[See photos of Trabzon, Rize, etc at:

http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/trabzon
http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/rize
http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/cayeli ]

x0x Brewing a future from tea tourism

by Evrim SEL

RIZE - Turkish people are well known for their
thirst for tea and now a tea company is looking to
take advantage by launching a travel trend: tea
tourism. The first of such tours takes off for
northern Turkey this summer. Visitors will have a
day of picking tea leaves and then the opportunity
to observe closely as leaves are made ready for
our pots

With a secret tea garden tucked away on mountain
near the Black Sea, one of Turkey's leading tea
companies is looking to offer an escape from the
urban jungle and forge a path into the field of
"tea tourism."

A weekend getaway to the Black Sea province of
Rize provides the serenity a harried city dweller
needs. As the light breeze blows through your
hair, your lungs, unaccustomed to the fresh air,
practically burn from oxygen overdose.

You can become one with nature in the town of
Ayder, located at an altitude of 1,350 meters, 19
kilometers southeast of CamlIhemsin in the Rize
district. The chance to breathe in its air, to
watch its river flow downstream along narrow
roads, to walk to the Ayder Plateau and to taste
the region's cuisine is not an offer one should
pass up easily.

All these experiences should be on the list of
"500 things to do before you die." And the
herbal-tea company Dogadan, which has recently
entered the black-tea market, has now put another
great offer on the table G a visit to their secret
tea garden to pick tea leaves.

Dogadan Marketing Director Veli VardarlI says the
company was inspired by the panoramic view of Rize
and grabbed by the enthusiasm and energy floating
around during tea-leaf harvesting season, "We
thought, why not share all this beauty in front of
our eyes with our customers?" VardarlI said.
That's how their "tea tourism" was born.

"We have chosen 'There is the smell of tea in the
air' as our slogan, which seemed quite right for
our project," said Cem Pasinli, general manager of
Dogadan. Tea is the second-most-consumed liquid in
Turkey, and almost an addiction for Turks. "We
wanted to inform them more about this drink they
love," Pasinli added. The first tours will be
launched July 18 and 19, then offered again July
25 and 26.

Participants will have the chance to taste
traditional foods in restaurants that are in
harmony with nature, including the most gorgeously
cooked trout at Kalegon restaurant on the Ayder
Plateau in CamlIhemsin. Those who are not usually
keen on this type of fish and generally find it to
be on the dry side will be in for a great
surprise. As your last meal in Rize, you will get
to taste haricot beans that will change your mind
forever about this vegetable at the Cayeli branch
of the famous Husrev restaurant. Of course, there
will be freshly brewed tea everywhere you go, even
on the plateau, presented in Dogadan's trademark
green tea glasses.

The most unique aspect of this tour, compared to
others in the area, is that it provides the chance
to experience collecting tea leaves at the Dogadan
Secret Garden in Haremtepe village, and then see
the treatment these leaves go through before
becoming an indispensable part of the Turkish
breakfast table.

That part of the process is shown at the Dogadan
factory in the Gundogdu district of Rize. This
tour package, which includes everything from food
to hotel, costs 640 Turkish Liras for person.

There are, however, two downfalls to this great
getaway. One is the first glimpse you catch of the
city of Trabzon right before landing.
Unfortunately, like many other coastal cities in
Turkey, this region has been savagely violated by
construction.



The best view of the Black Sea,
including dolphins

Clusters of tall buildings side-by-side along the
entire coast are "breathtaking" on a whole
different level. Half-complete shanty houses with
broken windows and red bricks sticking out of
their surfaces have the best view of the Black
Sea, where, if you look carefully, several groups
of dolphins can be seen jumping in and out of the
water.

This view continues until you leave the coastal
road behind and begin climbing up the gigantic
mountains. Here you can begin to feast your eyes
on all different shades of green, tiny purple
flowers and acres upon acres of tea fields.

The 45-minute uphill walk to the Ayder Plateau
will probably leave many complaining. But the high
oxygen levels will allow your brain to breath,
probably for the first time in years, and you will
get lost in the light splashing sound of Ucurtma
Deresi, the Kite River. The tea waiting for you
with a side of homemade cookies and marmalades
will be enough to get you up and going for the
walk back.

On the ride, those who fear heights and sharp
cliffs should hold on tight to their seats and try
not to look down. Although it is a lovely scene,
nature at its utmost beauty, it can also be quite
frightening, especially after you realize the
tight roads are not single-lane. When the minibus
has to move back a few times to make way for other
vehicles coming down the mountains, you may wish
you had asked your doctor for some pills to calm
you down. But once you get past that fear and
reach your destination, where you will sip freshly
brewed tea and nibble on Rize's special
sesame-studded simit bread, you will wish you
never had to leave.
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