We are in the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport waiting for our flight to Frankfurt and finally to Vancouver to finish our one month Hungary, Turkey, Croatia and Greece adventure.  The pictures are from our last day in port at Kusadasi, Turkey and the last dinner at the San Marcos restaurant aboard the Constellation with our regular dinner mates from Denmark and England.  A seventh dinner companion from America, Tom, was absent ... he must have fallen overboard that evening.

Finally, no travel adventure is complete without its share of bloopers and mishaps.  Here are some of our blooper highlights.

• We almost missed the flight from Munich to Budapest because there was a gate change.  We were sleepy from the long flight and did not register that the gate where we were waiting and surfing the Internet was basically empty at boarding time.  Finally, with a minute to spare we ran to the other side of the hall and made it on the flight.  Moral of the story is to check for gate changes.
  
• While strolling on Budapest's commercial and touristy shopping street, Vaci Utca, a lady was giving out samples of what looked like colorful gummy bears.  Before you could blink, Debbie grabbed one and popped it in her mouth to the amazement of the Hungarian girl holding the tray.  They were not gummy bears but soap.  Debbie usually is more careful and does not just pop unknown items in her mouth.  We spend the next thirty minutes looking for a bathroom where she could wash out the lye-laden soap from her mouth.
  
• We misfired during the Lake Balaton, Hungary visit by choosing Siofok as our base.  It turned out that after the end of August, Siofok turns into a ghost town as everything was shut down after the tourist season.  We had a terrific luxury apartment (recently constructed) but due to cold cloudy weather and the deserted atmosphere we were limited on what we could do.  We took a ferry to Balatonfured which more of a regular town and more active.  That is the place we should have chosen to stay but didn't.
  
• In Dubrovnik, while strolling in an art museum, Debbie almost stepped on a piece of mobile art which was stationed on the floor.  At the last moment, the lady watching over the gallery shouted to watch where Debbie was stepping.  One more step and it would have been a disaster.  We speculated why the art piece was not cordoned off to avoid such mishaps.
  
• On the last day in Istanbul, Turkey at the airport, Steve left his North Face vest at the Caffe Nero.

Our last port of call was Kusadasi, Turkey better known as the the gateway to Ephesus..Kuşadası caters to tourists arriving by land, or from the port for cruise ship passengers heading to Ephesus. The area features several well-known local beaches, including Ladies Beach, and beaches along the bay waterfront.  Relatively old houses near the seafront, some of them converted to bars and cafes, are the remnants of old Kuşadası, which has with time become a modern, European-like town in appearance.

Debbie and walked several miles along the waterfront making our way eventually to the Setur Marina.  Along the way we stopped at several shopping areas and visited the fish market.  Debbie dipped her toes in the water at Marina Beach near the marina.  We did not have enough time to go the so-called Ladies Beach which a local recommended.

Since Ephesus was about 20 miles away and we did not sign up for a tour, we had to bypass that ancient city which was once a great trading center and a religious center of early Christianity.  In 3,56BC the Greeks built the Artemesium (a colossal Ionic temple dedicated to Artemis the fertility goddess) which was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. During the 2nd century BC, Ephesus was the fourth largest city in the eastern Roman Empire, famous for its Artemesium, the Library of Celsus and its medical school.  The House of the Virgin Mary is a Catholic and Muslim shrine located on Mt. Koressos  4.3 miles from Ephesus.  Catholic pilgrims visit the house based on the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken to this stone house by Saint John and lived there until her Assumption (according to Catholic doctrine).

A short video on Rick Steves Ephesus is below.

We look forward to arriving in Santorini, Greece reputed to be the gem of the Aegean Sea and is often sought for a romantic getaway ... and wedding destinations.  There are not many places in the world where you can enjoy exquisitely clear waters while perched on the rim of a massive active volcano in the middle of the sea.  Cruise ships cannot dock but must tender all the passengers to the shore creating an active business for dozens of boat tender operators which land at a small port village below Fira.

The group of Santorini's islands is still an active volcano and is probably the only volcano in the world whose crater is in the sea. The islands that form Santorini came into existence as a result of intensive volcanic activity; twelve huge eruptions occurred, one every 20,000 years approximately, and each violent eruption caused the collapse of the volcano’s central part creating a large crater (caldera). The volcano, however, managed to recreate itself over and over again.   The most recent volcanic activity on the island occurred in 1950. The whole island is actually a huge natural geological museum where you can observe a wide range of geological structures.

We landed on the island in the morning.  Fira is located near the port on the caldera clifss opposite the volcano.  There are three options to reach the cliff:  one is by cable car (the fastest); another is by climbing about 600 steps up a steep cliffside of the volcano's caldera .... alas there are lots of donkey manure and droppings on the steps so one can get quite smelly doing this option.  The third option is to rent a donkey for about $6 and they will slowly (or faster) walk up the slope with some occasional prodding to keep moving ... I think they stop to rest a few times.  Animal rights activists might consider this trek up the slopes as ass abuse.  The donkey option is what I opted for but I could not convince Debbie to join me (she took the cable car).  My white donkey only tripped twice and ran ahead of other mules making the trek.  It was the scenic way to get to the top in about 20 minutes or so but one had to hold on to the saddle horn with at least one hand ... the other holding the camera snapping pictures of the sights below.  Later, Debbie heard from another passenger that someone fell off her mule two weeks ago and was trampled to death by the animal.  Whether that is a myth or reality, I do not know.  The sign at the donkey rental place assured riders that "all donkey trips are fully insured." 

We walked around Fira, the capital of Santorini, for a while and then found a bus stop that would take us to Oia. Many bars and cafes are actually on the caldera, while others, as well as the large clubs, are tucked into the quaint cobbled streets weaving through the town. The bus ride to Oia took us around some narrow, winding, mountain roads with a lot of lurching as the bus drive did not slow down around corners.  The small town is built on the steep slope of the caldera and the houses and restaurants are built into niches carved into the caldera on the seaward side. There are narrow passageways and a central square.  Its paths are very narrow and get congested during the tourist season. The idyllic surroundings of the town have a complex of white washed blue domed churches and charming, traditional Cycladic houses and cave houses that are carved into the rock face on top of the cliff. It is set in a location which provides excellent views of the sunset over the caldera.

Athens is a very large and bustling city of nine million inhabitants.  There were about five cruise ships in port so there were to be crowds in the key areas, especially the Acropolis.  We decided on the tour since time in port was limited and needed and efficient way to get around.

The bus and tour guide took us by Constitution Square (Syntagma Square), home to the Parliament of Greece and some of the biggest political pep-rallies ever seen on the planet (recent Greek bailout issues) and the Monument of the Unknown Soldier. The monument is guarded 24 hours a day by Evzoni (guards) wearing traditional 19th century Greek costume. There is an hourly changing of the guard.

We rode along Syngrou Avenue viewing famous monuments, such as Hadrian's Arch, Temple of Zeus, the National Garden, and the Panathenaic Stadium, the site of the first modern Olympics in 1896.

The greatest and finest sanctuary of ancient Athens, dedicated primarily to its patron, the goddess Athena, dominates the center of the modern city from the rocky hill known as the Acropolis. It contains the remains of several ancient structures of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the temple of Athena Nike. 

There were throngs of visitors so it was a bit difficult to move around.  Best to visit these sites very early or in the evening when the cruise ship visitors are not there.  We were there for about 90 minutes, did a lot of walking and climbing steps before the bus took us to the Plaka area for sightseeing.  The Plaka,which located under the Acropolis, is the oldest section of Athens. Most of the streets have been closed to automobile traffic, though there are some motorcycles and delivery trucks. It is an area of restaurants, jewelry stores, tourist shops, and cafes. Though it is quite commercialized it is considered to be the nicest neighborhood in central Athens. Most of the restaurants are typical tourist places, however.

Split, Croatia was our second port of call along the Adriatic Sea.  It is the second largest city in Croatia after Zagreb, the capital.

The Port of Split, with its annual traffic of 4 million passengers, is the third busiest port in the Mediterranean, with daily coastal routes to Rijeka, Dubrovnik, and Ancona in Italy. During the summer season  Most of the central Dalmatian islands are only reachable via the Split harbor (with Jadrolinija and Split Tours ferries). This includes the islands of Brač, Hvar and Šolta, as well as the more distant Vis, Korčula and Lastovo. Split is also becoming a major cruise ship destination, with over 260 ship visits, carrying 130,000 passengers. The largest ship scheduled to dock is the 1,000 foot long Celebrity Eclipse.

We walked around  the perimeter of the harbor, the promenade, doing touristy things like window shopping, people watching, taking many photographs of the sights. 

Facing the harbor, Diocletian’s Palace is one of the most imposing Roman ruins in existence. It is not a palace though, nor a museum – this is the city's living heart, its labyrinthine streets and alleys packed with people, bars, shops and restaurants. In the old days it was a military fortress, imperial residence and fortified town.  For film buffs, Diocletian's Palace was used as a location for filming the fourth season of the popular HBO series Game of Thrones.

How Croatia and Serbia Buried the Hatchet (BBC)

The first port of call on the Dalmatian coast was Dubrovnik, dubbed as the "Pearl of the Adriatic," It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea.  With about 50,000 residents, Dubrovnik is reputed to be among the 10-best preserved medieval walled cities in the world and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

While in Dubrovnik, we took the cable car to top of Mt. Srdj which is about 1,300 feet above sea level.  The cable car was built in 1969, destroyed in 1991 during the siege of Dubrovnik, and rebuilt in 2010. The ride which is about five minutes takes visitors to what is now the Homeland War Museum ... formerly it was the 19th century Imperial Fortress.  Also, there is an overpriced restaurant there for tourists but has amazing views of the city and the bay.  The siege of Dubrovnik by the Yugoslav People's Army (mostly Serbian and Montenegro soldiers) started a five-year war in the region after the death of Tito who held the various ethnic regions together by force when necessary.  To understand the complicated history of the Balkan region and its convoluted war read "Understanding Yugoslavia."  We visited the war museum at the top of the mountain and watched a video of the siege. The town was heavily shelled from the sea and neighboring hills.  The Siege of Dubrovnik is primarily remembered for the large-scale looting by the invading troops and the artillery bombardment of Dubrovnik—especially its Old Town area.  You can see some of the original footage of the siege here.

We walked down the Stradun which is Dubrovnik's main street.  The limestone paved pedestrian street runs about 900 yards through the Old Town, the historic part of the city surrounded by the walls of Dubrovnik.  Many of the historic buildings and monuments are situated along this walkway.

Corfu (Kérkyra), unlike the rest of Greece, never fell under the Ottoman rule. Due to the successive dominations of the Venetians, the French and the British over the centuries, the island has primarily become part of the Western rather the Levantine world. Their culture wielded strong influence in the city: it was here that the first Greek University (the Ionian Academy), the first Philharmonic Orchestra and the First School of Fine Arts were founded.

In the well-preserved preserved Old Town of Corfu, a UNESCO world heritage site, Palaces, fortresses, austere public buildings of the Venetian rule uniquely blend with lines of drying washing in tiny alleyways and small secluded squares. Strolling through a complex of narrow cobbled streets with stairways and vaulted passages, will make you feel as if you’ve traveled to Genoa or Naples.

We spent our day ashore visiting the Old Fortress, Spianada Square and walked down to the Corfu Sailing Club and marina.

The Old Fortress stands over Spianada Square and is linked to the town by a fixed iron bridge. This bridge used to be wooden and was drawn up to isolate the fortress for greater safety.  The first fortifications of the Old Fortress started about the 6th century AD after the destruction of the ancient city of Corcyra by the Goths. They forced the population to abandon the ancient city and to settle on the rocky promontory with the two peaks. The Byzantines fortified one of the two peaks – the Old Fortress as it is called, and later the Venetians fortified the other peak, the New Fortress. In the 15th century the Venetians replaced the old fortifications. They built bastions, winding galleries and tunnels. They also erected buildings to house the military and political authorities. These bastions are considered masterpieces of military engineering. The large square in front of the Old Fortress was planned by the Venetians as an open space between the Fortress and the town. This space is approximately the firing range of a gun of the period.  Inside the compount, stands several bastions/ramparts, St. George's Church built by the British on 1840, the Roman Temple, the prison, the abandoned British hospital and the British barracks.  We walked to the top with beautiful views of the bay.

One of the largest in Greece, Spianada Square used to be a fortification because it was necessary to have vacant area between the city and the castle fortress. No construction was allowed to be made on this area as any time military activities could take place there. Nowadays it is one of the most popular places in town for visitors and the meeting point for most social gatherings. Three important historical periods are surrounding the square in stone: The City Palace that reflects the British era in the history of Corfu, The Old Venetian Castle and “French” Liston with its beautiful arches lightened by Venetian lanterns. 

I convinced Debbie to trek down by the water to visit the Corfu Sailing Club tucked into a small harbor (Mandraki Harbor) underneath the walls of the Old Fortress. The club has been operating sailing schools since 1976 and is active in sailboat racing.  It is a scenic place to moor but very limited space is available, mainly used by club members.  The main marina with 1200+ berths, Gouvia Marina, is about three miles from town and is the first privately owned marina in Greece.  In the 17th century Venetian seamen selected the area of Gouvia as an ideal location for creating a naval station and shipyards, remains of which have survived in the region.  Monthly berthing fees for a 40-foot sailboat range from about $400 to $700 depending on the season.

The Port of Corfu handles about 485 cruise ships a year with 640,000 passengers.

After docking in Katakolon, Greece, we took one of the ship-sponsored tours that transported us to the archaeological site of ancient Olympia.  This is the main attraction of the small port city of Katakolon (600 inhabitants) The cruise port of Katakolon has become the number one tourist port in Greece for cruise ships and passengers. This where the Olympic games originated thousands of years ago.  The Olympic Games were held every four years four from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD.  The first Olympic Games were in honor of Zeus. 

Olympia was situated in a valley in Elis, in western Peloponnisos (Peloponnesus), through which runs the Alpheus River. It was not a town, but only a sanctuary with buildings associated with games and the worship of the gods. Olympia was a national shrine of the Greeks and contained many treasures of Greek art, such as temples, monuments, altars, theaters, statues, and votive offerings of brass and marble.

The Olympia site was originally discovered in 1776 by Englishman Richard Chandler. The French began excavations at the site in 1829. German explorations of 1875-81 threw much light upon the plans of the buildings; they were resumed in 1936, 1952, and 1960-61. Many valuable objects were discovered, the most important of which was a statue of Hermes, the messenger of the gods, by Praxiteles.

The most celebrated temple was the Temple of Zeus, dedicated to the father of the gods. In this temple was a statue of Zeus made of ivory and gold, the masterpiece of the Athenian sculptor Phidias. Next to the Temple of Zeus ranked the Heraeum, dedicated to Hera, the wife of Zeus. In this temple, probably the oldest Doric building known, stood the table on which were placed the olive branch garlands cut from a sacred olive grove (not medals in the ancient times) prepared for the victors in the games.  Much more importantly, participants won glory, fame, and in a very real sense historical immortality for their region.  They did, however, come home as heroes - and got showered with gifts there. Many victors subsequently used their fame to endorse products and to get paid posing for sculptures and drawings ... naked, of course.
 
Ancient Olympic sportsmen (all Greek men) ran, wrestled, and fought buck naked. The ancient Greeks had a tradition of doing things nude (they walked around in the buff in the bedroom and at parties called sympsia*, and they exercised without any clothes on) - indeed, the word gymnasium came from the Greek word gymos, which means "naked." The audience consisting only of men were naked too.  The theory was nakedness brings all down to basic human level and celebrate the male physique.  The contestants anointed themselves with olive oil to enhance their appearance.

The very first recorded ancient Olympic Games took place in 776 BC. The event was a stadion race (a foot race equivalent to a 208-yard dash). The winner was a humble baker from the Greek city state of Elis named Koroibos.

Eventually, Christianity killed the Olympic games.  When the Romans conquered Greece, they viewed the games as a pagan festival.  In 393 AD, Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned the ancient Olympics in part to institute Christianity as a state religion. The Olympics was no more ... until it was revived 1,500 years later in 1896.

This is a very popular site with many bus loads of tourists visiting daily.

The tour took us to the Mercouri Winery for Greek wine tasting and a light brunch.  the estate vineyards are located beside the family residence and in two nearby locations, with a total area of approximately 40 acres. The land and the climate are particularly well-suited for the production of high-quality wines and the estate grows more than 15 varieties of grape of both Greek and international origin.  The other arm of production on the estate is in the making of olive oil. The oil is made from olives of a superior Greek quality (Koroneiki) and the privately-owned olive groves on the estate are over 100 years old.

When the tour group visited, the winery was in full work mode doing the harvesting and other wine producing operations.

Mercouri Winery owner interview.

The Island of Crete is rich in history.  Finds from excavations indicate that the island was inhabited since the Neolithic period. During the Bronze Age (3000-1100 B.C.) the Minoan civilization was developed. Knossos was its center and it reached its peak of prosperity between 1900 and 1500 B.C.  After 1500 B.C., the Acheans and the Dorians invaded the island. They were followed by the Romans in 67 B.C., and then the Byzantines, who became the rulers of the island by 1252 A.D. There had been a period of Arab rule before that, from 824 to 961 A.D. In 1252 A.D. the Venetian rule began, which lasted until 1645 A.D. Then the Ottomans occupy Crete and maintain their domination until 1897, with a short interval of 10 years, during which the island was ceded to Egypt (1830- 1840). In 1898 the Cretan State was established with capital in Chania. The island remained autonomous until December 1st 1913, which is the date of its official unification with Greece. 

This was our first visit to Greece and the Island of Crete so we took the ship's Taste of Crete tour.  Our first stop on the tour was at a traditional Greek village called Vamos which is is a large working village in Northwestern Crete and lies 15 miles Southeast of Chania.  The village dates back many centuries and has been renovated with an old stone road leading to quaint buildings which house a small delicatessen shop and art cafe.  Today, about 3,000 people live in the village which is focusing on sustainable eco-tourism.

According to historical sources its first inhabitants were Arab pirates around the 8th century. To the general census organized by the Venetians in 1573, Vamos is mentioned as "Vamu" with 271 permanent inhabitants. During the time Greece was under Turkish domination, Vamos was the headquarters of the Turkish army and in 1863 a Pasha named Savas chose Vamos as the Capital of the prefecture of Sfakia. People of Vamos proved to be very patriotic fighting to free themselves from the Turkish domination. The winning battles of 1896 set Vamos free from the Turks.

While in the area, the bus stopped at a typical family winery, the Braoudakis Winery.  Being a family-run operation, the owner's daughter gave us brief tour and some information on the history of the winery.  The group was served an appetizer and sampled the wines produced there.

Just outside the village of Vamos, on the small road to Vrisses, are the ruins of the old Kayidi Monastery and the ruins of the old oil mill with its 12 arches, built in 1862. The Monastery of Saint George in Karydi got its name from the settlement which existed at the site around 1600, abundant with walnut trees. After being abandoned for many years, it finally was restored in 1996.

The old olive oil factory with its 12 arches is, until now, the trademark of the monastery. And even though the roof has collapsed the bases of four mills are still detectable as seen in the pictures. The property of the monastery grew quickly due to several donations, even from Turks who had high respect of St George and his miracles.  There has been a time when the monastery owned 3,600 olive trees apart from the numerous animals and vines. It produced up to 25 thousand kilos of oil, which was a unique case of oil production throughout the island of Crete.

Chania (pronounced "Hania") is one of the main places you are most likely to see on arriving in Crete. It is beautiful - that is to say much of the Chania you will want to see is clustered close to the harbor - old buildings, museums, churches and crafts shops (some with genuinely interesting and sometimes local, products on offer).  The so called Venetian Harbor is one of the highlights of the city. The old port, the narrow shopping streets and waterfront restaurants are some of the attractions.  The buildings are of Venetian and Turkish design.  The 1913 indoor market ("Agora"), a large building based on the market of Marseille is on the edge of the old town and is popular with tourists and locals alike.  We walked through the market on the way to the port. As the second largest city in Crete, it has 65,000 inhabitants.

While we only we only spent an hour meandering around the port and its narrow alley byways, it is very picturesque and worth a longer visit.  It seemed to have restaurants with tasty food along the waterfront.  At the time we visited, it was quite busy with tourists.

The original plan was to take the train from Budapest to Split, Croatia and work our way down the Dalmatian coast visiting interesting islands in the Adriatic Sea, a body of water separating the Italian peninsula from the Balkan peninsula.  However, that plan was not viable as the border between Hungary and Croatia was sealed due to the Syrian immigrant problems.  So I went to the Internet to look at alternative ideas on spending the last two weeks of our travel time.  Plan B turned out to be a cruise that departed from Istanbul and stopped at ports in Croatia, Greece and Turkey during the time frame we were seeking.  We booked our airline tickets on Turkish Airlines and the Celebrity cruise line just three days before departure.   So on the night before the flight to Istanbul, I was researching how to get visas for Turkey and fortunately was able to procure them online. 

We landed in Istanbul, Turkey in the early afternoon, and found a transfer service to take us to the ship which was about 45 to 60 minutes away by car.  The arrival scene was somewhat chaotic as there was a mass of people re-entering the ship and new cruisers checking in.  Celebrity did not have the arrival very well organized, ie, security procedures, check-in, and so forth.  Finally, we figured it out and checked in.  The good news is that our ocean view cabin was upgraded to a balcony cabin … a pleasant surprise.

Affectionately known as "Connie" by its fans, the 2,000+-­passenger (900+ crew) Celebrity Constellation debuted in 2002 as the fourth and final ship in Celebrity Cruises' Millennium Class. Over the years, the ship has developed a host of admirers and repeat cruisers who are drawn to its value, comfort, above-average food and drink offerings, friendly crew, spotless facilities and intriguing itineraries.

In 2013, the ship went into dry dock for a major makeover. The 66 staterooms added include popular AquaClass cabins and their companion Blu restaurant featuring healthy "clean cuisine." Other new features include the addition of private verandahs for the eight Celebrity Suites, an upgraded basketball court, an iLounge with Apple workstations and a retail store, and new meeting and conference spaces. Also upgraded was the Wi-Fi throughout the ship with a new easier-to-manage log-on system (but was problematic during some days on the cruise, according to some passengers).

About half of the passengers on the cruise were North American and the balance consisted of Europeans and Asians … mostly the in 40 to 70 year age range with a sprinkling of younger couples and four babies.

Of course, we did not pack for a cruise itinerary so we were short  or lacking clothes needed on cruise ship's dining rooms, ie, smart casual for the main dining room and suits for the three formal nights.  Oh well, we were good at 'improvising.'   Folks who don't like formal nights head to the buffet dining room where almost any form of dress is allowed except swimwear, flip-flops, spa robes and bare feet.

As this was our third cruise, we were able to make some judgments on the ship and its amenities.  The best features of the ship which we liked were: the stateroom/balcony, friendly and good service from the crew at all levels, the sauna with a giant porthole overlooking the ocean, an excellent fitness center, above average shows nightly, nice pool/Jacuzzi areas and the martini bar mixed good drinks.  We did not partake of the casino, on-board shopping, art auction, and spa activities.   Overall, the ship seemed to kept clean and well-maintained.  Music venues were held at the various lounges around the ship.
 
The dining rooms were a mixed bag, perhaps being too critical as Debbie and I are both foodies and not your average dining passenger.  We were most disappointed with San Marcos main dining room.  About 2/3 of our dishes were lacking good chef-manship, ie, soups tasted like canned soup, bland main dishes, milk shakes instead of ice cream, etc.  The head waiter for our table proudly proclaimed that the freezer was defective and even if we sent it back we would still receive melted ice cream.  Some of the recommended courses like the sea bass, was broiled to a tasteless and bland recipe that was left uneaten.  The presentation and plating was always very good, but, alas, lacking in "tastiness."

We tried the Tuscan Grill, one of the pay-extra premium dining rooms, offered an Italian menu.  We had mixed results.  My filet mignon dish was excellent but Debbie's lamb dish was tough and overly-marbled.

The Ocean Café buffet lines on deck 10 met or exceeded our expectations and often food preparation was better than the fancier San Marcos dining room.  I especially liked the nightly sushi bar.  The only slight negative is that about half the time it was difficult to find seating at open tables.  We asked others to share tables and at ate on bar stools when necessary.  The coffee quality was OK but not as good as what we brew at home.   

The enrichment talks and activities were somewhat below par compared to other cruises we participated in.  Debbie did participate in the Top Chef cooking competition where she was one of the four tasting judges.  The filet of mignon was very "tasty" and the wine was great, she said, but the host would not let her take it back to the room.  I played in a ping-pong tournament and was invited on stage by a belly dancer during one of the shows.