I’m just back home from Turkey, where my wife and I just finished an amazing trip.
We started in Istanbul, the only city in the world that sits on two continents. (European and Asian) Because of its importance to trade routes, Istanbul has a long history, being the capital city of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Latin Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. With this vast history, Istanbul, formally known as Byzantium and Constantinople is an incredible melting pot of heritage and culture. Istanbul has a feel that is electric. The streets are alive with people. It felt like it was always on. One thing to note though. plan for extra time to get places, transportation around the city is very difficult,
From my viewpoint, there also seems to be incredible business opportunities in Istanbul as supply chains are reinvented to bring more value to over 12 million people ready to buy.
We then flew to Cappadocia region in central Turkey. The region is famous for its volcanic deposits that allowed people to carve out houses, churches, and monasteries out of the rocks. The underground cities of the region are where early Christians hid before their religion was accepted. We met with the former Cultural minister of the region and had the most incredible tour.
Another highlight were the ruins of Ephesus. The ruins are in remarkably great shape even though its most famous temple and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple of Artemis has been reduced to foundations and sculptural fragments.
It’s hard not to walk down the streets of Ephesus and not think about how life must have been for its 400,000 inhabitants over 2000 years ago. It must have been a grand city. You can still see remains of an impressive sewer and water system. The remains of beautiful mosaics are still seen in the homes, and some of the residences even had infloor heating.
The people of Turkey are wonderful, although I already knew this. This is my third trip to the country. www.BuildDirect.com has been purchasing both marble and travertine from Turkey for some time. Our Turkish travertine is some of the best quality and value around. As a result, we sell it all over the world.
Thanks to Murat, Ebru, Sukru, Hacer and everyone else who made this a spectacular trip.
We look forward to many years of continued success and friendship.
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Dear Mr. Booth,
I have been following BuildDirect.com on and off for several years, and I am truely impressed to see the growth you have achieved. Congratulations!
The trip to Turkey sounds very interesting and fantastic, and I would like to take this opportunity to invite to another fantastic trip to — China! We are hosting a ceramic tile and sanitary ware trade mission to China, and the dates are getting close, but there is still time. Here are some hightlights of the mission:
1. It is FREE (well, sort of, we will provide free accomodations for all participants while in Foshan, China, including 5 star hotel, all meals and entertainment, local transportation. The only out of pocket expense will be the international airfare).
2. High level industry forum with top Chinese ceramic tile and sanitary ware manufacturers and major U.S. ceramic tile distributors and importers
3. 14th China International Ceramics Fair, with hundreds of companies with a wealth of products, ranging from tile, to mosaics, glass, stone, and much more.
You can learn more about the mission online at http://www.chinatiles.org/2009china.htm
Please feel free to contact me at apeng@chinatiles.org or call me any time at 408-898-4104. I know the time is very close, and you just came back from one long trip to Turkey, but it will be valuable to your business to make the trip. If you can not, please feel free to send any of your associates. I am sure this mission will bring value to your business, as China is now the largest ceramic tile producer and exporter in the world, with ever changing designs and unbeatable quality and prices.
I look forward to hearing from you and meeting you in China.
Best regards,
Andy Peng
Andy
Thanks for the kind comments about Builddirect.com
We have been doing business in China for almost 10 years and have many really strong relationships there. We also have an office and staff in Pudong where among other things, we run inspections of our products.
Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend the fair on short notice but I have forwarded your email and contact information to both Robert Banks, the other co-founder of BuildDirect, and Jim Hourigan, our VP of supply chain.
Again, thank you for your note.
If you are considering visiting Turkey, the country offers a mild climate, the best period to visit it is spring, when it is not invaded by tourists.
If you are passionate about history, it is suggested that you visit the ruins if the temple of Arthemis (one of the 7 wonders), and make sure you do not miss out the Lycian Way, Didim, the ancient site of Troy, the temple of Apollo and the ruins of Ephesus. Whereas, if you are more keen on spending your holiday on the beach, you should visit Turkey in June and July when it is not so humid and hot.
There are breathtaking landscapes, miles of sandy beaches and a wide range of OutdoorActivities. There is plenty to do for all the family members! Only few know that Turkey is rich of thermal water, especially in Anatolia, where you could try cromo, thalasso and stone therapy.
These are only few of the reasons to choose Turkey as your next holiday destination. Recently, the recession has beaten hard consumers who are less willing to spend, luckyly Turkey offers cheap prices and affordable deals to meet consumers needs. When you get there, do not forget to try the best Kebabs you can possibly have for as little as £1 each. Whereas, if you have a passion for good food and culinary arts, Turkey is the best place to be. There is a wide range of restaurants where you can appreciate the tipical cuisine, and the best local wines.
The night life is very lively and there are several bars and clubs which are worth to visit. In addition, Budget airlines (Easyjet.com), hotels and resorts offer competitive rates and all-inclusive packages, as well as good service and all the comforts that you need, take a look at CheapAccommodationsinTurkey, and start planning your holiday today!