WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:10.000 On each American Express card is one word that makes every other card seem like just a piece of plastic. 00:10.000 --> 00:16.000 Member. To us, Stephen Gardner is a member. 00:16.000 --> 00:21.000 Our card members are entitled to a world of privileges. 00:21.000 --> 00:23.000 We're not too late, are we? 00:23.000 --> 00:25.000 You're assured reservations. We've been waiting for you. 00:25.000 --> 00:29.000 A week spent rock-hopping and now just as the snows begin to fall... 00:29.000 --> 00:32.000 ...we could stretch our holiday a little. 00:34.000 --> 00:37.000 Can I have a glass of English tea? 00:37.000 --> 00:38.000 Certainly, sir. 00:38.000 --> 00:39.000 Oh, dearie. 00:39.000 --> 00:41.000 And you know we're going to miss you. 00:41.000 --> 00:44.000 And just in case, we want to know his... 00:44.000 --> 00:46.000 Oh, Dad. 00:46.000 --> 00:48.000 Bangkok tonight. 00:48.000 --> 00:51.000 No worries. I'm packed. 00:51.000 --> 00:56.000 Members carry our promise of respect, recognition and personal service. 00:56.000 --> 00:59.000 Membership has its privileges. 01:05.000 --> 01:13.000 On each American Express card is one word that makes every other card seem like just a piece of plastic. 01:13.000 --> 01:17.000 Member. To us, Rick Mitchell is a member. 01:17.000 --> 01:21.000 And our card members are entitled to a world of privileges. 01:21.000 --> 01:23.000 It certainly would look good. 01:23.000 --> 01:26.000 Let's put on mine. 01:28.000 --> 01:30.000 Hello, Global Assist. Can we help you? 01:30.000 --> 01:32.000 Yes. I think I need a doctor. 01:32.000 --> 01:34.000 We can arrange an English-speaking doctor for you. 01:34.000 --> 01:36.000 Oh, good. Don't bother to wrap it, Mike. 01:36.000 --> 01:37.000 All right, then. 01:37.000 --> 01:38.000 Thank you. 01:38.000 --> 01:40.000 It's only just out of warranty. 01:40.000 --> 01:43.000 No, it's not. He bought it on Enix. 01:44.000 --> 01:47.000 Good afternoon. A glass of English tea? 01:47.000 --> 01:49.000 Certainly, sir. 01:49.000 --> 01:50.000 Oh, dearie. 01:50.000 --> 01:56.000 Members carry our promise of respect, recognition and personal service. 01:56.000 --> 02:21.000 Membership has its privileges. 02:26.000 --> 02:30.000 Oh, bright and violent crowned and famed in song, 02:30.000 --> 02:32.000 Woolwork of Greece, 02:32.000 --> 02:33.000 Famous Athens, 02:33.000 --> 02:35.000 Divine City, 02:35.000 --> 02:37.000 Wrote the Greek and the Greek 02:37.000 --> 02:54.220 The 02:54.220 --> 03:08.200 Greek poet Pinder, 2,500 years ago. 03:08.200 --> 03:12.200 This city, with its ancient monuments and classical buildings, 03:12.200 --> 03:26.200 attracts visitors from abroad in their millions. 03:42.200 --> 03:56.200 The temples and exquisite treasures are evidence of a history that stretches back more than 2,000 years. 03:56.200 --> 04:05.200 And yet, despite its ever-present illustrious past, Athens is a modern metropolis. 04:05.200 --> 04:15.200 Crowded streets, pulsating life and contemporary architecture provide truth that is a city very much geared to the present. 04:35.200 --> 05:04.200 The priceless works of art in the museums, the hospitality of the people and the attractive countryside around Athens are just some of the reasons that tourists flock here in their thousands. 05:04.200 --> 05:11.200 All year round. 05:11.200 --> 05:27.200 It's a city with plenty of greenery, with quiet corners. 05:27.200 --> 05:39.200 People meet and relax in the parks, and they are a paradise for children. 05:39.200 --> 06:01.200 A chat over a cup of coffee, and time slips by. Rub shoulders with people of all nations. See and be seen. 06:01.200 --> 06:16.200 Newspapers from all over the world are available. 06:16.200 --> 06:23.200 And it's always fun to do a bit of window shopping, strolling and buying things. 06:23.200 --> 06:38.200 In Athens, it has a fascination all of its own, thanks to the international range of goods on offer. 06:38.200 --> 06:50.200 Why not step in and have a look around some of the galleries, or wander through the Plaka with its hundreds of friendly shops, offering something in everybody's price range. 06:50.200 --> 07:09.200 The building is Southeast**! 07:09.200 --> 07:38.320 If you want to discover something about Greek's 07:38.320 --> 07:52.560 cuisine don't miss a visit to one of the markets. The colorful array of produce 07:52.560 --> 08:06.640 from the land and the sea is a feast for the eye. There are plenty of restaurants 08:06.640 --> 08:12.160 and tavernas waiting to serve you. You will find a whole range of international 08:12.160 --> 08:18.640 specialities but when in Greece do as the Greeks do and eat Greek food and try a 08:18.640 --> 08:23.880 drop of one of the excellent wines all served with music. 08:23.880 --> 08:36.840 Why not explore the countryside around Athens and discover some of its beauty. 08:36.840 --> 08:42.040 Not far from the town there's a Kerasani monastery on the slopes of the 08:42.040 --> 08:46.120 Immatous Mountains. The monastery has grown up around the Church of St. Mary. 08:46.120 --> 08:54.280 Kephysia a pleasant suburb with quiet streets, beautiful villas and horse-drawn 08:54.280 --> 08:56.840 carriages. 08:59.720 --> 09:06.880 If you continue your drive it'll bring you to an idyllic lake near Marathon. 09:10.080 --> 09:15.480 Few of the world's holiday areas can offer such a unique mixture of city 09:15.480 --> 09:21.840 attractions and delightful countryside, sea and beaches. The coastline and the 09:21.840 --> 09:47.920 blue attic sky above it seem to merge into one another. 09:47.920 --> 09:54.240 Here you can swim in crystal clear water, you can be energetic or just lays in the 09:54.240 --> 09:56.520 sun. 10:00.960 --> 10:08.300 When it's winter time at home in Greece the sun is shining. Of course as a sea 10:08.300 --> 10:13.680 ferry nation we can offer everything for the keen water sportsman from 10:13.680 --> 10:17.880 windsurfing to big yachts. 10:23.880 --> 10:30.040 A stay in Athens isn't complete without a visit to the famous temple of Poseidon 10:30.040 --> 10:35.460 at Cape Sunion. Several bus tour operators include this trip on their 10:35.460 --> 10:37.800 program. 10:37.800 --> 10:48.720 The best time to go is in the afternoon to be there for the spectacular sunset. 10:54.360 --> 10:59.560 If you plan to visit the most beautiful islands in the Saronic Gulf you'll first 10:59.560 --> 11:06.400 have to go to Piraeus. Cruises leave from here all year round. The white ships take 11:06.400 --> 11:12.820 you to the famous islands of Agena, Hydra, Spezza and Porus. Come on board and 11:12.820 --> 11:19.400 enjoy an unforgettable trip. If your time is limited and you'd rather visit several 11:19.400 --> 11:25.360 islands on one day we can recommend the flying dolphins, hydrofoils, which will 11:25.360 --> 11:31.000 whisk you to the islands comfortably and in no time at all. Welcome on board and 11:31.000 --> 11:37.280 as a foretaste a few brief impressions of the islands. 13:01.000 --> 13:07.000 The sea of life seems miles away. Here people still have time, are friendly, 13:07.000 --> 13:11.600 romantic harbours, quiet alleyways. 13:12.120 --> 13:18.000 Here one horsepower is quite sufficient to get about. You're bound to fall in 13:18.000 --> 13:22.640 love with one of the islands or a particularly beautiful spot and you'll 13:22.640 --> 13:26.760 want to come back again next year. 13:26.760 --> 13:35.320 When you return to Athens in the evening your mind is full of memories. 13:37.840 --> 13:43.800 There's nothing like sun, sea and wind for giving you an appetite. There are 13:43.800 --> 13:48.600 dozens of little fish restaurants where you can sit and enjoy an alfresco dinner 13:48.600 --> 14:13.320 near the sea. 14:13.320 --> 14:19.480 After dinner you can take in some of the cultural attractions. For theatregoers 14:19.480 --> 14:25.760 and music lovers there's a full program. For instance the famous Athens summer 14:25.760 --> 14:31.680 festival of music and drama. In the old theatres there are performances by 14:31.680 --> 14:37.080 international artists and famous theatre and ballet groups. All year round 14:37.080 --> 14:55.960 Athens offers a varied calendar of events. 15:07.200 --> 15:23.760 If you prefer entertainment in a lighter vein again there's plenty to choose from. 15:23.760 --> 15:30.400 Every evening something different. In an atmosphere like this it's easy to realise 15:30.400 --> 15:47.640 any of your fantasies. 16:00.640 --> 16:14.800 Not far from Athens are a number of places whose names recall a glorious past. 16:14.800 --> 16:21.840 Places of natural beauty, sites of ancient Greek history. All of them are a 16:21.840 --> 16:31.880 convenient day's trip from the city. 16:31.880 --> 16:41.480 Take the road to Corinth, cross the Isthmus and you're in the Peloponnese. 16:41.480 --> 16:46.720 Epidaurus, the temple of Asclepius. Here you can find the most beautifully 16:46.720 --> 16:51.960 preserved amphitheatre in the whole of Greece. Famed for its wonderful acoustics, 16:51.960 --> 16:58.600 classical and modern dramas are still performed here during the annual festival. 16:58.600 --> 17:23.280 Nourplia, in ancient times the harbour of Argos with the mighty fortifications on 17:23.280 --> 17:30.080 the Palomidi rock. The Venetian fortress of Bozzi, set in the Gulf of the Argalis. 17:30.080 --> 17:35.400 The road to Mycenae from the Cyclopean walls of the Acropolis. There's a 17:35.400 --> 17:40.680 magnificent view across the Argolean countryside. The Lion Gate constructed 17:40.680 --> 17:55.040 about 1250 BC, one of the most important archaeological finds. 18:11.560 --> 18:17.960 The road to Delphi winds past romantic bays, the fishing village of Galaxidae. 18:17.960 --> 18:29.200 Here you see the most extensive olive groves in the world. 18:29.200 --> 18:35.280 Delphi, a name that perhaps more than any other conjures up the glory that was 18:35.280 --> 18:42.960 Greece. The Castilia Spring, the temple of Apollo, the Athene treasury, the Oracle 18:42.960 --> 18:49.800 Opythia, the stadium and the treasures now to be found in museum. 18:49.800 --> 19:09.120 Not far away the snow-covered mountains of Panathis, a typical mountain village 19:09.120 --> 19:14.000 famous for its weaving and carpet making. A favourite subject for photographers. 19:14.000 --> 19:23.080 Slowly the day draws to its close. By the time the Sun sets you're back in Athens. 19:30.600 --> 19:37.760 Athens world-famous museums. The National Museum, the Acropolis Museum, the 19:37.760 --> 19:42.600 Byzantine and Monarchy Museums house extensive collections of Greek culture 19:42.600 --> 19:48.120 and priceless antiquities. A visit to these museums is another of the 19:48.120 --> 19:52.760 unforgettable memories you'll take home with you. 20:06.240 --> 20:11.880 We want our guests to enjoy their stay in Athens and make it as comfortable as 20:11.880 --> 20:18.760 possible. Accommodation is available in all categories from first-class hotels 20:18.760 --> 20:26.880 and two- and three-star hotels to small simple pensions. If you prefer to stay 20:26.880 --> 20:43.560 outside the city there are plenty of hotels along the coast. 20:43.560 --> 20:51.200 The Association of Athens Hoteliers aims to take care of its guests and has rooms 20:51.200 --> 21:02.600 to satisfy all demands. 21:02.600 --> 21:08.920 In the off-season of course when the city is a little quieter you can find a lot 21:08.920 --> 21:37.760 of inexpensive rooms. 21:37.760 --> 21:45.960 Our guests come from all over the world. You can arrive whichever way you like. We 21:45.960 --> 21:50.760 are only too glad to welcome every visitor who wants to get to know the 21:50.760 --> 21:57.060 glorious past of our city and be a part of its vibrant present. For our 21:57.060 --> 22:14.800 hospitality is known all over the world. Welcome to Athens. 23:27.060 --> 23:39.360 All seasons in a single moment. The first creations of earth lie in this corner 23:39.360 --> 23:48.360 of the Mediterranean between Greece and Italy. Here are the Ionian Islands each 23:48.360 --> 23:56.680 offering a delightful Greek experience. Zante, Cephalonia, Ithaca, Lefkas, Corfu 23:56.680 --> 24:08.200 and Paxi. These are the Ionian Islands. The islands of flowers and poets. 24:08.200 --> 24:13.240 Their culture has been drawn from land and sea and also from their own age-old 24:13.240 --> 24:28.160 roots. Much of their history is lost but here one can see prehistoric graves, a 24:28.160 --> 24:56.880 wealth of religious tradition and fortresses to protect them from invaders. 24:56.880 --> 25:03.180 Romans, Franks, Venetians, French and English walk these islands leaving the 25:03.180 --> 25:12.440 stamp of their civilization. The Ionian Islands also represent faith and music. 25:12.440 --> 25:31.160 The saint gives them hope, love, fear. The saint consoles and forgives. 25:31.160 --> 25:37.520 And for these sincere people he is everywhere. The city, the countryside and 25:37.520 --> 25:45.920 he guards the ships that go to sea. A stern saint but a comfort. In ancient days 25:45.920 --> 25:53.360 an iron curtain separated the people from the nobility. 25:53.360 --> 25:59.320 But they joined together in the church and the belief in the saint. 25:59.320 --> 26:10.320 Here rulers and subjects would meet. The countess and the peasant. The boatman 26:10.320 --> 26:17.720 and the baronet. The long skirt and the tailcoat. Beside the knotted fingers and 26:17.720 --> 26:20.720 ragged clothes. 26:20.720 --> 26:31.400 When you set out for Ithaca pray that the road will be long. 26:31.400 --> 26:37.040 Wrote the poet Costas Kivafis, molding his lines into the purest Greek harmony, 26:37.040 --> 26:44.280 making Ithaca stand for man himself and his destiny. Around the island's 26:44.280 --> 26:55.480 precipitous coastline the legendary world of Odysseus lives again. Odysseus, 26:55.480 --> 27:01.200 the seafarer, the mythical king of Ithaca, who after Circe, the sirens, 27:01.200 --> 27:06.440 Calypso and Nausicaa returned to his faithful Panipi offering her the wealth 27:06.440 --> 27:11.200 of his amorous experience, his achievements at Troy and the glory of 27:11.200 --> 27:14.200 the Trojan horse. 27:19.640 --> 27:24.280 The beginning of the island's history however is believed to be about 1500 27:24.280 --> 27:28.720 years before the age mentioned by Homer in the Odyssey, judging by the ancient 27:28.720 --> 27:35.560 cups and vessels found in various parts of the island. While in the small museum 27:35.560 --> 27:40.680 in the island capital of Vathi, statues, vessels, tools and ornaments from the 27:40.680 --> 27:51.560 later archaic and geometric periods are on display. Homer sang of many places and 27:51.560 --> 27:57.480 in today's Ithaca they are still there, still untouched. The island abounds with 27:57.480 --> 28:02.120 legends, tradition, history and memories which make every latter day Odysseus 28:02.120 --> 28:09.760 wherever he may be long for the day of his return. For every village, three seashore, 28:09.760 --> 28:15.240 every house, every tree is for him an eternal reminder of an ever-present 28:15.240 --> 28:17.760 memory. 28:17.760 --> 28:45.360 Always keep Ithaca in mind, to arrive there is your destiny. 28:47.760 --> 29:06.560 Cephalonia has been called the island of contrasts. The island is generously 29:06.560 --> 29:11.520 endowed with a combination of cool mountains, beautiful valleys and endless 29:11.520 --> 29:20.840 virgin sands. 29:20.840 --> 29:26.480 Here is shadowy Mount Anos, completely blackened by the Cephalonian fir tree 29:26.480 --> 29:35.000 found nowhere else in the world. 29:35.000 --> 29:43.160 Underground lakes fed by rivers of seawater within the heart of the earth 29:43.160 --> 29:59.240 and others bottomless high among the mountain peaks. 29:59.240 --> 30:07.160 There is a fairy tale about this magic land which begins once upon a time 30:07.160 --> 30:13.720 perhaps 4,000 years ago. Cephalonia welcomed its first inhabitants. Today one 30:13.720 --> 30:18.000 may see the remains of this first pinnacle of its civilization, Messenian, 30:18.000 --> 30:26.320 Beehive and chamber tombs. First to visit the island was Imperial Rome with her 30:26.320 --> 30:33.280 luxurious villas and mosaic floors depicting allegorical themes. Later came 30:33.280 --> 30:45.840 the Byzantines and then the Franks, Norman and Italian counts. 30:45.840 --> 30:52.240 Until in 1500 when Cephalonia passed solely into the hands of the Venetians 30:52.240 --> 30:58.160 and the story continues. Now the land is ready to receive art but the seed is 30:58.160 --> 31:05.480 missing. From the fertile island of Crete came the spirit of Byzantium adapting 31:05.480 --> 31:13.920 itself to the new learning in Venice. The Byzantine art of Crete rejuvenated with 31:13.920 --> 31:24.920 Western elements came to find a home in this new land. 31:24.920 --> 31:30.120 And still our story does not finish for after the Venetians and the French of 31:30.120 --> 31:43.880 Napoleon came the English. And finally in 1864 Cephalonia together 31:43.880 --> 31:48.920 with the other Ionian islands was united with Greece. 31:50.760 --> 31:54.840 I am a captain and I have been traveling the sea for many years now. I am a 31:54.840 --> 31:58.800 navigator. I remember the old ships that were 31:58.800 --> 32:06.320 in the water. Now it is very fast. Now it is a game. The Cephalonian himself a 32:06.320 --> 32:12.200 sort of Odysseus is an individual with great character. And I miss very much the sea. 32:12.200 --> 32:17.440 He travels the world yet remains attached to his rock the eternal dreamer 32:17.440 --> 32:26.160 and traditionalist. After the earthquakes of 1953 life on the island carry on as 32:26.160 --> 32:30.360 before in the towns and villages. The chasm rent open by the earthquake 32:30.360 --> 32:53.000 straightaway filled with flowers. 32:53.000 --> 32:58.240 Here in this traditional village of Fiscardo the state has proclaimed it a 32:58.240 --> 33:09.560 protected settlement so that it may retain its natural beauty. 33:09.560 --> 33:15.800 Elsewhere the old style may have changed to take on new fashions but the feeling 33:15.800 --> 33:31.240 will always remain the same beautiful and serene. 33:45.800 --> 34:14.040 Cephalonians twin sister is Zanti but smarter brighter and more carefree. 34:15.800 --> 34:23.160 An enormous boundless garden and bloom. 35:15.800 --> 35:40.560 The island's capital, Zakynthos, offers a rich mixture of Renaissance styles and 35:40.560 --> 35:46.480 magnificent churches and the changing pattern of the modern age. 35:46.480 --> 36:12.600 Zanti is small but the history of its social life spreads back over several 36:12.600 --> 36:18.480 centuries. For 300 years the Venetians were here with their troubadours, the 36:18.480 --> 36:33.120 noblemen and their privileges, their feast days and their amorous adventures. 36:33.120 --> 36:39.600 And on the other side of the coin the people, the popolari, a confused mass of 36:39.600 --> 36:44.240 workers and merchants, intellectuals and bourgeoisie all famed for their wit, 36:44.240 --> 36:49.280 their stories and their gentle irony. 36:50.600 --> 36:56.840 And lots of women thin and frail often tragic stirring the emotions with their 36:56.840 --> 37:03.720 beauty, their eroticism and self-sacrifice. And others thirsting after 37:03.720 --> 37:15.160 money and adventure who brushed aside superstition and tradition. 37:15.160 --> 37:39.720 Zanti also means the shapes of a past age. Music and song. 38:45.160 --> 39:11.200 To the north lies Lefkas where tradition and history tell a long story of great 39:11.200 --> 39:17.280 works, great misfortune and also great battles. Here can be seen traces of the 39:17.280 --> 39:21.720 constant struggle which began in the 15th century with the conquest of the 39:21.720 --> 39:27.720 island by the Ottoman Turks and ended almost 400 years later with the union of 39:27.720 --> 39:30.920 the island with Greece. 39:30.920 --> 39:44.440 Visitors to Lefkas are often beguiled by the words of the Greek poets as they 39:44.440 --> 39:57.480 wander over the island. In Lefkas the heart burns and gives warmth. Thought 39:57.480 --> 40:06.880 exposes and composes. Imagination sees and molds. 40:16.640 --> 40:21.720 Proportion regulates and idealizes. 40:21.720 --> 40:30.120 The poet paints, the poet declaims. 40:38.800 --> 40:44.200 The Lefkadians are close to their island. They know it like the back of their hand 40:44.200 --> 40:53.640 and experience it to the full. They sow seed in its earth. 40:54.640 --> 40:58.320 They work its stones. 41:00.600 --> 41:04.320 They delight in its beauty. 41:04.320 --> 41:16.880 For it gives inspiration to their hands and a fulfillment to their lives. 41:34.320 --> 41:54.200 Corfu, Homer's island of Iphiasians, is the northernmost of the Ionian islands. 41:54.200 --> 42:01.720 Corfu is an island of poets, nobility, meditation and music. The face of the 42:01.720 --> 42:06.480 island is Western but the soul is entirely Greek. 42:18.160 --> 42:24.080 Corfu offers such traditional beauty. It is no wonder that some of the greatest 42:24.080 --> 42:33.520 poets of the world chose this island for the most idyllic of their love stories. 42:33.520 --> 42:40.920 Here in Corfu lived the Homeric King Alkinos and his daughter Nausicaa. 42:40.920 --> 42:46.960 Here Shakespeare plays Prospero's cell in The Tempest and here poets such as Shelly 42:46.960 --> 42:52.040 and painters such as Lear and Berkling expressed in their works their great 42:52.040 --> 42:55.360 love for Corfu. 43:00.760 --> 43:06.040 Captivated by the incomparable landscape, the Empress Elizabeth of Austria built 43:06.040 --> 43:13.280 her palace here and named it Achillian for her Homeric hero Achilles. 43:13.280 --> 43:23.120 Time and man has altered the appearance of Corfu but nothing can destroy the 43:23.120 --> 43:52.240 warmth of the people and the charm of the land. 43:53.120 --> 44:22.840 Corfu, a distant recollection but also a presence which is totally alive. 44:22.840 --> 44:25.240 alive. 44:53.760 --> 45:01.640 Tiniest of the Ionian Islands is Paxi, untouched, quiet and restful. Here instead 45:01.640 --> 45:07.440 of man yielding to the bustle of modern times, the island has imposed its own law 45:07.440 --> 45:11.080 of peace and tranquility. 45:11.080 --> 45:19.480 Like a painting by a great master. 45:41.080 --> 46:01.800 Two and a half thousand souls live here, unspoiled, hospitable islanders. 46:01.800 --> 46:08.120 Fishermen most of them living between sky and sea, a sea which whether calm or 46:08.120 --> 46:15.920 rough is their constant companion. The Ionian Islands, islands of laughter, of 46:15.920 --> 46:39.160 joy, of light, of art and of song. 46:45.920 --> 47:06.160 The Ionian Islands, islands of laughter, of light, of song. 47:15.920 --> 47:24.160 The Ionian Islands, islands of laughter, of song. 47:45.920 --> 48:12.200 Another day is born over the North Aegean. In a little while the Greek sun 48:12.200 --> 48:18.080 of a thousand songs will give life, light and color, to a string of verdant Greek 48:18.080 --> 48:26.520 islands stretched out before us here. Vesporades. The first stop in our journey 48:26.520 --> 48:31.520 after leaving the port of Volos is Skiathos. 48:31.520 --> 48:39.280 Skiathos, peaceful, gentle, light as a feather, an unsophisticated air, deeply 48:39.280 --> 48:46.280 moving and enchanting. 48:46.280 --> 48:52.240 A strikingly beautiful mosaic of colors and shapes beckons challengingly. The 48:52.240 --> 48:55.560 more you accept the challenge, the more you enjoy the island's irresistible 48:55.560 --> 49:02.680 charms. The more you set out to enjoy it, the more enchanted you become. 49:02.680 --> 49:14.000 On this island, exactly opposite Mount Pelion, between the azure of the sky and 49:14.000 --> 49:19.920 of the sea, the great novelist Alexander Papadiamandis was born. 49:22.840 --> 49:29.760 Little lonely boat, little battered boat, on the open sea, amidst the foaming 49:29.760 --> 49:35.400 waters, I struggle with the waves without sail or rudder and have no anchor save 49:35.400 --> 49:38.400 only your blessing. 49:41.200 --> 49:45.840 The island's atmosphere gave great stimulation to the lyrical sensitivity of 49:45.840 --> 49:49.600 this holy man of Greek literature. 49:49.600 --> 50:01.600 As if the sufferings and sorrows of the world would never end. 50:01.600 --> 50:06.880 In all the works of this great Skiathan writer, his deep faith and his devotion 50:06.880 --> 50:28.000 to the wealth of local folk art are a living presence. 50:28.000 --> 50:31.960 The most important focus of religion on the island is the monastery of the 50:31.960 --> 50:56.480 Annunciation. It was built in 1800. 50:56.480 --> 51:04.120 It's re-read as a rare piece of wood carving as of the art of Constantinople. 51:04.120 --> 51:10.680 Priceless sacred paintings adorn the walls of the unworldly monastery. 51:18.480 --> 51:23.200 Skiathos does not have a particular character, yet you're won over by its 51:23.200 --> 51:29.040 sweet serene appearance framed by the harmonious blue ski and sky, by its 51:29.040 --> 51:35.480 wonderful beaches. Skiathos is not just the natural setting of the works of 51:35.480 --> 52:05.240 Alexander Papasiamandis. It's also an island which pulsates with modern life. 52:05.480 --> 52:26.560 Leaving behind the island of Skiathos, we arrive at the second island of the 52:26.560 --> 52:38.960 Porathis group, the lovely Skopelos. 65 churches in the town. Most of them thank 52:38.960 --> 52:43.640 offerings of the seagoing men of the island, spiritual refuge to be invoked in 52:43.640 --> 52:49.400 moments of desperation in raging seas. 52:49.400 --> 52:54.720 Skopelos is the island capital, built in the form of an amphitheatre at the foot 52:54.720 --> 53:15.280 of the hill dominating the small bay. 53:15.280 --> 53:20.640 Island characters bent on ignoring technological progress, shout their 53:20.640 --> 53:29.760 wares in the alleyways by their picturesque beasts of burden. 53:29.760 --> 53:33.960 The architecture of the island is a wonderfully strange combination of stone 53:33.960 --> 53:43.920 and wood which blend in so harmoniously with their surroundings. 53:43.920 --> 53:48.840 From among the beauties of the island we can pick out the boundless golden sands 53:48.840 --> 53:56.720 framed by the tallest of pine trees mirrored in the deep blue of the water. 53:56.720 --> 54:02.560 Here one can easily shake off everything conventional and uninhibitedly enjoy the 54:02.560 --> 54:06.560 saltiness of the sea and the burning of the Sun which will leave their unfading 54:06.560 --> 54:24.640 mark for a whole winter, souvenir of a magical experience. 54:24.640 --> 54:31.080 Following the seagulls we travel a little further northwards to Alonissos, 54:31.080 --> 54:35.840 a small fishing island where the mind is set free from the anxieties of the city. 54:35.840 --> 54:53.240 A haven of peace far from the madding crowd. 54:53.240 --> 54:56.560 Those who keep company with the simple island folk in the difficult, 54:56.560 --> 55:01.320 wearisome work of the fishermen, which is their chief occupation, enjoy with them 55:01.320 --> 55:25.680 the abundant fruits the sea offers to those who love her. 55:25.680 --> 55:29.400 Tempting fish and lobsters await the lucky visitor who will enjoy them with the 55:29.400 --> 55:35.720 fairest of retinas in the carefree atmosphere which the island offers. 55:35.720 --> 55:40.680 After the toiling a splash of cold water from some clear mountain stream on the 55:40.680 --> 55:47.320 base. 55:47.320 --> 56:05.920 And then a little relaxation until a hard toil of work begins again. 56:05.920 --> 56:09.800 A charming island pictures the old Scopelitan woman with her inevitable 56:09.800 --> 56:30.760 distaff spinning tirelessly for her betrothed daughter's diary. 56:30.760 --> 56:39.240 An endless alternation of sands, rocks and vegetation. 56:39.240 --> 56:45.560 An inexhaustible enchantment every hour, every moment. 56:45.560 --> 56:49.720 But the most unusual island of the Swarages is Skiros. 56:49.720 --> 56:53.920 Breathtakingly beautiful, purest white, isolated. 56:53.920 --> 57:02.480 It's a different kind of jewel in the Aegean. 57:02.480 --> 57:05.840 The architecture of the houses gives grace to the island where the most impressive 57:05.840 --> 57:12.520 examples of folk art in the Aegean are still preserved. 57:12.520 --> 57:17.200 That which a man lacks in the clamor of the cities, the simple, the pure, the primitive, 57:17.200 --> 57:18.200 the natural. 57:18.200 --> 57:23.160 That which is mercilessly submerged by the modern way of life, he'll find if he sets 57:23.160 --> 57:39.520 out for a trip around the little island. 57:39.520 --> 57:41.920 Life in the village square flows peacefully on. 57:41.920 --> 57:46.800 A little ouzo, a coffee in the coffee bar, a stroll through the picturesque little back 57:46.800 --> 57:47.800 streets. 57:47.800 --> 57:56.080 This is what the visitor seeks and finds. 57:56.080 --> 57:59.600 Wood carving is a tradition and a trademark of the island. 57:59.600 --> 58:03.280 It's a tradition which still flourishes today. 58:03.280 --> 58:17.960 Here the skilled hand carves the wood into Byzantine decorative motifs. 58:17.960 --> 58:22.680 The Skyrion house, full of the products of local handcraft, impresses the visitor. 58:22.680 --> 58:39.160 Brusses, worked by the hand of a skilled craftsman, flash. 58:39.160 --> 58:41.760 Wood carving constitutes a special style. 58:41.760 --> 58:54.080 In the art of furniture making, the famous Skyrion. 58:54.080 --> 58:58.400 Gold trimmed embroideries, worked by the hand of some lovelorn young girl, have a special 58:58.400 --> 59:14.680 place in the artistic life of the island. 59:14.680 --> 59:42.720 The 59:42.720 --> 59:47.280 age-old threshing of wheat with horses is also proof that civilization has passed Skyros 59:47.280 --> 59:49.640 by. 59:49.640 --> 59:51.760 Another very interesting feature are the little ponies. 59:51.760 --> 01:00:09.120 This sturdy breed has all but disappeared from the rest of the Mediterranean. 01:00:09.120 --> 01:00:14.980 And here in Skyros, virgin sands with crystal clear waters, characteristic of the special 01:00:14.980 --> 01:00:32.080 beauty of the Sforades, offering unforgettable moments to the visitor. 01:00:32.080 --> 01:00:43.120 Our journey is ending. 01:00:43.120 --> 01:00:48.200 In a little while, the sun will set again over the Sforades. 01:00:48.200 --> 01:00:55.080 The beautiful islands will return to the stillness of night in anticipation of a new day, yet 01:00:55.080 --> 01:01:06.680 more lovely, more joyous. 01:01:55.080 --> 01:02:14.120 Sunrise over Gebelmusa, or Mount Moses as we know it. 01:02:14.120 --> 01:02:18.720 Tradition says that this is the very spot in the spectacular mountains of Sinai where 01:02:18.720 --> 01:02:22.480 God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. 01:02:22.480 --> 01:02:34.080 The summit is still climbed by hardy pilgrims, including some members of our explore groups. 01:02:34.080 --> 01:02:39.920 At the foot of the mountain is the 6th century monastery of St. Catherine, its solid rampart 01:02:39.920 --> 01:02:49.880 walls built to protect the monks from once hostile Bedouin tribes. 01:02:49.880 --> 01:02:59.800 The wild Sinai landscape with its many biblical associations has long been a refuge for anyone 01:02:59.800 --> 01:03:07.200 seeking escape from the temptations of the outside world. 01:03:07.200 --> 01:03:31.080 Cairo is the inevitable starting point of all explorers' Egyptian trips. 01:03:31.080 --> 01:03:44.360 And we soon begin to sense something of the capital's great cultural heritage, where mosques 01:03:44.360 --> 01:03:55.960 and minarets jostle side by side with modern apartment blocks. 01:03:55.960 --> 01:04:00.520 Just across the river, we get our first glimpse of the Pyramids of Giza, built at the very 01:04:00.520 --> 01:04:04.720 dawn of history some 50 centuries ago. 01:04:04.720 --> 01:04:09.280 The Felahin who toiled to build these tombs for their gods, the pharaohs, worked with 01:04:09.280 --> 01:04:22.120 only the simplest tombs, without draught animals or even the wheel to help them. 01:04:22.120 --> 01:04:27.700 Our different itineraries push south from Cairo by road and by rail, sometimes heading 01:04:27.700 --> 01:04:32.960 for the picturesque oases of the western desert, sometimes following the fertile margin of 01:04:32.960 --> 01:04:35.280 the Nile valley to upper Egypt. 01:04:35.280 --> 01:04:41.840 Some of the explore groups travel by overnight train to the small riverside town of Aswan, 01:04:41.840 --> 01:04:50.320 situated on the first cataract of the Nile. 01:04:50.320 --> 01:04:55.880 Our hotel overlooks the river, so we can enjoy the graceful images of Fuluca sailboats weaving 01:04:55.880 --> 01:04:57.560 to and fro. 01:04:57.560 --> 01:05:01.480 The beautiful white silhouettes shimmering in the water. 01:05:01.480 --> 01:05:25.200 Aswan is wrapped in steep cliffs and a vast expanse of sand and rock stretches beyond. 01:05:25.200 --> 01:05:30.640 Much further south, close to the Sudanese frontier, we explore the great rock-cut temples 01:05:30.640 --> 01:05:32.920 of Abu Simbel. 01:05:32.920 --> 01:05:38.320 Built by the pharaoh Ramesses II for his own eternal glory, here he sits in a multiple 01:05:38.320 --> 01:05:42.240 of four, smiling benignly upon all comers. 01:05:42.240 --> 01:05:48.800 Ramesses, the master builder who sired more than 100 sons, did everything on a grand scale 01:05:48.800 --> 01:05:51.280 and with immense gusto. 01:05:51.280 --> 01:05:58.600 His priests proclaimed him the equal of the sun. 01:05:58.600 --> 01:06:03.680 These huge structures have survived for 32 centuries, the largest human figures ever 01:06:03.680 --> 01:06:05.840 carved. 01:06:05.840 --> 01:06:10.880 Inside the temples in a sanctuary, Ramesses appears again, this time supporting the vaulted 01:06:10.880 --> 01:06:11.880 roof. 01:06:11.880 --> 01:06:41.800 I 01:06:41.800 --> 01:06:45.800 Everything is huge around here, but it's nice. 01:06:46.800 --> 01:06:48.800 I like it. It beats America. 01:06:54.800 --> 01:06:57.800 Camels are still the essential lifestyle of desert peoples. 01:06:58.800 --> 01:07:05.800 These Nubian herdsmen continue to ply the ancient caravan tracks just as they used to centuries ago. 01:07:05.800 --> 01:07:10.800 We too will get our chance to ride our favourite animal back in Aswan. 01:07:20.800 --> 01:07:24.800 Camels are fairly docile, but not domestic in the usual sense. 01:07:27.800 --> 01:07:28.800 Where do you put your legs? 01:07:28.800 --> 01:07:37.800 First you have to get up, and that's pretty high. And then the fun really begins. 01:07:58.800 --> 01:08:17.800 We ride across the desert to the old Coptic monastery of St Simeon, now mostly in ruins. 01:08:17.800 --> 01:08:31.800 Another explore group left Cairo by road, taking an alternative route through the western desert. 01:08:31.800 --> 01:08:46.800 Using a chartered bus, it drove to the attractive oases of El Fayoum and El Carga. 01:08:46.800 --> 01:08:58.800 The going is not particularly difficult, but any traveller off the regular tourist track should be prepared for the unexpected. 01:09:16.800 --> 01:09:20.800 A journey through the desert is a wonderful experience, a true adventure. 01:09:21.800 --> 01:09:23.800 The all-enveloping emptiness is awe-inspiring. 01:09:24.800 --> 01:09:30.800 But we must not forget that this is where a whole Persian army once disappeared in a sandstorm. 01:09:37.800 --> 01:09:43.800 The oases around El Carga are now resettlement areas, and we stop to see some local craft work. 01:09:43.800 --> 01:09:46.800 Explore leader Adrian Chokar takes up the story. 01:09:47.800 --> 01:09:56.800 A long day's drive to reach there through very barren and arid desert, very desolate countryside, and then this very lush green town of El Carga. 01:09:57.800 --> 01:10:04.800 Now in this town, one of the highlights, one of the points of interest that we came across was a centre of cotton industries, 01:10:04.800 --> 01:10:13.800 which produced pottery, glass making, and a group of young Egyptian ladies who were very enthusiastic to show us their carpet weaving. 01:10:14.800 --> 01:10:18.800 There are two types of carpet weaving that they use there, there's the hand loomed and the hand knotted, 01:10:19.800 --> 01:10:24.800 and the ladies that we spoke to were doing the hand knotted ones, and they were very dexterous in the way that they approached this. 01:10:25.800 --> 01:10:31.800 One carpet, a metre by three metres, can take up to 120 hours per lady to produce. 01:10:31.800 --> 01:10:37.800 They were very enthusiastic and they very much enjoyed the contact between Westerners, 01:10:38.800 --> 01:10:45.800 and very much wanted to have their photographs taken and talk as much as they could using their English and using any Arabic amongst the travellers that were with us. 01:10:50.800 --> 01:10:54.800 Egypt is the gift of the Nile, wrote the ancient historian Herodotus. 01:10:54.800 --> 01:11:00.800 One of Explorers' most rewarding trips is the Nile Faluca sail trek from Aswan to Luxor. 01:11:01.800 --> 01:11:05.800 Faluca sailing is the most intimate way to get to know the river and its peoples. 01:11:07.800 --> 01:11:13.800 A traditional Nile craft, rigged with Latin sails, is to be our home for six days. 01:11:14.800 --> 01:11:17.800 The Nile is no place for a rigid itinerary. 01:11:17.800 --> 01:11:24.800 Taking advantage of the lightest breeze, the relaxed pace and free-form nature of the trip makes the experience as personal as possible. 01:11:25.800 --> 01:11:30.800 The open decks both table and bed for us, and the cook's galley is never far away. 01:11:30.800 --> 01:11:47.800 Fresh food is bought at the riverside villages and cooked on board, Egyptian style. 01:12:00.800 --> 01:12:03.800 Our progress depends on the elements. 01:12:12.800 --> 01:12:17.800 There are ample opportunities to swim, sunbathe, meet the locals, or just unwind. 01:12:17.800 --> 01:12:28.800 The ever-changing scenery in the endless desert beyond conjure up a dreamy romanticism. 01:13:17.800 --> 01:13:42.800 We also break our journey to visit the monumental temples of Komombo and Edfu, superb examples of the late period of Egyptian architecture. 01:13:42.800 --> 01:13:47.800 Dave Elf, leading the Faluca trip, explains something of the background. 01:13:48.800 --> 01:13:53.800 Well we've stopped off at Edfu, which is a small town halfway between Aswan and Luxor. 01:13:54.800 --> 01:13:57.800 The reason why we've stopped here is we've called in at the Temple of Horus. 01:13:58.800 --> 01:14:07.800 The reason why we've stopped is it's a very good example of Egyptian architecture, the late form, built by the Ptolemies right towards the end of the great days of Egypt. 01:14:07.800 --> 01:14:13.800 It's in remarkably good condition, which is why it's very popular for the tourists who come here to have a look. 01:14:14.800 --> 01:14:24.800 We're in fact in the central courtyard at the moment, in between the huge pylons at the southern edge and the main entrance to the temple on the northern side. 01:14:25.800 --> 01:14:31.800 On each side of the northern entrance there used to be two statues showing the god Horus in the hawk form. 01:14:31.800 --> 01:14:38.800 Unfortunately one is damaged now, but you can see on the left that there's one fine example still remaining. 01:14:39.800 --> 01:14:51.800 Around the courtyard we have 32 huge granite columns marked along the top with papyrus and other decorations of the ton. 01:14:52.800 --> 01:14:58.800 I could give you the dimensions in feet, but that would just be confusing. I think it's easier to say it's as high as a six-storey building. 01:14:58.800 --> 01:15:03.800 The courtyard that we're in is at least the size of a football pitch, possibly larger. 01:15:04.800 --> 01:15:08.800 In fact this is the one of the most impressive things of this temple, just the sheer size of it. 01:15:08.800 --> 01:15:23.800 All our Egyptian tourists naturally spend time in Laksa, a place where the sky is always blue and the air is magical. 01:15:30.800 --> 01:15:36.800 Our hotel is within easy reach of the souks and close to Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. 01:15:36.800 --> 01:16:02.800 The great temple of Karnak dedicated to the god Amun is unbelievably big, larger than any cathedral in Christendom. 01:16:02.800 --> 01:16:11.800 It dwarfs the visitor. Started in 1500 BC it was still not finished in Cleopatra's time, a millennium and a half later. 01:16:12.800 --> 01:16:30.800 The Karnak temple is situated in the site of the ancient city of Thebes and despite the reaction we had to the previous temple we had seen in Edfu, which was spectacular in its size, 01:16:30.800 --> 01:16:42.800 again the thing that strikes you most about Egypt again and again is the never-ending series of surprises you get as you see the next temple, 01:16:43.800 --> 01:16:48.800 which is even more impressive or different in the way it strikes you, in its immensity. 01:16:48.800 --> 01:17:02.800 The site and the Karnak temple in its 200 acres is very huge and it has so many different elements to it. 01:17:03.800 --> 01:17:14.800 For example when you walk through there's an avenue of sphinxes that you walk past and then you encounter 130 or so 75 foot high columns 01:17:14.800 --> 01:17:25.800 with papyrus tops and the temple isn't covered now and it must have been much more impressive in those days, 01:17:26.800 --> 01:17:35.800 especially since it allowed for windows to let light in, but still a fair amount of the color and the hieroglyphs on the walls are still evident. 01:17:35.800 --> 01:17:43.800 You can just imagine how impressive it must have been, awe-inspiring it must have been in those days. 01:17:44.800 --> 01:17:56.800 And then there's obelisks which I think are about 100, I can't remember, enormous single massive pieces of granite I think brought from Aswan. 01:17:57.800 --> 01:18:01.800 You certainly wonder how they ever got them there. 01:18:01.800 --> 01:18:08.800 And then there are all sorts of various sculptures around the place. 01:18:09.800 --> 01:18:18.800 And then you proceed to the back of the main part of the site and walk up to where you can watch the Sound and Light show at night 01:18:19.800 --> 01:18:28.800 and look over the sacred lake which used to be used for, used to have barges on it during a fertility ceremony I think. 01:18:28.800 --> 01:18:41.800 And look over the entire site which is wonderful to see the whole site on its own with the Nile and the Valley of the Kings and the mountains in the background. 01:18:42.800 --> 01:18:44.800 Wonderful pictures. 01:18:50.800 --> 01:18:56.800 Early morning, Caesar's begin a donkey trek to the Valley of the Kings where Tutankhamun was buried. 01:18:56.800 --> 01:19:02.800 The donkey trek was lots of fun. 01:19:03.800 --> 01:19:10.800 It started quite early, especially after our celebrating the night before which went on quite late. 01:19:11.800 --> 01:19:20.800 But once we got across the river and onto our donkeys, with a few people falling off and much giggling, 01:19:20.800 --> 01:19:30.800 we trekked off down the road to the intersection, you can see behind us here, the roots up in the mountain behind the valleys. 01:19:31.800 --> 01:19:38.800 It was fairly rocky and interesting going, not too tough. 01:19:39.800 --> 01:19:42.800 We got off and walked our donkeys when it got a bit rough. 01:19:43.800 --> 01:19:47.800 It was the most wonderful pink glow in the mountains made for wonderful photographs. 01:19:47.800 --> 01:20:00.800 And we trekked up to Tutankhamun's tomb and got off and had a guide, a wonderful guide who led us into the chamber. 01:20:01.800 --> 01:20:10.800 It wasn't very big but it was amazing, especially after you've been to the Egyptian Museum and seen all of the caskets, 01:20:10.800 --> 01:20:18.800 one or the other that were in this room and all the beds and various things, it's amazing how small the room was, jam-packed it was. 01:20:30.800 --> 01:20:36.800 The trek is the best way to explore this extraordinary place, the necropolis of the New Kingdom pharaohs. 01:20:36.800 --> 01:20:43.800 The climate is perfectly dry, perfectly still, and one might imagine that time has stopped. 01:20:44.800 --> 01:20:52.800 We trekked back down to Queen Hatshepsut's temple, which is built into the south side of the mountain, 01:20:53.800 --> 01:20:59.800 and I was struck by the contemporary design of the temple. 01:20:59.800 --> 01:21:05.800 It's still in the process of being reconstructed but it looks like a modern building, it's quite wonderful. 01:21:06.800 --> 01:21:13.800 And then we trekked out. A hard day but very rewarding. 01:21:16.800 --> 01:21:20.800 Egypt is a land where you can enjoy every facet of adventure travel. 01:21:21.800 --> 01:21:25.800 It has the greatest concentration of archaeological treasures in the western world. 01:21:25.800 --> 01:21:32.800 The variety of tours offered by Explore Worldwide is your chance to experience it to the full. 01:21:33.800 --> 01:21:36.800 Welcome to Explore Egypt. 01:21:43.800 --> 01:21:49.800 Explore also offer an exciting range of two and three week adventures in other countries of the Middle East, 01:21:49.800 --> 01:21:54.800 including Israel, Jordan, Syria, and the Yemen. 01:21:57.800 --> 01:22:05.800 We take a relaxed offbeat look at Israel, which involves some swimming, hiking nature trails, and easy climbs. 01:22:06.800 --> 01:22:10.800 We mostly camp in summer, but hotels are used throughout the winter months. 01:22:11.800 --> 01:22:15.800 Several days are left free for personal exploration of old Jerusalem. 01:22:15.800 --> 01:22:21.800 Jordan is combined in various ways with Israel, Egypt, and Syria. 01:22:22.800 --> 01:22:29.800 A major highlight on each itinerary is Petra, the fabled rose-red city, once the treasure trove of all Arabia. 01:22:32.800 --> 01:22:38.800 Our tour of little known Syria includes the formidable Crusader castle of Crac des Chevaliers, 01:22:38.800 --> 01:22:45.800 and the old ruined site of Palmyra, Queen Zenobia's capital, a desert outpost on the ancient Silk Road. 01:22:47.800 --> 01:22:55.800 Finally, some tours visit the Yemen, a place so extraordinary, so unique, that it scarcely seems real. 01:22:56.800 --> 01:23:02.800 Leaving our expedition vehicles behind us, we explore the medieval mountain villages on foot, 01:23:02.800 --> 01:23:07.800 experiencing something of the old Yemeni way of life. 01:23:08.800 --> 01:23:11.800 Come with explore. 01:23:11.800 --> 01:23:12.800 The truth 01:23:29.800 --> 01:23:16.800 只要 safely doing nothing 01:23:16.800 --> 01:23:37.360 I could have had one solid network working together in harmony. 01:23:37.360 --> 01:23:56.440 Worldwide customer care is that bridge. It's the hello to a conversation. 01:23:56.440 --> 01:24:00.600 It's not something that you can necessarily hold in your hand. It's something that you have to feel. 01:24:00.600 --> 01:24:05.280 Worldwide customer care is like a Steinway piano. 01:24:05.280 --> 01:24:08.760 It's a sleeping giant. It's like the fountain. It's a common currency. 01:24:08.760 --> 01:24:22.840 It's a friendly face. A very clear-cut identity which is respected well on. 01:24:22.840 --> 01:24:29.360 We wanted to put together a package of services that could be delivered in all of those 1700 offices. 01:24:29.360 --> 01:24:35.200 Like reconfirmation, flight tickets, flight-seeing arrangements, hotel reservations, car reservations, re-rooted. 01:24:35.200 --> 01:24:37.960 So that turned out to be worldwide customer care. 01:24:37.960 --> 01:24:45.280 If you think about what we promise customers, the promise we make to them is that we will be there for them. 01:24:45.280 --> 01:24:50.120 That we will take care of them. 01:24:50.120 --> 01:24:56.920 That you can rely on American Express. 01:24:56.920 --> 01:25:04.480 It has to start by the whole office feeling and believing that this is a service that is part of being American Express. 01:25:04.480 --> 01:25:13.080 Being willing to help, regardless of who the client is or where they're from. 01:25:13.080 --> 01:25:22.200 And that the customer, no matter where they might enter the network, is handled through a global team of people who have as their one desire to please the customer. 01:25:22.200 --> 01:25:29.560 London, Moscow, Rochester, Florence, Dallas, Texas, Tokyo. It's a very global feeling. 01:25:29.560 --> 01:25:34.360 I help you and you help me and that's nice. But not because I have to help you, you have to help me. 01:25:34.360 --> 01:25:35.840 It's nice to help each other. 01:25:35.840 --> 01:25:43.360 And that's why they're going to return for you again because you gave the greatest, there could be, I mean the best service available. 01:25:43.360 --> 01:25:55.840 And that's what worldwide customer care is all about. 01:25:55.840 --> 01:26:03.560 And the more we educate ourselves of what we're capable of, and the more we educate our clients of what we're capable of, 01:26:03.560 --> 01:26:25.000 the better off everybody's going to be. 01:26:25.000 --> 01:26:32.720 We decided our biggest competitive edge was our worldwide network and our worldwide customer care. 01:26:32.720 --> 01:26:40.120 And our entire campaign to kick off the business was based on marketing. 01:26:40.120 --> 01:26:44.800 One of the things we always hear from clients is, why should I do business with you versus somebody else? 01:26:44.800 --> 01:26:48.240 Well, one of the reasons I always use is worldwide customer care. 01:26:48.240 --> 01:26:51.360 It's one of our primary selling tools. It helps us win business. 01:26:51.360 --> 01:26:59.920 We pride ourselves on our global network and that is what we try to offer to all of our clients, the ability to service them wherever they are. 01:26:59.920 --> 01:27:04.080 When a person walks into an office, how he gets service and handles is what he goes away with. 01:27:04.080 --> 01:27:09.360 And if you fix up the problem and you handle it when the person has a problem, you make a friend for life. 01:27:09.360 --> 01:27:17.440 A customer who could walk in your door today could refer ten other friends or business colleagues to your office. 01:27:17.440 --> 01:27:23.200 They recommended their friends to come to our office because we help them with a little tour to the Barossa Valley, whatever it might be. 01:27:23.200 --> 01:27:27.040 And then they'd come back to us and we'd just sold them something extra beyond as well. 01:27:27.040 --> 01:27:33.840 You can give them something that no one else can. You can offer worldwide customer care. 01:27:33.840 --> 01:27:44.000 Being part of the network expands our capabilities, expands our mission, expands what we can do for our clients. 01:27:44.000 --> 01:27:57.840 She was on the northeastern side of the desert, in Egypt, on the border, no communication channels whatsoever. 01:27:57.840 --> 01:28:05.040 We were faced with having to obtain hotel space in a European centre when it was a city-wide sellout. 01:28:05.040 --> 01:28:12.720 So we contacted our local travel guide there. He drove out to the desert, picked her up, took her to the nearest airport. 01:28:12.720 --> 01:28:17.440 So contacted our office in Europe to see whether they might be able to assist us. 01:28:17.440 --> 01:28:24.800 And the happy ending is that the hotel space was clear thanks to them. The client was more than impressed. 01:28:24.800 --> 01:28:28.480 And I don't think any other network in the world could have really done what we did. 01:28:28.480 --> 01:28:34.880 To make the network work, to make it one network, use your worldwide directory. 01:28:34.880 --> 01:28:40.480 Don't be afraid to use it. You're not going to upset anybody by asking them, 01:28:40.480 --> 01:28:48.000 will you help me in this particular case? Because number one, it's an opportunity for them to serve a fellow American Express member. 01:28:48.000 --> 01:28:54.400 And the second, it's generally an opportunity for them to make a few dollars. It's business. That's what we're in. 01:28:54.400 --> 01:28:58.560 You know it's always there in the background and you can use other things to enhance your sales 01:28:58.560 --> 01:29:01.520 and also enhance the image of American Express overseas. 01:29:01.520 --> 01:29:19.200 And know that you're one solid network working together in harmony. And that's what it's really all about. 01:29:19.200 --> 01:29:31.680 It's so important for the travel counselors to be aware of what the worldwide customer can have to offer. 01:29:31.680 --> 01:29:38.080 We can explain to our customers that American Express is all over the world. 01:29:38.080 --> 01:29:49.120 And we've got 1700 offices over the world to help you. 01:29:49.120 --> 01:30:02.560 And they think it's a great program. And they continue to be with American Express because they think they need that care every time they're away from home. 01:30:02.560 --> 01:30:07.600 As long as the client feels comfortable knowing that American Express is there for them, 01:30:07.600 --> 01:30:13.680 that person will eventually walk into another TSO, will make a purchase, whether it's a travel purchase, 01:30:13.680 --> 01:30:19.200 some business will be generated down along the line. 01:30:19.200 --> 01:30:25.200 Worldwide customer care is to give. To give something to the person that is in front of you. 01:30:25.200 --> 01:30:30.640 First as a person and then as a customer. If he feels that these things... 01:30:30.640 --> 01:30:35.440 A lot of times they're in there and they have an emergency need and there's nothing you can sell them. 01:30:35.440 --> 01:30:38.080 That's okay. You're selling them by giving them that service. 01:30:38.080 --> 01:30:41.200 You're winning us business every time you do that and do it well. 01:30:41.200 --> 01:30:50.480 You're part of the team. You're not one individual behind the counter. 01:30:50.480 --> 01:30:59.120 It's easy for me just to send a fax or a telex to my colleagues all over the world and get the right information as soon as possible if I need it. 01:30:59.120 --> 01:31:03.840 If it's a hotel booking that you need, you're not getting feedback from the airline. We are there to help you. 01:31:03.840 --> 01:31:10.240 And you asked me, please take care of my client. You can be 100% sure that I'm taking care of your client. 01:31:10.240 --> 01:31:16.720 And I feel so good of knowing that they're going to be traveling all around the world and that they always have somebody there for them. 01:31:16.720 --> 01:31:20.640 Maybe somewhere in the world my client needs help and is in another office. 01:31:20.640 --> 01:31:25.760 And that helps me serving the client which is in my office and being friendly. 01:31:25.760 --> 01:31:31.520 If my client's satisfied with my, you know, assistance, then I am happy. 01:31:31.520 --> 01:31:38.800 That is the most important thing for me to see the satisfaction of my clients. 01:31:38.800 --> 01:31:43.520 When you have one person who says thank you, you know it has been worth it all. 01:31:43.520 --> 01:31:48.240 It makes me feel that as a professional I'm fulfilling my obligations to my customers. 01:31:48.240 --> 01:32:09.840 And that at the end of the day I'm doing a good job. It makes me feel good. 01:32:19.040 --> 01:32:31.760 This letter is from one of my clients from the World Bank. 01:32:31.760 --> 01:32:37.760 Dear Ben, this note is simply to record my personal appreciation for your assistance. 01:32:37.760 --> 01:32:46.400 One of the things I've always heard about American Express since I was a little boy was that American Express was your home away from home. 01:32:46.400 --> 01:32:54.400 She certainly makes travel away from convenient and safe ads at home. 01:32:54.400 --> 01:33:02.960 Being an American Express Travel Service customer, it means that you can go to any one of our Travel Service offices in 120 countries. 01:33:02.960 --> 01:33:10.880 And know that when you arrive there, there'll be somebody there to welcome you, help you when you get into trouble, or just plain reconfirm your airline. 01:33:10.880 --> 01:33:22.080 Your representative Sonia Kolkata made an outstanding effort to resolve our problem and we wanted your management to be aware. 01:33:22.080 --> 01:33:27.680 I think it's that peace of mind that wherever he is, he's in safe hands. 01:33:27.680 --> 01:33:40.240 During the last several years, I have climbed extensively throughout the world and have always relied upon American Express services with deep satisfaction. 01:33:40.240 --> 01:33:49.360 By walking into an office in Munich or Tokyo or wherever you happen to be, you have that same confidence. 01:33:49.360 --> 01:33:53.840 And it's a friendly face. Somebody there who's happy to help. 01:33:53.840 --> 01:34:00.320 Arrangements have been made quickly and efficiently and with exemplary courtesy. 01:34:00.320 --> 01:34:04.720 It really has been a pleasure doing business with you. You're sincerely. 01:34:04.720 --> 01:34:11.840 Our customers want to know we're going to be consistent. They want to know that they can depend on you. 01:34:11.840 --> 01:34:20.080 And all that takes in some cases is a smile, a friendly hello and where are you from? Nice to see you. 01:34:20.080 --> 01:34:29.280 Not just ticketing, not just hotel reservations. You're giving that something extra nobody else is going to give them. 01:34:29.280 --> 01:34:36.640 Worldwide customer care is the embodiment of home away from home. That is American Express. 01:34:59.280 --> 01:35:02.640 The. 01:35:02.640 --> 01:35:06.640 The. 01:35:06.640 --> 01:35:10.640 The. 01:35:10.640 --> 01:35:14.640 The. 01:35:14.640 --> 01:35:18.640 The. 01:35:18.640 --> 01:35:22.640 The. 01:35:22.640 --> 01:35:26.640 The. 01:35:26.640 --> 01:35:30.640 The. 01:35:30.640 --> 01:35:34.640 The. 01:35:34.640 --> 01:35:38.640 The. 01:35:38.640 --> 01:35:42.640 The. 01:35:42.640 --> 01:35:46.640 The. 01:35:46.640 --> 01:35:50.640 The. 01:35:50.640 --> 01:35:54.640 The. 01:35:54.640 --> 01:35:58.640 The. 01:35:58.640 --> 01:36:02.640 The. 01:36:02.640 --> 01:36:06.640 The. 01:36:06.640 --> 01:36:10.640 The. 01:36:10.640 --> 01:36:14.640 The. 01:36:14.640 --> 01:36:18.640 The. 01:36:18.640 --> 01:36:22.640 The. 01:36:22.640 --> 01:36:26.640 The. 01:36:26.640 --> 01:36:30.640 The. 01:36:30.640 --> 01:36:34.640 The. 01:36:34.640 --> 01:36:38.640 The. 01:36:38.640 --> 01:36:42.640 The. 01:36:42.640 --> 01:36:46.640 The. 01:36:46.640 --> 01:36:50.640 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