressive house of worship for a thriving new suburb.
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I take a stroll through Ürgüp’s bustling, colorful Saturday market.
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Slick Turkish carpet shops entertain tour groups expertly. While the carpets are beautiful, I find the sales pitch most entertaining. Of course, normal guides and bus drivers make handsome commissions when they bring their groups carpet-shopping, and prices are very soft. But we are very careful not to let the allure of commissions hijack our program. While we include one carpet presentation for the group, we make sure no one is held captive in any carpet shop. (For instance, as soon as this sales pitch is over, we provide a shuttle bus ride back to our hotel for those who don’t want to shop.)
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Enjoying a home visit is a two-way cultural exchange. A family invites us in and serves us a rustic home-cooked lunch. Then, with our guide as the translator, we get to really connect with a villager. This is the best way to gain an insight into her world and village life in Turkey. And the money we spend goes directly to a local family rather than to a big business.
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Touring a village, we pause on a bridge to watch the schoolkids pass by ‘ greeting each other with a cheery merhaba (hello). You’ll notice we’re wearing headphones. With these “Whisper System” earpieces in place, our guide can give us a running commentary while we straggle and explore, without having to all stay in a big group. All over Europe, the Whisper System is becoming the standard way tour guides do their guiding. Whisper Systems are required in the great museums and preferred on the streets. While most groups just rent them at the museums that require them, our tour program purchased this system, and the tour I’m on is the first to issue a set to each tour member to be used whenever the guide likes. I am enthusiastic about this new technology. It’s easy on the guide’s voice, our groups make less of a commotion where we’re touring, and individuals enjoy both the freedom to roam and the necessary information.
If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.