Voyage to the Black Sea

Transcription

1 Voyage to the Black Sea Crossroads of Cultures from the Ancient Past to the Present Aboard the 26-Cabin Artemis August 17 29, 2015 Special Value-Added Bonus Arrangements! See Inside

2 A lecture at the theater of Troy Dear Traveler, Long ago, the world ended, and myths began, in the Black Sea. After the Great Flood came Jason and the Argonauts, ancient Greek colonists, and Julius Caesar, who pronounced Veni, Vidi, Vici over the kings of Pontus. For millennia, it s been a region of commingling for those whose cultures and ethnicities are not so easily defined on imperial maps. Please join us this summer as we discover this fascinating region, so often neglected in our mental geographies, yet so crucial to the fortunes of world history. On the the largely tourist-free northern coast of Turkey, where Ottoman mosques and Byzantine churches lie in the shadows of soaring citadels built by kingdoms established in the wake of Alexander the Great, we will visit such important early Christian centers as Amasra (ancient Sesamus), and Katuisi, Georgia, with its many churches and the 12 th -century Gelati Monastery. Batumi, capital of Georgia s Adjara region and a recently modernizing commercial and tourism center, boasts a diverse abundance of architecture, including the uniquely red-andwhite-striped Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas. The trip will begin with a visit to the striking 4 th -century Sulema Monastery located in the mountains outside of Trabzon. In Istanbul, we will consider the role of the Emperor Constantine, and later Justinian, in transforming Byzantium into the resplendent city of Constantinople, with its remarkable early Christian monuments. Justinian also brought about a new synthesis of Greco-Roman and Christian culture in the 6 th century, some 300 years before the advent of Islam. Our final port-of-call, before disembarking in Athens, is Lesvos, an island which, according to the Iliad, sided with Troy in the Trojan War and was conquered by Achilles. To provide a deeper understanding of the region, we have assembled an incredible team of study leaders who will join you aboard Artemis to enrich your journey via lecturers and informal discussion. These expert professors, each renowned in their respective fields of study, will explore the intersection between myth, reality, and the quest for meaning as it pertains to this ancient corner of the world. The Black Sea has been a bridge between East and West for centuries. Please join us this August aboard the 50-guest small ship Artemis as we trace this ancient crossroads of cultures. Sincerely, Margaret M. Betchart President, Betchart Expeditions Inc. For AAAS Travels, ACS & Sigma Xi Expeditions As an added bonus, we re offering one night in Athens at the Hotel Athens Plaza, including a sightseeing tour, as well as the one-way domestic flight between Trabzon and Istanbul, all free of charge. Turn the page for more details. Cover: Charming Amasya in Turkey

3 The spectacular city of Istanbul

4 Itinerary Monday, August 17, 2015 USA Fly from the U.S. to Trabzon, Turkey, via Istanbul. Tuesday, August 18 ISTANBUL, Turkey TRABZON EMBARK Special Added-Value Bonus Fly to Istanbul and enjoy a complimentary one-way flight to Trabzon. Embark Artemis and overnight aboard ship docked in Trabzon. (D) Wednesday, August 19 TRABZON Ancient Trapezus, one of antiquity s greatest cities and commercial centers, was founded by Greek colonists during the early part of the 1 st millennium b.c. It continued to prosper under the Romans and Byzantines. Travel to the Sumela Monastery, founded in the 4 th century and set high in the mountains. Back in Trabzon, visit the 13 th -century church of Hagia Sophia. (B, L, D) Thursday, August 20 BATUMI, Georgia From Batumi, the capital of Georgia s Adjara region, we visit the nearby Gonio-Apsaros fortress, the oldest fortress in Georgia. It factors in the story of the Argonauts as the place where Apsyrtus, King Aeete s son killed by Jason, was buried. It is also said to be the burial place of the Apostle Matthew. Next tour the Batumi Museum of Archaeology showcasing finds from excavations throughout Adjara and Batumi from the Bronze Age to Medieval times. Also see the main sights of the city including the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas, the Synagogue and Freedom Square. (B, L, D) Friday, August 21 POTI Call at Poti in ancient Colchis, the land of the Golden Fleece, as the Argonauts did over 3,300 years ago. Travel upland to Kutaisi, Georgia s second largest city and one-time seat of Georgian monarchs. Kutaisi has been identified by some as ancient Aeae, Aeete s capital. Aeete s daughter Medea fell in love with Jason and helped him capture the Golden Fleece. A tour of this culturally rich and historic city includes its many churches and palaces, including the Church of King Bagrat and the 12 th -century Gelati Monastery. (B, L, D) Saturday, August 22 GIRESUN, Turkey This quaint port is in the region that was once inhabited by the Amazons, whom the Argonauts met on their way to Colchis. Off Giresun is a small island sacred to the Amazons, who dedicated a temple to the war god Ares there. Phineas, the blind seer, warned the Argonauts that they would find the island infested with hostile birds that attack humans, and they were able to prepare for the danger. This now quiet island is still home to large colonies of birds. (B, L, D) Sunday, August 23 SAMSUN AMASYA Drive to Amasya, which, legend has it, was founded by the Amazon queen Amasis. Ascend to the cliff-top fortress for panoramic views and probe the rock tombs of the Pontic kings. Also visit the 15 th -century Sultan Beyazit Mosque. Visit the Archaeological Museum in Samsun before returning to the ship. (B, L, D) Istanbul s colorful Spice Bazaar For reservations or information, please call us at

5 Monday, August 24 AMASRA Arrive in Amasra, ancient Sesamus, founded by Milesians in the 6 th century b.c. The city later became an important possession of both Byzantium and Genoa. On a tour of this pleasant and idyllic town, visit the Genoese citadel, which crowns one of the promontories with a formidable constellation of towers, battlements, and gates. Then cruise along the coast of ancient Paphlagonia past landmarks associated with the Argonautic expedition Including the Mouth of Hell near Eregli, ancient Heracleia Pontica. (B, L, D) Tuesday, August 25 & Wednesday, August 26 CRUISING THE BOSPHORUS ISTANBUL Sail through the Bosphorus, the narrow waterway separating Asia from Europe, the northern section of which the ancients identified as the location of the notorious Clashing Rocks. Jason and the Argonauts, following the advice of the blind seer Phineas, sailed successfully by the Rocks to enter the Black Sea. Arrive in Istanbul, capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Over the next day and a half tour some of Istanbul s principal landmarks, including the famed Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the wonderful Archaeological Museum. (B, L, D) Thursday, August 27 CANAKKALE Artemis enters the narrow Dardanelles, called Hellespont by the ancient Greeks, for it was here that Princess Helle slipped from the back of the flying ram with the Golden Fleece and drowned at sea. Call at Canakkale, our gateway for Troy, where ongoing archaeological excavations have revealed nine different layers of cities superimposed in rings on a massive mound rising above the Plain of Ilium. It was to one of these cities, as legend has it, that the Greeks fought the Trojans as told by Homer in his Iliad. (B, L, D) Friday, August 28 METHYMNA, LESVOS Throughout history Lesvos has played an important role in the geopolitics of the Aegean, partly because of its size and strategic location. Enjoy time in the picturesque northern port of Methymna. Tiers of traditional red-tiled houses line the slopes of a steep hill crowned by a Genoese castle, which provides views of Turkish shores from its vantage point. Stroll vine-covered streets and cobbled alleyways, coming upon weathered Turkish fountains a reflection of the fact that, until 1923, Turks made up about 35 percent of the town s population. (B, L, D) Saturday, August 29 PIRAEUS DISEMBARK ATHENS Disembark and transfer to the Athens Plaza hotel, located on Constitution Square. Enjoy a sightseeing tour. (B) Sunday, August 30 ATHENS FLY TO USA Transfer to the airport for flights home. (B) Special Added-Value Bonus CRUISE, LEARN & be inspired On these voyages, you will be accompanied by expert lecturers and local guides who will introduce you to the culture and history of the destinations we visit and the Black Sea region. Through lectures and informal discussions, they will help provide a context that deepens your understanding and enhances your appreciation of the sites we visit and the things we see. Nina Tumarkin is a Professor of History and Director of the Russian Area Studies Program at Wellesley College, as well a longtime associate at Harvard s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. An author of books on Soviet history, she teaches courses at Wellesley on the history of Medieval, Imperial, and Soviet Russia, as well as modern Europe. She first traveled to Europe on a coal freighter at age 12, and since that time, she has been waterborne as frequently as possible. She and her husband, Harvey Cox, have traveled as lecturers with groups of alumni for almost a quartercentury, ranging as far as the Arctic Ocean, Japan, and Mongolia. Professor Tumarkin will bring a global perspective to our conversations on the Black Sea region. Harvey Cox is the Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard University and the author of many books on religion, including his most recent, When Jesus Came to Harvard: Making Moral Choices Today. He first developed his fondness for ships and canals and locks when, as a young sailor in the US Merchant Marine, his ship passed through the Kiel Canal and into the Baltic Sea. Since then, he and his wife, Nina Tumarkin, have lectured on numerous cruises and travel/study seminars on various rivers, canals, and inland waterways from the Aegean Sea and the Corinth Canal to the Baltic Sea, the Rhone, and the Dnieper. Mary Lefkowitz, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities Emerita at Wellesley College, is one of the most distinguished classical scholars in the United States. Recipient of a National Humanities Medal for her teaching and scholarship, she has written extensively about ancient Greek myth and literature and has been interviewed on television and radio about how ancient history and mythology have been used and misused in modern politics. She has frequently visited and studied ancient sites in the Mediterranean, most recently as a Trustee of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Along with her late husband, Sir Hugh Lloyd-Jones, she has been a lecturer on no fewer than ten educational voyages. She looks forward to returning to the sea on this modern-day quest for the Golden Fleece.

6 deck plan Artemis Artemis is a small cruise ship whose size and design makes it the perfect vessel for our educational voyage. Built in 2007, this 50-guest yacht allows us to call at out-of-the-way destinations and dock at small harbors, avoiding the crowds and congestion of larger ports that cater to mega ships. All 26 spacious cabins enjoy an ocean view, and the majority feature private balconies with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. All have a private bathroom with shower, flat-screen TV, telephone, safe, minirefrigerator, and climate control. The ample public areas include an elegant dining room that serves all guests in a single open seating, a welcoming lounge and bar affording opportunities for convivial conversation as well as lectures, and a furnished Sun Deck ideal for relaxed observation of the passing shoreline. Artemis meets the very latest standards for safety and is equipped with state-of-the-art communications and navigation systems. With a crew-to-passenger ratio of nearly one-to-two, guests are assured the highest standards of professionalism and attentive, personalized service. SPECIAL Value-Added Arrangements at no Additional Cost: The following added arrangements are on us: Travelers may spend the night of August 29 in Athens at the Hotel Athens Plaza, returning home on August 30. Enjoy a sightseeing tour of Athens, including the Acropolis. The flight from Istanbul to Trabzon is included. Cruise & Land Rates per person, double occupancy category description rates E D C B A S Main Deck: Cabins with two round, fixed portholes; near the stairs sq. ft. Main Deck: Cabins with two round, fixed portholes; near the stairs sq. ft. Upper Deck: Cabins have small private balcony with table & chairs; near the stairs sq. ft. Upper Deck: Cabins have small private balcony with table & chairs; near the stairs sq. ft. Upper Deck: Cabins have small private balcony with table & chairs sq. ft. single rate (per person) Lower Deck: Single cabins with round, fixed portholes sq. ft. $8,390 $9,390 $10,390 $11,190 $11,990 $11,990 Port charges & taxes: $600 per person Typical Cabin

7 Program inclusions Included One night at the deluxe Athens Plaza hotel in Athens, including breakfast and a sightseeing tour Domestic airfare between Istanbul and Trabzon 11-night cruise aboard the 50-guest private yacht Artemis Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions aboard ship All meals aboard ship Wine, beer, and soft drinks with lunch and dinner aboard ship Complete program of tours and excursions Enrichment program of lectures and discussions by expert study leaders Professional Travel Dynamics International tour staff Comprehensive pre-departure materials Baggage handling and airport transfers abroad on the designated program arrival and departure dates Gratuities to porters, guides, and drivers Not Included Airfare other than specified above Visa and passport fees (if applicable) Trip cancellation and baggage insurance Meals and beverages other than those specified above Personal expenses (such as laundry, telephone, Internet, etc.) Port charges and taxes Gratuities to shipboard personnel Air Reservations International airfare is not included in the Cruise and Land Rates. For assistance with flights, you may contact Taunya DeYoung at Betchart Expeditions Inc., (800) , or Taunya@ betchartexpeditions.com. Registration Enclosed is my check or credit card no. for $ ($1,500 per person) as a deposit to hold place(s) on Voyage to the Black Sea, August 17 29, I understand that final payment is due ninety (90) days prior to departure and is payable by check only. Please make check payable to and mail with this registration form to: Betchart Expeditions Inc. Trust Account Montebello Road, Cupertino, CA o AmEx o Discover o Visa o MasterCard No. Exp. 3- or 4-Digit Security Code Please select cabin category in order of preference: A B C D E S o Twin Beds o Double Bed o Single Occupancy o Share (cannot be guaranteed) Membership (please circle): AAAS ACS SIGMA XI PLANETARY SOCIETY BTEX 15705RP First Last age First Last age Address City/State/Zip Telephone (day) (evening) Each participant must sign below: I/We have read the General Information section and agree to its terms. Signature D date Signature D date general information Payment Schedule: A deposit of $1,500 per person is required to reserve your space on the tour. For your convenience, you may charge your deposit to your American Express, Visa, Discover, or MasterCard. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure. Credit cards are not accepted for final payment. However, personal checks are accepted for both deposits and final payment. Cancellations & Refunds: All cancellations are subject to a $400 per person fee. In addition, cancellations received days prior to departure will be assessed a penalty equal to 50% of the total program cost per person. Cancellations received within 60 days of departure are subject to 100% cancellation penalties. Insurance: We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance, which is available for coverage of expenses in conjunction with cancellation due to illness or accident. Baggage insurance is also recommended. In the event that you must cancel your participation in a travel program, trip cancellation insurance may be the only source of reimbursement. Itinerary: The itinerary, accommodations, and arrangements are subject to change at the discretion of Travel Dynamics International Ltd. Responsibility: Please read carefully the following terms and conditions, which constitute the sole, legally enforceable agreements between the passenger and Travel Dynamics International Ltd. and the tour s sponsoring organization. The passenger is also advised to review his/her separate ticket passage contract with the vessel s owner/operator, which will constitute the sole, legally enforceable terms of carriage for this cruise and is available on request from Travel Dynamics International Ltd. Travel Dynamics International Ltd. and the tour s sponsoring organization act solely as agents for the passenger with respect to all transportation, hotel and other tour arrangements. In that capacity, we exercise all reasonable care possible to ensure the passenger s safety and satisfaction, but, we neither assume nor bear any responsibility or liability for any injury, death, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity arising in connection with the services of any ship, airplane, train, automobile, motor coach, carriage or other conveyance, or the actions of any third-party, involved in carrying the passenger or in affecting these tours. We are not responsible for damages, additional expenses, or any other losses due to cancellation, delay or other changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, civil disturbances, acts or threats of terrorism, travel warnings or bans, termination or suspension of war risks or other carrier insurance, quarantine, acts of God or other causes beyond our control. All such losses must be borne by the passenger, and tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated. In the event of cancellation, delay or rescheduling mandated by any of the aforesaid causes beyond our control, the passenger shall have the option of accepting in lieu of the original tour such rescheduled tour or other substituted tour(s) as may be offered by us, or else, receiving a refund of as much of such advance tour expenditures as we are able to recover on the passenger s behalf from carriers, third-party tour vendors, etc., but, we shall not have any obligation or liability to the passenger beyond the foregoing. We reserve the right to make alterations to the tour s itinerary and to substitute hotels, ships, or lecturers if this is required. We reserve the right to cancel, delay, or reschedule any tour prior to departure, and, so long as this is not due to any of the aforesaid causes beyond our control, the passenger shall be entitled to a full refund of all monies paid to that point if he/she so desires. No refund shall be made for any unused portion of any tour. By forwarding their deposit(s), the passenger certifies that he/she and/or their dependents, minors or others covered thereby do not have any mental, physical or other condition of disability that could create a hazard for them or other passengers. We reserve the right to decline to accept or to decline to retain any person as a member of any tour should such person s health, condition or actions adversely affect or threaten the welfare or safety of other passengers or impede the tour. Baggage or valuables brought on the tour shall be transported, handled or stored at the passenger s risk entirely, and, we shall bear no liability or responsibility for any damage or other loss thereto. Passenger tickets are not transferable and are not subject to alteration by the passenger. No suit shall be maintainable against the carrier, or vessel, for any losses, accidents, damages to person, property, personal injury (including death or other types of bodily injury) of the passengers, unless written notice of the claim, with full particulars, is delivered to the carrier or its agents at its office at the port of sailing or at the port of termination within six months from the day when such incident occurred. In no event shall any such suit or any claim against the carrier or vessel for any losses, accidents, damages to person, property, personal injury (including death or other types of bodily injury) of the passenger be maintainable unless such suit is commenced within one year from the day when the incident causing such losses, accidents, damages to person, property, personal injury (including death or other types of bodily injury) of the passenger occurs, notwithstanding any provision of law of any state or country to the contrary. Resolution of any disputes arising hereunder shall be brought within the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, pursuant to the applicable general maritime law, and applying the applicable general maritime law and Federal maritime statutes. Rates: Tour costs are based upon current airfares, tariffs, and currency values. While we do everything possible to maintain the listed prices, they are subject to change. Fuel Supplement: Travel Dynamics International Ltd. reserves the right to charge a fuel supplement, without prior notice, if the NYMEX oil price exceeds $85 per barrel. This supplement may be charged even if the cruise fare has been paid in full. Ship s Registry: Malta QUESTIONS? Please contact Taunya DeYoung at (800) or via at Taunya@betchartexpeditions.com. CST # TDI

8 PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Travel Dynamics Int l Voyage to the Black Sea For reservations or information, please contact Taunya DeYoung at (800) or via at Taunya@betchartexpeditions.com BTEX 15705RP Special Value-Added Bonus Arrangements! See Inside Originally founded in the 4 th century, Sumela Monastery is sited at a spectacular location near Trabzon