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BETCHART EXPEDITIONS Inc. 17050 Montebello Road, Cupertino, CA 95014-5435

The Legendary Voyage of & the Argonauts A Journey in the Ancient Black and Aegean Seas

Aboard the 26-Cabin August 17 – 29, 2015 A lecture at the theaterIstanbul’s of , skyliTurkey ne

Dear Traveler,

Modern civilization has few celebrated heroes like those of Jason and his fearless Argonauts, whose fantastic quest was one of the boldest and most captivating adventures of classical mythology. Sailing aboard the intrepid from the to the , this daring band overcame unmitigated perils and performed remarkable feats, tantalizing imaginations for centuries with the romantic wonder of their voyage, and the tragic relationship between Jason and . Next summer, relive this thrilling adventure aboard the privately chartered, 50-guest Artemis as we sail the same seas as the Argonauts, in the pursuit of their ultimate goal—the .

The epic of Jason and the Argonauts is a tale of discovery, exploration, and adventure. Sailing the same sea lanes as the ancient mariners, our voyage through the Black and Aegean Seas is also a journey of exploration and discovery to ports and sites that remain beyond the circuit of mega cruise ships and mass tourism. While some of the natural wonders of Jason’s era have vanished, many have gently fused with modern culture. Using Apollonius’ epic as our guide, we begin in ’s , an ancient city along the silk route that has fueled the western imagination for centuries. In the Republic of , we’ll call at and Poti, just as the Argonauts did over 3,000 years ago. It was here that Jason met and fell in love with Medea, who helped him capture the Golden Fleece.

As Artemis continues cruising Turkey’s northern coast, we’ll sail past landmarks associated with the Argonautic expedition to the Black Sea towns of , , and , home to the mythical . A full day in reveals the great historical landmarks of this enchanting city before we sail the narrow to fabled Troy and the quintessentially Greek island of Skyros.

Although much of our journey traces Jason’s bold adventure, in one way it will be very different: while the Argonauts sailed on the Argo, we’ll travel in all the comfort and style of a private yacht. The Artemis accommodates just 50 guests in 26 spacious cabins that all enjoy sea views and most feature private balconies. An elegant dining room serves all guests in a single, open seating, the lounge and bar encourage mixing and mingling among your fellow travelers, and the sun deck is ideal for relaxed observation.

We hope you will join us next August aboard Artemis as we trace the spellbinding Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts.

Sincerely,

Margaret M. Betchart President, Betchart Expeditions Inc. Cover: Originally founded in the 4th century, is sited at a spectacular location near Trabzon The spectacular city of Istanbul Itinerary Monday, August 17, 2015 factors in the story of the Argonauts as the place where Apsyrtus, USA King Aeete’s son killed by Jason, was buried. It is also said to Fly from the U.S. to Trabzon, Turkey. be the burial place of the Apostle Matthew. Next tour the Batumi Museum of Archaeology showcasing finds from excavations Tuesday, August 18 throughout Adjara and Batumi from the Bronze Age to Medieval TRABZON, Turkey | EMBARK times. Also see the main sights of the city including the Orthodox Arrive in Trabzon and embark Artemis. Overnight aboard ship Church of St. Nicholas, the Synagogue and Freedom Square. docked in Trabzon. (D) (B, L, D) Wednesday, August 19 Friday, August 21 TRABZON POTI Ancient Trapezus, one of antiquity’s greatest cities and commercial Call at Poti in ancient , the land of the Golden Fleece, as centers, was founded by Greek colonists during the early part of the Argonauts did over 3,300 years ago. Travel upland to , the 1st millennium b.c. It continued to prosper under the Romans Georgia’s second largest city and one-time seat of Georgian and Byzantines. Travel to the Sumela Monastery, founded in the 4th monarchs. Kutaisi has been identified by some as ancient century and set high in the mountains. Back in Trabzon, visit the Aeae, Aeete’s capital. Aeete’s daughter Medea fell in love with 13th-century church of Hagia Sophia. (B, L, D) Jason and helped him capture the Golden Fleece. A tour of this Thursday, August 20 culturally rich and historic city includes its many churches and BATUMI, Georgia palaces, including the Church of King Bagrat and the 12th-century From Batumi, the capital of Georgia’s Adjara region, we visit the Gelati Monastery. (B, L, D) nearby Gonio-Apsaros fortress, the oldest fortress in Georgia. It 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 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 | 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 15th-

Istanbul’s colorful Spice Bazaar

For reservations or information, please call us at 800-252-4910 www.betchartexpeditions.com century Sultan Beyazit Mosque. Visit the Archaeological Museum CRUISE, LEARN & be inspired in Samsun before returning to the ship. (B, L, D) Nina Tumarkin is a Professor of History and Monday, August 24 Director of the Russian Area Studies Program at AMASRA Wellesley College, as well a longtime associate Arrive in Amasra, ancient Sesamus, founded by Milesians in the at Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and 6th century b.c. The city later became an important possession Eurasian Studies. An author of books on Soviet of both and Genoa. On a tour of this pleasant and history, she teaches courses at Wellesley on the idyllic town, visit the Genoese citadel, which crowns one of history of Medieval, Imperial, and Soviet , the promontories with a formidable constellation of towers, as well as modern . She first traveled to Europe on a coal battlements, and gates. Then cruise along the coast of ancient freighter at age 12, and since that time, she has been waterborne as Paphlagonia past landmarks associated with the Argonautic frequently as possible. She and her husband, Harvey Cox, have expedition Including the “Mouth of Hell” near Eregli, ancient traveled as lecturers with groups of alumni for almost a quarter- Heracleia Pontica. (B, L, D) century, ranging as far as the Arctic Ocean, Japan, and Mongolia. Professor Tumarkin will bring a global perspective to our Tuesday, August 25 & Wednesday, August 26 conversations on the . CRUISING THE BOSPHORUS | ISTANBUL Sail through the Bosphorus, the narrow waterway separating Harvey Cox is the Hollis Professor of Divinity at from Europe, the northern section of which the ancients Harvard University and the author of many books identified as the location of the notorious Clashing Rocks. Jason on religion, including his most recent, When and the Argonauts, following the advice of the blind seer Phineas, Jesus Came to Harvard: Making Moral Choices sailed successfully by the Rocks to enter the Black Sea. Arrive in Today. He first developed his fondness for ships Istanbul, capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Over the and canals and locks when, as a young sailor in next day and a half tour some of Istanbul’s principal landmarks, the US Merchant Marine, his ship passed including the famed Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi through the Kiel Canal and into the Baltic Sea. Since then, he and Palace and the wonderful Archaeological Museum. (B, L, D) his wife, Nina Tumarkin, have lectured on numerous cruises and travel/study seminars on various rivers, canals, and inland waterways Thursday, August 27 from the Aegean Sea and the Corinth Canal to the Baltic Sea, the CANAKKALE Rhone, and the Dnieper. Artemis enters the narrow Dardanelles, called Hellespont by the ancient Greeks, for it was here that Princess slipped from Mary Lefkowitz, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the back of the flying ram with the Golden Fleece and drowned the Humanities Emerita at Wellesley College, is at sea. Call at Canakkale, our gateway for Troy, where ongoing one of the most distinguished classical scholars archaeological excavations have revealed nine different layers of in the United States. Recipient of a National cities superimposed in rings on a massive mound rising above the Humanities Medal for her teaching and Plain of Ilium. It was to one of these cities, as legend has it, that scholarship, she has written extensively about myth and literature and has been the Greeks fought the Trojans as told by in his Iliad. interviewed on television and radio about how ancient history and (B, L, D) mythology have been used and misused in modern politics. She has Friday, August 28 frequently visited and studied ancient sites in the Mediterranean, SKYROS, Greece most recently as a Trustee of the American School of Classical From Linaria, the island’s main port, drive the short distance to Studies at . Along with her late husband, Sir Hugh Lloyd-Jones, Skyros Town, with its characteristic whitewashed houses built she has been a lecturer on no fewer than ten educational voyages. on the of a rock that rises sharply from the sea. The top of She looks forward to returning to the sea on this modern-day quest the hill is dominated by a fortress, dating from the Byzantine for the Golden Fleece. period. Explore this atmospheric and friendly town and visit the private Faltaits Museum, whose collections include embroidery, costumes, and other objects. (B, L, D) Saturday, August 29 PIRAEUS | DISEMBARK | ATHENS | USA Transfer to the airport in Athens for flights home. (B)

For reservations or information, please call us at 800-252-4910 www.betchartexpeditions.com The lovely Skyros CRUISE, LEARN & be inspired 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 Cruise & Land Rates ports that cater to mega ships. per person, double occupancy category description rates All 26 spacious cabins enjoy an ocean view, and the majority feature Main Deck: Cabins with two round, fixed portholes; near private balconies with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. All have a E the stairs. 150 - 163 sq. ft. $8,390 private bathroom with shower, flat-screen TV, telephone, safe, mini- Main Deck: Cabins with two round, fixed portholes; near refrigerator, and climate control. The ample public areas include an D the stairs. 150 - 163 sq. ft. $9,390 elegant dining room that serves all guests in a single open seating, Upper Deck: Cabins have small private balcony with $10,390 a welcoming lounge and bar affording opportunities for convivial C table & chairs; near the stairs. 150 - 163 sq. ft. conversation as well as lectures, and a furnished Sun Deck ideal for Upper Deck: Cabins have small private balcony with $11,190 relaxed observation of the passing shoreline. B table & chairs; near the stairs. 150 - 163 sq. ft. Artemis meets the very latest standards for safety and is equipped Upper Deck: Cabins have small private balcony with A table & chairs. 150 - 163 sq. ft. $11,990 with state-of-the-art communications and navigation systems. single rate (per person) With a crew-to-passenger ratio of nearly one-to-two, guests are Lower Deck: Single cabins with round, fixed portholes. $11,990 assured the highest standards of professionalism and attentive, S 120 - 135 sq. ft. personalized service. Port charges & taxes: $600 per person

Typical Cabin Lounge Program Registration BTEX 15705 Enclosed is my check or credit card no. for $______inclusions ($1,500 per person) as a deposit to hold ____ First Last age place(s) on The Legendary Voyage of Jason & the Included Argonauts, August 17–29, 2015. I understand ■ 11-night cruise aboard the 50-guest that final payment is due ninety (90) days prior to private yacht Artemis departure and is payable by check only. First Last age ■ Welcome and farewell cocktail Please make check payable to and mail with this

receptions aboard ship registration form to: Address Betchart Expeditions Inc. Trust Account ■ All meals aboard ship 17050 Montebello Road, Cupertino, CA 95014 ■ Wine, beer, and soft drinks with lunch o AmEx o Discover o Visa o MasterCard and dinner aboard ship City/State/Zip

■ Complete program of tours No. ______and excursions Exp. ______3- or 4-Digit Security Code ______Telephone (day) (evening) ■ Enrichment program of lectures and Please select cabin category in order discussions by expert study leaders of preference: A__ B__ C__ D__ E__ S__ ■ Professional Travel Dynamics E-Mail o Twin Beds o Double Bed Each participant must sign below: I/We have International tour staff read the “General Information” section and o Single Occupancy o Share (cannot be guaranteed) ■ Comprehensive pre-departure materials agree to its terms.

■ Baggage handling and airport transfers Membership (please circle): abroad on the designated program AAAS ACS SIGMA XI PLANETARY SOCIETY arrival and departure dates Signature Date

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■ Visa and passport fees (if applicable) general information ■ Trip cancellation and baggage insurance 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 ■ Meals and beverages other than those 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. specified above Cancellations & Refunds: All cancellations are subject to a $400 per person fee. In addition, cancellations received 61-90 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. ■ Personal expenses (such as laundry, 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 telephone, Internet, etc.) 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. ■ Port charges and taxes 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 ■ Gratuities to shipboard personnel 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 Air Reservations 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 Airfare is not included in the Cruise and 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 Land Rates. For assistance with flights, you 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 may contact Taunya DeYoung at Betchart 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 Expeditions Inc., (800) 252-4910, or 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 e-mail [email protected]. 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 CST #204 3599-40 TDI QUESTIONS? Please contact Taunya DeYoung at (800) 252-4910 or via e-mail at [email protected].

BETCHART EXPEDITIONS Inc. 17050 Montebello Road, Cupertino, CA 95014-5435

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The Legendary Voyage of Jason & the Argonauts BTEX 15705

Charming Amasra, the ancient Sesamus For reservations or information, please contact Taunya DeYoung at (800) 252-4910 or via e-mail at [email protected]