INTRODUCING...

Our AMAZINGLY TALENTED bus driver, RAFET.

RAFET's has driven the bus for our guide... 100+ times.

He's beginning to learn English... because his son lives in the US &

he wants to be able to talk to his granddaughters.

RAFET & MERT (our guide)

I'll share more about Mert in another post.

Our bus is a typical touring bus (no bathrooms);

but Turkish requires bus drivers have a break after 2.5 hours of driving.

RAFET can turn our bus on hairpin turns...

negotiate crowded streets...

weasel his way into the lane he wants...

(respectfully, of course, because that's the sort of guy he is)

drive next to cars & buses with two inches between the vehicles...

& find parking spots that allow us to find the bus easily (not easy in small, small towns).

a humble, soft-spoken man... what's not to love