From: Shawn Mackey [shawneliza225@yahoo.com] Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 9:59 AM To: mwirkk@eskimo.com Subject: Vlad Dracula Website I recently looked over your website regarding Vlad Dracula Tepes and found it very interesting. I have been interested in vampires both fictional and folkloric and with the history and legends of Vlad Dracula Tepes for a long time. I'm not a scholar or a historian, I'm just an average person who has an interest in these things. For a long time I have wanted to visit Romania and this October I went there for the first time. I went through an agency called Transylvania Inc. They are also known as Undiscovered Lands. I had been searching for a tour that included the Dracula history as well as the legend. Most of the tours that I saw through other companies seemed as if they were too 'campy' for me. I am not saying that camp is bad, but, I was looking for something more. I was very pleased with my choice. I took their 18 day Dracula tour and had a great experience. We saw many castles and monasteries and wooden churches. I did not know what to expect from Romania, but, I was very pleased. Romania is such a beautiful, peaceful, and welcoming country. The group I was traveling with and I were treated extremely well everywhere we went. Our tour guide, Otto (who is the owner of the company), was extremely knowledgeable about Romania's history (he is originally from Satu Mare, Romania), Vlad Dracula's history, Bram Stoker's Book Dracula, and about the legends surrounding both Vlad and Stoker's novel. I felt like I could ask him any question and he would not only know the answer he would be happy to answer the question. I also felt that if some reason he did not have an answer to a question he would find out as quickly as he could. I've been on a few tours in which I knew more than the guide did. If you or anyone else you know is interested in visiting Romania and going on a tour I would highly recommend looking into Undiscovered Lands. They also have Monastery tours, Castle tours, and for the more adventurous, the Carpathian Mountain tour. Undiscovered Lands will also create a tour if you are traveling with a group. Undiscovered Land has something for everyone. Basically, this company will cater to you as much as they can and I am sure that all of their guides are as knowledgeable as Otto is. The tours have no more that ten guests and are very intimate. Its not like you would be with 35 other people and all the guide has time for is making sure everyone is accounted for and give a quick introduction to the site you are about to visit. If you or anyone else is interested in going to Romania, I would suggest looking at Transylvania Inc.'s website www.Undiscovered Lands.com or calling them (I would ask for Otto, he is the one who usually answers the phone anyway) 925-299-4810 I have wanted to travel to Romania to visit the sights pertaining to Vlad Dracula for a long time and I was extremely pleased with my vacation. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com