Directly or in spirit, the Black Sea people are descendants of the wild mountain tribes that Xenophon described 2400 years ago. To be sure, we are neither wild nor at all primitive today. But one can still sense how their independent and assertive spirir made generations of imperial chroniclers and would be dominators so wary of our manners. we are an idiosyncratic a lot. The Black Sea personality reflects a distinct culture that is far removed either the dour fatalism of the Anatolian interior or the easygoing style of the Mediterranean seacoast. Two aspect of the land may have shaped its traids. First, the topograhy. Inaccessible valleys among trackless mountains constitutes the setting that has traditionally defined Black Sea lifestyles. Like mountain people all over the world (one thinks specificially of the Scotsmen, the Basques), our inhabitants have a higly developed sense of clan and community loyalites. We are intense and proud people, quick to respond to any percieved attack on their territory, honor or freedom-if necessary, by taking the law into our own hands. The manufacture and use guns is a passion. The delimination of highland meadows among villages and clans has traditionally given rise to serious hostilities that sometimes last for generations. But the same feeling or territory and honor also gives rise to equally strong sense of hospitality. Any outsider who takes the trouble to visit these far away valleys is automatically a guest and will be treated to the most cordial welcome.

The modern day traveler is bound to share their joy and awe when the azure sea suddenly reveals itself below a dozen ranges of thickly forested mountains and tea plantations, whether on the descent to Hopa at the eastern end, or at any of the spectacular passes that breach the mountains of the Black Sea.

The Hospitable Sea - Pontus Euxinus of antiquity - now suffers from a misnomer: the Black Sea is in fact as blue, or rather as azure, green, turquoise, and indigo as the Mediterranean. It also has crystal clear waters, and excellent beaches spread along its 745 mile coastline. For the sun and sea seeker, it is handicapped only by its rather short summer sand, especially as one moves eastward, by its often rainy climate. That climate though accounts for the biggest attraction of the region a green landscape utterly unlike the rest of Turkey, rivaled only in the range of tone by tropical rain forests.

East of Rize where it rains on the average every other day, the forest acquires a distinctly jungle like aspect, with tall moss-covered trees rising over a wild undergrowth of ivy. The coast is lined with countless ancient fishing and trading towns, and punctuated with torrential streams that come down form the humid mountains. Following any of these streams into the hills and valleys of the hinterland reveals a world of spectacular beauty.

Villages unlike the concentrated huddles of inner Anatolia, spread far - horizontally and vertically - in a succession of spacious farmhouses and intensively cultivated fields, with an occasional grouping of a few shops and mosque serving as the downtown. The inhabitants are independent, assertive and hospitable. Humpbacked stone bridges of 16th - to 19th century vintage span the streams; less picturesque but more efficient are the one-man crank cable cars (platforms really) that span the wilder stretches. The scenery gets greener and grander as one goes further up. Evergreens replace leaf trees, rising cloud wrap all in mist for most of the day. The summer pastures (yayla) are reached above the clouds at somewhere past 6000 feet. Driveable roads many of them unmapped go no up to pass inland, except in Hemsin, where the snow-capped peaks of the Kackar range block the path.

The vibrant green of Turkey's lush, humid Black Sea Coast surprises those who imagine the country to be nothing but barren steppe. From the European border with Bulgaria to the Georgian border, dense pine forests cover the mountaintops while lush vegetation and bountiful crops grow in the lower elevations and valleys. Along the coastline, mile after mile of beautiful uncrowded beaches offer sun, swimming and relaxation. In the springtime, delicate wild-flower blossoms carpet the rolling meadows of the eastern hills. The wooden houses in fishing villages and mountain hamlets alike preserve indigenous and traditional architectural styles. The humid climate and fertile soil encourage cultivation of a variety of crops including tea, tobacco, corn and hazelnuts. The magic of such a diverse landscape proves irresistible to any friend of nature, whether hiker or mountain climber or canoe enthusiast; whether you go in by mountain bike or by jeep safari.

Archaeological excavations from the early Bronze Age settlements at Ikiztepe in Samsun Province have uncovered evidence of the region's earliest inhabitants. The Hittites, Miletians, Phrygians and, according to Homer, the Amazons all colonised parts of the coast. Alexander the Great in his world conquest also brought the region under his sovereignty. Eventually, it was incorporated into the Roman and then the Byzantine Empire. The 15th century saw the greater part of the area come under the Ottoman rue of Sultan Mehmet II.

The Black Sea is easily accessible to tourists and provides a wide range of hotels and restaurants at a variety of prices