Trip to Turkey

This year marks Zuidberg's 40th anniversary, but 2007 was an anniversary too. And we had a great deal of fun. To thank the staff for 25 successful years, all of them, including their partners, travelled to Belek, Turkey. “We were really looking forward to this trip and it exceeded all our expectations. People are still talking about it.”

Ina Douma and Annemieke Nierop, both employed by Zuidberg for over twenty years, have fond memories of that special trip. Ina, postal employee at the PTO line: “The staff association had arranged everything perfectly. They had gone to the destination a month earlier to arrange everything. They had done a great job, we experienced so many wonderful things. I wouldn't have missed it for anything.”

Schiphol turns Zuidberg red
Just the trip there was an experience in itself. Ina: “For me and many others, it was the first time we had been on a plane. That's why I was a bit nervous, but I didn't hesitate for a moment. I knew I wouldn’t have another opportunity like that any time soon.” Annemieke, central warehouse employee: “We met up at Zuidberg and left together by bus to Schiphol Airport. There everyone was given a red Zuidberg shirt to wear. That was a wonderful sight to see. And it was really handy too because you could see right away who belonged to the group. We didn't know all the partners yet then, of course.” The plane was completely coloured Zuidberg red. “Except for maybe three other people, the plane was packed full of Zuidberg staff and their partners. We even knew the pilot. He was the brother-in-law of one of our colleagues in the staff association. He flew us to Turkey.”

Spectacular whitewater rafting
The four days we had in and around the Turkish city of Belek were put to good use. For example, Annemieke went rafting with a group of colleagues. “Spectacular! I was in a boat with around ten people. We rafted over whitewater stretches of the rapids. That wasn't easy. I'm not the bravest of people, but I loved the experience. Afterwards, we jumped into the water and were carried about two hundred meters with the current. Although it was 47 degrees at the time, the water was freezing cold. It took your breath away. A thrilling experience.”

Ina chose the jeep safari. “We took a trip through the Taurus Mountains. We saw the beautiful nature there; the mountains, rocks, streams and waterfalls. Very nice to see. We stopped at a trout pond for something to eat. We even dived into a stream at one point. That was necessary, because it was so incredibly hot that some people thought they were going to faint. Not everyone had brought their bathing suits, so they went into the water wearing their regular clothes.”

Hotel rooms with jacuzzi and everything
Not only were the surroundings impressive, but the hotel in which the hundred and fifty Zuidberg guests stayed had been carefully selected. Ina: “The rooms were gorgeous. Extra luxurious rooms had been arranged for Henk and Betty Zuidberg and Jeroen Zuidberg and his wife, with a jacuzzi and everything. They thought it was all a bit too much, but of course, it was well deserved.” The trip was all-inclusive. “An extensive buffet awaited us upon arrival. There was a bar, a swimming pool and much, much more. There were always some people around from Zuidberg with whom you could hook up.”

Panic on the jet ski
The destination of the trip, the city of Belek, is located on the Mediterranean Sea. So, sea activities absolutely had to be included. Jet skiing, joining in on the banana boat, there were many options. Ina: “While jet skiing, our colleague Gerdo suddenly disappeared. We could still see him in the distance on the water, but he was a tiny dot drifting further and further away. Panic started, of course, even among the jet ski staff. It turned out that the engine of Gerdo's jet ski had failed, so he couldn't get back to shore. He was feeling pretty anxious for a while. Finally, they managed to tow him out with other jet skis and it all worked out in the end.”

A lost bag, a belly dancer and hidden scorpions
Ina and Annemieke can revel in many more anecdotes: such as a bag containing a passport that was left behind on a bus, someone who broke their foot jet skiing, a colleague who received the news that she was becoming a grandmother for the first time, the nervous person who was continually checking his life jacket for scorpions and the final evening with the belly dancer. “We were really looking forward to this trip and it exceeded all our expectations. The goal was to strengthen our togetherness. It was an absolute success in that respect. It was really special that we were able to experience this with all our colleagues.”