My letter to my friends and visitors

2010-02-03T01:54:00.000-08:00

Hello to all my friends and visitors;

The first time I made myself familiar with nature walkings was during our family picnics. My father was driving us to a picnic area near the river, the sea or the forests at the weekends. I was preparing my school bag like a backpack and putting in it a small rope, a sandwich, a bottle of water.When my mother was preparing the table, I would walk around searching flowers, collecting thymes and looking for some curiosity unknown places in the forest.

We had a garden in the city near our home and I use to go to the village where my grandparent’s lived during my summer vacations. I think those were influential in awakening and my love of nature.
When I was attending my 2nd year at Istanbul University, I worked on a thesis about ancient migration ways. One day, I met some walkers near my area. We talked about my study and their adventure in nature. I enjoyed the talks I had with them about nature. They showed me some books about walking trails. I was astonished because it was the first time I had heard about walking trails in my country. They stayed with me one day in my village. They suggested some websites about nature hikes. When I came back to home I visited those websites, and I found some trekking forums. A lot of people were talking, suggesting, sharing photos and memories about my area . Maybe, I read all articles about nature activities on St Paul Trail, Lycian Way, Taurus Mountains and Köprüçayı River Basin. I said to myself, I come from this areas, I should explore , protect and claim this ground.

I bought a backpack, walking poles, a simple tent, a sleeping bag and started to make small walks around my village myself and with friends.I opened a blog on internet, loaded on it my village photos and wrote about our walks and camping adventures. I was reading and answering e-mails on those topics and writing articles to hiking-trekking forums. I was suggesting some ideas about routes and helping for planning trip. The first year went on like that.During this year I started to work for our family organic garden and searching ecological life studies. I learnt making compost for fertilizing, growing vegetables, pruning trees. Living ecological and spend time in the garden working is another way of nature love. And I continued walking and camping where is green.I realized that nature was forming part of my life. The nature can live without me but I can not live without nature.

In 2008, I started to go mountaineering as a member of a nature club in Antalya.I was happy because I met a lot of people who loved nature like me. Weekend walks, outdoor sports and mountaineering training gave me a lot of experience. Meanwhile some people offered me to walk them in my area.These people were coming from different countries.They wanted a journey plan from me. I was excited and happy to show them my area. Meeting at the airport, laughing together for the same things, meeting different cultures....Every trip was like a ceremony. Walking on the same trail with different goups and people were offering different perspectives to my life and nature experience.
At the beginning, I didn’t think in a professional way. My visitors would just give me some tips in the form money or presents. I told my visitors several times : my aim is not to earn money but only to enjoy nature with good friends and company. But, they said “there is no Turkish guides in this area. Only foreign guides are working here. You should organize this trekking business, in a way it would allow you to earn your living out of it.”It was true, I needed to earn my living. Working in nature was a good oppurtunity to start my business life. So, I would earn money while having a good life, so I would spend all my time in nature. After this decision, I improved my website and went for extra guiding educations. I love what I am doing.

I met all of you via my blog, website, forums or with your friend’s advices. I had a good time with you and acquired experiences. Sometimes over a campfire, sometimes during walking break we talked and laughed together. We shared the same bread and drunk tea–coffee face to face. Some of you asked me to join them for a second trip in Turkey and sent e-mails, letters, presents also after our trip. I believe you are my friends. My business has advanced with you. I might have made some mistakes during our trip but they were like an examination or a lesson.
One day, I felt I needed a name and logo for my business . If I had a name I could bring quality and better services to my visitors. I talked to my friends and some of my visitors.They adviced some names and logos. In my first treks, my friend Ran Shipperman who is from Israel walk with me together with his wife Dalit Cohen.He proposed more logos and names for my business. Finally, we decided for “Greenhikes Nature Tours” and it’s logo. I used that in my website and for my business cards. And a especially thanks to Kate Clow, She still working about walking trails in my country.

Now, I’m organizing and guiding nature tours, outdoor club tours and logistics and guide for searching groups. Other Greenhikes activities; hiking, canoe on lakes, rafting, canyoneering, snow walking , business outdoor,rope access engineering and nature consultant.

These are my plans for Greenhikes:

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I will start building a farm. Vegetables,animals,trees, fresh products. It will be a center for my tours.I will add beds for my visitors.You will wake up with chickens and collect tomatoes with your hands. We have a piece of land at a distance of 8 km from my village. It is situated 450 meters close to the river and it has a forest way 750 meters from the main road. Now, there is a small stone hut. Maybe it will take some years to build but I will start it after army. Now for our farm I’m planting some trees in cans from seeds.
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I will start a ultimate mountaineering and guiding training.Turkish Mountaneering Federeration organize this formation.I have some agreements with a tourist agency. I will organize my bigger trips with that company. If I organize the treks officially, I have to follow some rules but it is safer and more honest for my country and my visitors.An I have also agreements with other outdoor agencies as partner working.

Finally; I want to say that: Thanks to you.You came, spend some days with me . You supported and encouraged me for the future. You created and provide strongest “Greenhikes Nature Tours”. I will protect and improve this name with good projects.
If you send photos and news about your life (your garden-home-family),I will be happy.

See you at mountains ...

Mustafa Teke Antalya-Turkey
http://www.greenhikes.com/