WHAT DID THEY SAY
As I reflect on our time in Turkey, I appreciate so much the contributions of everyone on the trip to make it a magical experience. I never expected to say this, but I even enjoyed all the hours on the bus.
Ahmet, thank you so much for your incredible efforts to make this trip the fabulous experience that it was. You are so special. No other tour organizer could have created the tour we just experienced. I miss Turkey, I miss the food, I miss you, dancing on the beach, and I miss the social hours in the garden in Istanbul.
Marion
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And I too enjoyed many of the hours on the bus...especially Ahmet's historical and political perspectives, the beautiful mountains and valleys, our collective clever banter, and even the goodies we passed forward and back.
judy
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As I reflecting on our trip to Turkiye, it will be a memorable one. It was a pleasure to travel with lovely, witty, and humorous group of people. Dancing in the villages, dancing on the beach at night, experiencing the Adventure shower, going with the flow in the choppy return boat ride on the Agean Sea, and shopping for carpets, will be some of the memories that will imprinted. May we all meet again on the dance floor.
Ahmet, thank you for creating an multifaceted exposure to Turkish culture and dance. Your generosity, your passion, your high energy, and humor kept the "magical mystery tour" rolling along. I appreciated visiting small villages, learning dances from local teachers and you, walking the ancient archaeological sites, sitting in the mineral waters at the Doga Hotel, and seeing you acknowledged for your work. Congratulations!
MarieChristine
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Brad and I really enjoyed this trip and the wonderful new friends we have made. Ahmet, you are a joy to travel with. And thanks to all of you for your enthusiasm, love of dancing, and great sense of humor! This was truly "the trip of a lifetime."
Cathie & Brad
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The trip was really a magical time for me. I so enjoyed being in Turkey and meeting my fellow travelers and dance enthusiasts. (...) Do let me know when you are planning future trips. I'd love to travel with you again and hope that some of the others on this trip might be along to share the fun!!
Liz
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I want to let you know that the trip was far beyond my expectations. It was an unforgettable experience and the program you designed helped me to see things of the places we visited, and of the culture, that I would have never known through a touristic agency. I am very thankful for that and for all the support you gave us.
A big hug
Adriana from Chile
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Bizim Ev, where we saw, and feasted on, a buffet of about 50 mouth-watering home-made dishes, and where many of us bought a cookbook, "My Mother's Kitchen" written by the owner's daughter. I think the restaurant was near Sirince. That was one of the best meals I have ever eaten.
Carl
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Wanted to say that i had a wonderful, wonderful time and felt you did a super job!
All the best to you.
Judith Ann
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Travels in Turkey with Ahmet Luleci
( by Eileen Kopec )
How do you spell hospitality in Turkish? Ahmet Luleci! Most folk dancers know Ahmet as dance teacher extraordinaire. He’s taught many times at Stockton, Kolo Festival, other festivals, and camps around the country and around the world. Most of the Turkish dances I know, I learned from him. But now I also know him as a wonderful tour leader, host, and ambassador for his country of birth. In all the cities, towns, and villages he took us to, we were greeted, feted, and taught dances with warm hospitality. It was a very special experience.
Our very first day was worth the price of the trip! From Bursa, we went up to a village in the Uludag area called Harman Alan. Several young men and elders of the village met our bus, including a woman who claimed to be over one hundred years old. I hope the cherries and white mulberries that the villagers knocked out of the trees for us will do wonders for our longevity too! We were then shown a blanketful of spoons – intricately carved to use in the spoon dances of the region. Two spoons are positioned in each hand and clacked together while dancing. The master carver proceeded to demonstrate the dances with some of the young men and then with the older men, accompanied by an oud player and Ahmet’s indispensable assistant, Evren, on the drum. Soon it was our turn to learn the dance, Ikili Güvende, spoons and all. That gave the villagers a hoot. Too bad we had to return those lovely spoons, but they were carved for local dancers for summer festivals and mostly not for sale.
Speaking of festivals, that is where we headed next, to Koca Yayla for their summer festival. We met the Mayor and he invited us to walk in the processional as honored guests of the mock bride and groom. The crowd was smiling and waving at us as we walked by. We met several groups of performers who all wanted to practice their English on us. After a delicious lunch, we got to see many of them perform, including a delightful group of young men in Black Sea costumes. We spend the afternoon watching dancing, singing, and browsing booths of crafts and food.
Our next dance adventure was with local dancers in Bursa –friends of Ahmet. It seemed like every dancer and musician in Turkey was an old friend of Ahmet. In a rehearsal studio filled with colorful costumes, Gokhan and Selin Kiniç taught us the dances Bursa Sekmesi, Sorgun Ciftetelli, and Köy Guvendesi. We had more practice with spoons – and were getting more adept. Bring ‘em on! Ahmet was so helpful in clarifying the steps, without stepping on the other teacher’s toes, so to speak. He just has a gracious way of doing things. That evening we were invited by (need I say friend of Ahmet) Kenan Celik to watch a rehearsal performance at a large outdoor stadium. Two groups performed – a younger more professional group and an “older” more recreational group. The youngsters amazed us with their athleticism, grace, and endurance. We could maybe relate a little to the older group, even though they were much younger than most of us. There is very little recreational folk dancing in Turkey, so this group gave people a chance to dance more often than just at weddings and other celebrations.
The next day we went to a small town called Düsunbey. A remarkable woman named Sevgi Agrali met us at a fish farm for lunch. I almost didn’t order the fish with cheese – that would have been a huge mistake. The bread and the pomegranate sauce were also a highlight. But back to dancing. We then went to a large gymnasium and sat in the bleachers with a group of school children that Sevgi invited to broaden their cultural experiences. I hope that seeing a bunch of old folks try to learn the dance Assagidan was in some way broadening! The performances by the local children, who were bedecked in wonderful costumes, and accompanied by young talented musicians, were terrific. I enjoyed getting to know a few young ladies, who even enticed me to try on parts of their costume. Very memorable.
Then on to Bergama, where we were feted with delicious koftas at a carpet factory no less, and then met Hasan Turkem. He taught us the dances Al Basmadan, Karsilama, and Yandim Ayse. These were definitely keepers. The music was haunting and Hasan was very good at showing us both feminine and masculine styling. One of those dances would prove to be important later in the trip. I then got to try my hand at carpet making. We saw the silk cocoons and different dyes. I wish I could have bought a dozen of the carpets they were so beautiful.
We saw a dance performance of the powerful Zeybek style in Akhisar. Four rather attractive young hunks, er, men performed for us outside on a lawn near a small man-made lake and fountain. I felt sorry for them because they were bedecked in very beautiful, but heavy costumes and it was a very hot day. We all wanted to jump right into that lake. Uncomplainingly, they did a masterful job dancing and then let us examine and learn about every part of the costume and the meanings behind the shamanistic Moslem style. The symbols on the hat tell a person’s story, a scarf might be from a wife or girlfriend, small wings on the vest symbolize the eagle, and they had places for knives or guns, and a pocket for the Koran. Their leather boots had an accordion-like ankle for flexibility. I’m glad they were invited to lunch with us afterwards so they could cool off and drink lots of ayran (a yogurt drink we had everywhere.).
Ahmet taught dances (Mavilim, Gül Aliye and Vardali) to the group in various locations – the most notable on the beach in Kusadasi. Did I say beach? I meant water, as half of us were partially submerged. Gloriously at sunset. I highly recommend doing Kalenin Dibinde with your feet sinking into the sand, the Aegean lapping your ankles and the sun throwing off all kinds of red and orange shades - with 17 new good friends. To me that is what traveling is all about. And I think we probably wound up on several strangers’ Facebook pages.
One day we went to the bazaar in Kusadasi – and who should we run into but Yves and France Moreau! Folk dancers do get around. Apparently, Ahmet knew they were there, but kept it a secret. We all had lunch together. It would have been nice if we could all have danced together too. Also, at lunch and accompanying us for most of the trip was Ahmet’s charming and talented assistant, Evren Soytopcu Kiyak as mentioned briefly earlier. Later she taught us a dance called Igde Kokulum, very lively and fun. I’ll be striving to emulate her styling.
Near the end of the trip, we went to Cinar village, a very special place in Ahmet’s heart and now in our hearts. It was now Ramadan and a little tricky, but the villagers couldn’t have been nicer. They kept apologizing for not doing more. The village has had a project for literacy, organic crops, no smoking, and learning traditional culture, dance and music. They presented four people with awards for their help with the project and Ahmet was one of them. He was so surprised and honored. A man was documenting the event for Turkish TV and two people in our group were even interviewed. They served us platefuls of cherries, figs, mulberries, and a sesame paste to dip the figs into. My, my. Then came wonderful performances. First, the women and girls performed in their cute, colorful, sparkly harem pants. (Thank you Marion for finding the fabric at the bazaar in Istanbul and making me a pair of pants!). Some of the elder women also performed – to show them how it’s really done! Then the imposing men and boys took the stage. With one surprise – a lovely young woman in the village has chosen to express herself in the men’s Zeybek style. We had learned a few days before that there was a myth of young women who was spurned by her lover, joined the men, and became a Zeybek. Perhaps she was channeling that tale – although she was so lovely, I’m sure no one would spurn her! Now comes the importance of the dance Al Basmadan, because we performed it for the villagers! They were so delighted. Afterwards we gave out some gifts for the children and came lots of schmoozing, hugging, and sad goodbyes. Another amazing sunset followed us to dinner where we ate Turkish style on pillows with colorful patterns and had tasty local specialties (yes we ate well). Soon we’d be off to Istanbul.
Although not dance related, I should probably mention a few other notable parts of the trip. Along the way, we saw many historical sites, museums, and archeological ruins that rivaled anything I’ve seen in Greece and Albania. Most fabulous were Aphrodesias, Pergamon, Pamukkale and of course Ephesus. The travertines at Hierapolis/Pamukkale were very unusual. For over two millennia, they have been a source of water, heated by volcanic lava. The water dissolves pure white calcium, and carries it to the earth's surface, where it bursts forth and runs down a steep hillside and forms white calcium "cascades" frozen in stone called travertines. Whatever the explanation, they were unusually beautiful. Many of our hotels had warm or hot mineral springs that were channeled into delightful pools for our swimming and soaking pleasure, perfect for shedding the stress of traveling. One new hotel had something called an “adventure shower” – with settings like thunder storm, new age, and rain forest. I’ve never laughed so hard.
One day we went out on a large sailboat, just our group and a few FOA’s (friends of Ahmet). We had a fabulous fish lunch and smooth sailing out to a protected cove where we were able to swim in the Aegean. So lovely. But not such smooth sailing coming back after the sea breezes kicked in. I was glad to not loose my lunch! We had diner by the pool one night, to the strains of a piano player. True to our natures, we couldn’t help dancing even though it was to ballroom music and got a round of applause after doing a vari hasapico to Never on Sunday! And another night we saw a mesmerizing private performance of whirling Dervishes.
Don’t get me started on the food! I now miss my daily fix of halvah, figs, olives, yogurt, watermelon, eggplant, cherries… raki… And the shopping. Turkey is a shopaholic’s paradise. You have to really control yourself! The bazaars are filled with clothes, jewelry, of course carpets, pottery, all kinds of food and spices. My bargaining skills still need sharpening, however. Somehow, they always knew when I really wanted something.
We spent our last few days in Istanbul seeing all the wonderful sights. There were markets set up for Ramadan and the city seemed to be open all day and all night. Our wonderful hotel in Sultanhamet had a buffet going from 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM. With sultan-like booths in the rear garden, it was the perfect place to meet friends – such as the daughter of a good friend who is living in Istanbul, and musician FOA's from the band called Kardes Turkuler. One of them, Murat Tirnak, was playing the ney at a big concert our last night and we managed to get last minute tickets – on the stairs! of a big outdoor stadium – lucky for us they rented pillows. Popular singer Sezen Aksu and famous oud player (and FOA) Ara Dinkjian performed. There is no alcohol served at concerts, which made for a nice experience – no rowdies in the crowd. The audience was very respectful and appreciative, as were we for the great experience.
Alas, the next day "our bags were packed and ready to go" to quote a song that we parodied for Ahmet at our last dinner. We headed to the airport to our various destinations, drunk on all things Turkish. If you go to Turkey, sip tea from a glass, everywhere. It will allow you to sit, and observe, and feel like part of the country. Try the ayran, more than once – it’s an acquired taste. And take a Turkish bath. You won’t be sorry.
Serefe,
Eileen Kopec