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Wednesday, May 28, 2003
 I can't believe it's nearly over!!! a fun last day (and night) in Santorini and it was hard to drag myself away on a midnight ferry, but I'm on Naxos now for two days before catching a ferry to Athens on Friday and a plane to London that night. Ancient Akrotiri was a bit of a let down - definintely and archaelogical work in progress and access was fairly limited. I did head to the Red Beach and managed to have a bit of a dip before collecting a souveneir (a red pebble) and heading back to Fira to check out the museum which houses all of the finds from Ancient Akrotiri. this was one of the best museums I've been to in Greece - beautifully laid out, well labelled and diagrams to help the imagination fill in the pieces. I headed up to Firostefani on foot (about a 15 minute walk uphill) to hunt down the blue domed church. after a bit pavement pounding, backtracking and climbing of hills, I finally found it! needless to say, the blue has faded considerably over the years but the view across the dome and through the church bells out to the caldera is spectacular. the sunset on was pretty disappointing that night though because it was a little too overcast so it was a gyros dinner then off to bed. both yesterday and Monday were fairly quiet, relaxing days...Monday I packed up and caught the bus to Fira where I sat with a Dutch couple and Pommie dentist (didn't even get their names) in Enigma Cafe which "overhangs" the caldera and serves yummy apple pie and icecream, before checking in to the Fira youth hostel (a bit of a downgrade in class after Oia) and having another wander around the streets of Fira. time for a little nanna nap, then another walk up to Firostefani - would you believe I forgot to take a photo of BB with the blue dome!!! I managed to flag down the bus to Oia and was treated to the most spectacular sunset yet! it seems ironic that the pollution on the horizon is what makes the sunset so beautiful but it was a gorgeous pink sky with a few clouds that night and many photos taken! I returned to Fira and fully intended to spend the night in some of the quaint little pubs but they were quite deserted at 10pm so I headed to the hostel and before I knew it, had fallen asleep again. yesterday I headed out by bus to Kamari and was going to hike up the hill to Ancient Thira but after about 200m, the going got too tough so I headed back down the hill and found a minibus to take me to the top - well, to the carkpark, there was still a substantial hike to where those crazy ancient greeks built their city. once again the ruins were mostly that, ruins, and without a guide it really did seem like I was just looking at more rocks - although the views from the top of the hill down to the beaches and plains were quite spectacular. back to Fira and I intended to grab my book from the hostel and spend the afternoon reading but instead met Kate and Matt from Melbourne and Ryan from the US. Ryan was silly enough to mention that he was a massage therapist (no really, he is) so it wasn't long before I was laying face down on a thin matt on the concrete and owing him a couple of drinks. unfortunately, another completely overcast night so no Oia sunset but a kebab and a walk around the gorgeous streets again then it was off to "The Dubliner" (yes, the only pub I've been to in Greece has been an Irish pub). a few night's before Kate (who works at there) had given the DJ her CD collection to copy, so my last 45 minutes on Santorini were filled with Powderfinger, Crowded House, Chili Peppers and REM. the bus wisked me away to the port at 11pm and then on to the ferry for the trip to Naxos - the ferry seemed to be swaying a bit more than usual, but then again that might have been just me! thankfully my accommodation for the night was kind enough to meet the ferry (at 3:30am) and take me to Pension Irene where I was pleasantly surprised. for 15 euro a night I've got a room with two single beds and a tv, plus a kitchenette and separate (and amazing clean) bathroom. this morning I was up at the crack of mid-morning to find the supermarket and bakery. eating a breakfast/brunch/lunch of fresh, soft bread with butter and peach jam just outside my room, I met and witnessed the comedy stylings of the crazy poms next door. tonight is going to be a big cook up of a pasta sauce to put on the extra pack of spaghetti that I've been carrying since our second night in Hania then tomorrow I've booked a bus tour of the island which takes all day but should be the best way to see everything considering I jump on a ferry bound for Athens at 9:45am on Friday. I hope some of the postcards and letters are starting to come through (I'm a bit suspicious about the Greek postal system) and next time I write, it will probably be from London! andio greece, efharisto...
Sunday, May 25, 2003
I'm in love...with Santorini!!! Plakias ended up giving me a lot of quiet time during the day...and a lot more disturbed sleep at night. the hostel is definitely geared to the 20 year old on college break who wants to spend lots of money drinking and sightseeing hung-over. I hi-tailed it out of there on the 9:30 bus to Iraklio via Rethymno and filled in the day visiting the archaelogical museum (including the well-known bull with gold horns, bee pendant and phaestos disc and a heck of a lot of Minoan pottery and jewellery). a walk through the markets, some lunch and a bit of a nap in the bus terminal and it was time to board the ferry. the Dadaelus took me from Iraklio to the port on Santorini and the four hours were well spent chatting to two more Canadians (Jen and Katie) who had been in my dorm room at Plakias. arriving at midnight, we took the minibus to the cheapest (and yes, you get what you pay for) hostel on Santorini for half a night's sleep. we caught the bus into Fira the next day and wandered the beautiful streets before Jen and Katie had to take the 300 or so steps down to the old port to go on a volcano tour. I stupidly decided that it might be a fun thing to do as well so I walked all the way down the stairs (avoiding donkey doo the entire way) to say goodbye before turning around and thinking that I'd walk up the stairs and hitch a donkey ride at "half way". the smelly little buggers aren't around when you need them and I ended up walking the entire way - oh well, I can say I've done it now! the 4pm bus to Oia drove past me on my way to collect my pack so I went for a little explore and ended up using half a roll of film on the views and buildings clinging to the side of the caldera. the 5pm bus delivered me to the most beautiful town/city I've ever been - Oia! I'm absolutely in love with this place. the hostel is deluxe and costs 12 euro a night but it's absolutely beautiful and serves breakfast in the morning. I found a gorgeous spot to watch the world-acclaimed "Santorini sunset" - on a white-washed wall with the sun setting just to the left of a huge white-washed windmill used to serve "sunset drinks" on their balcony. the sunset was beautiful but there was a little too much cloud so I'll try to find a spot tonight and see what it has in store for me this time! after the sunset, I walked around Oia and discovered that it's just as beautiful at night as it is during the day. looking back along the caldera to Fira the little villages are lit up like clusters of little candles on the side of the cliff face - no wonder this place is a photographer's paradise! I was even up early this morning to wander around the town and take even more photos. I'm now going to head back to the hostel for my "free" breakfast then probably head to Ancient Akrotiri and the Red Beach today. hoping eveyone is as happy as I am at the moment!!!
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
a little well deserved quiet time... well, no jazz club on Sunday night but a good night's sleep which proved extremely necessary! Monday morning we headed off to Samaria Gorge by bus - all up the round trip by bus and ferry cost us 15euro and the entry to the gorge 5euro but I'd be willing to do it all again once my legs have recovered! the first 3km are all steep, slippery, rough "steps" which took a bit of a toll on the knees! once you were down into the gorge the path was pretty easy going. it went alongside the rushing water of the gorge for another 13km - sometimes crossing at shallow rock pools using huge stepping stones. Jena and Ruth powered all the way down without stopping and made it in three and a half hours. Josh and I on the other hand took an extra hour and went off track sometimes, stopped for photos and even had a little picnic (gummy bears and vegemite/cheese on crackers) just before the gorge narrows to 3m wide at the "Iron Gates". we guessed there must be a fair bit of lime in the rocks because the deeper pools were a beautiful torquise colour - but still crystal clear. the rock pools looked spectacular (unfortunately there were "no swimming" signs everywhere) mostly because of the light yellow/orange river stones of various sizes which gave way to cold, deep pools of blue water. half way down the gorge is an abandoned village from which the people were relocated when the gorge became part of the national park. just past the village at the bottom of a sheer cliff face was a tiny little church. I was a bit hesitant of going inside (a bit dark and eerie) but it was beautiful and simple and cold inside. there were a couple of gorgeous gold leaf frescoes on the walls (mary and child, two of Jesus and one other). it really felt as though no tourists had ever bothered to stop and have a look! further down the gorge, past more beautiful waterfalls and deep pools and the river became shallower as it passed through two sheer cliffs 3m apart at the "Iron Gates" - so called because of the Iron Ore in the rock in red bands (not quite Pilbara red but pretty nonetheless). rickety little bridges made from pine logs were the only way between the gates (about 5m along) and more pine log bridges to cross the stream as it snaked down to the ocean. I thoroughly recommend the walk - hopefully some of the 15 or so photos will turn! if not, it's definitely worth doing again and possibly even slower to take even more of the amazing scenery in! at the end the girls had found another friend (Rob) and had been waiting for us to arrive for the ferry to the bus stop. a plan was formed that night (over a recovery drinks and a huge spaghetti and tomato pasta sauce meal) on the balcony area of our apartment to get to Plakias (south coast), hire a car and drive to Matala then travel up to Iraklio. this plan changed considerably when we found that Plakias is the most amazing little coastal "budget resort" surrounded by beaches and river/waterfall hikes. the others are still to make plans but mine are to stay here a few nights at the 7euro a night youth hostel (probably 3) then make my way up to Iraklio for my ferry on Friday night. the hostel is like "little Canada" at the moment so I'm feeling a little "out of place" - along with the fact that everyone's much "younger at heart" and wants to stay up drinking all night. I'm going to try and make it to one of the "music bars" tonight but I've got to say that I won't be too disappointed if I don't! I'm going to try and rest my legs (Voltarin times a day) and get into more of a "holiday" mode so that I'm ready to sit back and relax on Santorini and Naxos. I've only been to the beach once so far but haven't really been impressed by anything I've seen so far! next time you go to the beach and step out onto the beautiful white or yellow sand, please take time to appreciate it - it's a precious gift! as for the next couple of days - a bit of reading, a bit of letter writing and a some tasty treats at the surprisingly cheap tavernas and cafes which line the main beach road. missing home and thinking of everyone!!!
Sunday, May 18, 2003
the island life in Crete... well, not much to talk about after the last entry...a moussaka and greek salad, a bit of reading and a long night's sleep. the train ride to Kalamata (via Pyrgos) was really comfortable, I'm really starting to appreciate the trains (and not only because they're the cheaper form of transport)...I arrived in Kalamata to find that it's basically an ugly, smelly port city - well, what I saw of it was! I found the food market (more like rows of old greek ladies selling their own produce and in true greek style, aesthetics were very low on the list of priorities. I bought some olives and pistaccio nuts for my first ferry ride then went to find a nice restaurant/taverna for a long, slow (greek style) lunch. the restaurant I ended up at had a view of the harbour which was great (something other than construction or cranes to look at) and as I was eating my fried eggplant and greek salad, I saw the Mirtidiotissa (my ferry for that evening) pull in. a few hours later I made my way to the harbour to find a couple of faces that I recognised from Olympia. Ruth and Jena had found another Canadian, Josh, and we were all bound for Kissamos on the ferry that night. I stayed outside for as long as I could bear the cold wind and uncomfortable seat but managed to stay long enough to watch the ferry slowly slip away from the land and into the darkness - the sea below looked as black as the emptiness ahead. unfotunately I couldn't see as many stars as I would have liked to because of the ferry lights but I can definitely confirm that there's no southern cross over here...a strange sight (or non-sight as the case is). luckily we were able to crash inside for the night and when the ferry docked at 4:30am we were allowed to stay until 7am - this was a good thing seeing it's a 3km hike into town from the port. we caught the bus to Hania and found that the place we had planned to stay was closed for renovations until next week. thankfully he pointed us in the direction of a two room apartment which we managed to get for 50euro (between the four of us) for two nights - it's so good having someone to split the accommodation bill with because there is absolutely no budget accommodation around other than the one which was closed. the Canadians went off to explore the shopping (excellent, even by Greek standards) and I went to find the Suda War Cemetery where hundreds of Australians, New Zealanders and Brits who fought on Crete in the WWII are buried. the book said that the bus dropped me off at the cemetery but it was actually 5km walk away. nevertheless, the cemetery was amazing when I finally got there - an oasis of grass and tombstones separated by rose bushes flanked by olive groves on three sides and the Suda Bay on the fourth. luckily I was able to get a lift back to Hania with a Dutch couple - in a yellow convertable Fiat... I think we're heading out for a meal tonight and then Josh seemed pretty excited to find that Hania has a jazz club so we might even end up there... andio
Friday, May 16, 2003
from a slightly less trendy cafe in Olympia... well killing time in Tripolis consisted of buying a meal and then sitting at their table, reading a book for about 3 hours. I headed off to the bus station and was trying to decipher the timetable (in Greek) when a familiar accent said "what are you looking for?"...so good to hear an Aussie accent again! turned out that James and Iain (from Melbourne), Lisa (from Sydney) and Luke (from Perth) had all met up on various ferries and were now travelling together to Patras via Olympia. the bus trip from Tripolis to Olympia was spectacular - flet like the bus was hanging off cliffs half of the time and the other half it was trying to avoid traffic coming in the other direction along the winding road. it was great to have someone to talk to on the bus and even better to have some company that night. we managed to get one dorm room to ourselves and I even managed to stay awake until 1am (curfew at the hostel). this morning we all headed off to Ancient Olympia to walk around the various buildings and do the obligatory 180m dash down the ancient stadium. of course, I offered to be the one taking the photos of the event - you seriously didn't think I'd run did you? a little bit of browsing through the touristy shops on the main strip of Olympia and it was time for the other four to head to the train station. so now I'm on my own again and I have a chance to update my journal and do some "food for the ferry" shopping - after a beautiful plate of moussaka of course! tomorrow morning it's up early to catch the train to Kalamata and a ferry at 8:30 tomorrow night to Crete. next stop...Greek Islands...
Thursday, May 15, 2003
I can't believe I almost gave up on Nafplio and left without falling in love with the place... after I left the last net-cafe I walked for an hour (with pack) to find a hotel that was partially closed and didn't offer dorm rooms any more. in the end she offered me a tiny room for 10euro but it was about 3km out of town and not very nice at all! next recommendation from the lonely planet was up about 100 steps and in the end only had one single room which was already taken. he offered me a double for 20euro but I decided that the room with the view wasn't worth the climb up and down the stairs every day! I ended up at Pension Acronafplia - double bed, no view but a shower/toilet (yes, the same room), a mild slope but no steps for 25euro. Nafplio is as beautiful as everyone told me and more! the venetian architecture, the Bourtzi (fort on an island in the middle of the bay), the Palimidi Fortress on the mountain(?) overlooking the old city...I did the smart thing and took a taxi up to Palimidi and tackled the over 1000 steps down from the fort on my own two feet. they say you learn things when you travel...well, I learnt the hard way to take the camera away from the eye and actually look where you're moving to for a better photo - needless to say, I left a little bit of myself up at Palimidi (it's okay, skin only)...luckily I managed to keep my footing on the way down the stairs. I had two magnificent "late lunches" on my two days in Nafplio - I fully intended to go out for dinner later and look around the beautiful city all lit up! unfortunately both my afternoon "nanna naps" became a 10 hour sleeps and I missed seeing the Bourtzi and Palimidi lit up at night time - that will have to go on the "next time" list. my plans have changed to bypass Mycanae, Mystras and the Lagana Pass (between Sparta and Kalamata) due to ferry timetables, my aching legs and the fact that I've seen enough rocks (they call them ancient sites over here) arranged in vague "building" shapes. don't get me wrong, some of the sites are spectacular and preserved/restored brilliantly, but others seriously look like a pile of rocks and with very sore calves and the cost of admission, they are worth missing. having said that, I'm on my way to the ruins of Ancient Olympia. at the moment I'm in a net-cafe in Tripolis - quiet a forgettable city (in my opinion) that is a major traffic hub for buses around the Peloponnese. I have another four hours until my bus leaves for Olympia - just enough time for a gyros (if I can find a place that looks like it doesn't cost the earth)! the net-cafe that I'm in is definitely the trendiest I've seen so far (and Greece has some very trendy cafes). then again, they just played a Danni Minogue song - but at least they're songs I recognise and they're in english. as much as I said I wouldn't miss music because I don't listen to CD's all that often, I really do miss having the car radio or the radio at work playing the same songs over and over... I've just bought my ferry tickets: Kalamata-Crete, Crete-Santorini, Santorini-Naxos, Naxos-Piraeus (thank goodness for credit cards) and the travel agency had a big world map on the wall which made me realise how far away from home I am. thanks to everyone who's sent emails...good to know you haven't forgotten who I am...yet! okay, off to find a way to kill a couple of hours in Tripolis! andio
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
precious, precious internet time in Nafplio... will try to be quick because it's about $8 an hour at this net-cafe...but there's so much to say and the spacebar and "q" key don't always behave themselves!!! I decided not to head to Dafni because I heard rumours of Moni Dafniou being closed for renovation - what a surprise for Athens and its surrounds. instead I said goodby to Bronwen at the bus station (she was heading to Olympia) and caught a bus to Corinth and another to Ancient Corinth where I found a room with a double bed and an air conditioner two blocks from the site - 15 euro, but worth it for the air-con! the site was amazing and well preserved with Acocorith (a huge mountain topped with fortifications) towering over it. the best part about the village around Ancient Corinth is the quietness...after a selection of traditional Greek fingerfood for a late lunch, I took the opportunity to have a bit of quiet time and managed to fall asleep after writing a letter to Hayli. this morning I had a shower and actually got to shave my legs - well, I'm excited about it even if you aren't!!! - before a cup of tea and some baklava for breakfast. I caught a bus back to Corinth, bought my train ticket to Nafplio, then almost missed the train due to a "call of nature". the train ride was pretty spectacular - winding through olive and orange groves and in between rocky hills. there are poppies and other wildflowers galore and the train ride was very peaceful until a bus-load of school children got on for the Argos - Nafplio section. nevermind, I'm now in a nice (expensive) internet cafe which has toilets that actually have seats and toilet paper (once again, I'm excited even if you aren't!) my plan now is to find the hostel I'm staying in for the next three nights and dump my stuff so that I can come back into town and explore! not sure what's on the cards for this afternoon - but it definitely involves some lunch and maybe a trip out to the fort in the middle of the bay called Bourtzi. luckily I'm getting a bit more used to the Greek alphabet and can actually work out what some of the buildings are now...very helpful! andio
Sunday, May 11, 2003
yasus, again... I've managed to find a relatively non-smoky, quiety internet place within a travel agency so thought I should stop and let everyone know what I've been up to considering this place is 1euro cheaper and hour and a lot more comfortable! yesterday was another big walking day - 19,000 steps and most of them uphill...I do realise that when you walk uphill to get somewhere, you eventually walk downhill to get back to where you started but that doesn't seem to apply in Athens! I was up at the crack of dawn (I later found out that my watch was set one hour slow) and a quick chat with Bronwen (who's in my dorm of four beds) before heading downstairs for some vegemite on toast and a much needed cup of tea before the walking began. first it was the walk to to bottom of the Acropolis, then the 30o (angle not temperature) climb in probably 35 degree heat to the entrace of the Acropolis. I stopped along the way for a "happy birthday" phone call to Tracey (and a welcome rest) before reaching the entrance to the site. just after the entrance I managed to stumble apon a tour group with a very knowledgeable english speaking guide. I'm sure they noticed the extra person tagging along with them wherever they went along the site but I wasn't about to give up this opportunity for a free tour with excellent commentary. the whole site is amazing - the Parthenon is huge and it's unbelievable that it was constructed without the use of modern machinery. the act of getting the marble to the top of the hill from the quarries 25km away was a feat in itself but then to create these amazing monuments and statues...there's no words to describe! of course there was the obligatory photo opportunities for Bradley Bear - no, you won't see any of me posing in front of the ancient wonders but you'll definitely catch a glimpse of little BB wherever I travel! the museum at the site was also pretty spectacular - well preserved statues and reliefs and handy information plaques about each one. one thing I hadn't realised was that the amazing "white" buildings of the Acropolis that we see in pictures were actually once painted in many different, as were all the statues which decorated them. you could see traces of colours on some of the statues in the museum but it's very hard to take photos to prove this without a little greek lady yelling "no flash, no flash"!!! I stopped again at the entrance to phone home but ended up having to leave a message on the answering machine before continuing down hill to the Theatre of Herodes Atticus. this is amazingly well preserved and still used by artists/groups such as Pavaroti, Placido Domingo, Bolshoy Ballet...for performances during the Greek Cultural and Arts Festival. heading down the south side of the Acropolis to get to the Theatre of Dionysos I almost literally bumped into Bronwen who was heading in the other direction. any excuse for a chat and a sit in the shade led to me joining her in the search for Socrates prison cell. we got to the point where the cell should have been but instead found a gorgeous little church known as Ag. Dimitrios Lompardiaris which apparentl has some beautiful frescoes inside but (like most things in Athens at the moment) wasn't open to the public. the disappointment of not finding Socrates prison cell must have turned us temporarily insane (how appropriate) and we decided to climb Filopappos Hill to see the Monument of Filopappos which I had photographed from the Acropolis. the climb was steep but shady and the view from the top was amazing...the urban sprawl of Athens all around, a massive hill to the east and the Saronic Gulf to the South. unfortunately the smog was (by my standards) particularly bad and the islands and water of the Saronic Gulf looked more like faint ghosts. Bron went to see the Temple of Olympic Zeus so I wandered around the Zappeio Gardens again for a short while before both of us headed of to the Roman Stadium...we found it - behind construction fencing and "we apologise for any inconvenience" signs. after Sydney in 1998 you think I would have learned my lesson about visiting cities before they hoasted Olympic Games! we walked back to Syntagma and Bron went off to explore the Plaka region while I headed for travel agencies to find a cheap flight to London before ending up booking an EasyJet flight from the internet place I'm sitting in now. headed back to the hostel for a hot shower, two minute noodles, writing my journal and falling fast asleep (despite the snoring coming from one of the lower bunks). this morning was another early one...breakfast (vegemite on toast and tea again) before packing the bag and heading out to find Athens First Cemetery - a search which I had abandoned two days ago. I found it with relative ease and only two moderate hills and when I found the entrance, was so glad that I had made the effort. this is undeniably the best cemetery I have ever visited. massive marble monuments, little "temples", marble and bronze statues interspersed with less impressive but moving nonetheless. after wandering for half an hour I was starting to think I would never find the few statues that I had specifically wanted to see so I headed back down the slope and stumbled across the main entrance only to find exactly what I had been looking for...along with a beautiful church (in the middle of a service of course) so went a little snap happy. using the Acropolis as my compass point (I really do sound like a tourist in Athens now don't I?) I managed to find my way to the Theatre of Dionysos. the site (like most of the land in Athens no covered by paving or buildings) was covered in hundreds of poppies. a couple of photos, another "friendly frenchman", a wander around the site and a written commentary provided by the Lonely Planet guidebook and I was off to find the Museum of Greek Folk Art. instead, I found Bron again wandering in the opposite direction and decided not to wait the half hour for the museum to open, but to join her in at an Anglican Church service in English. the quaint little Church of St Paul which was basically located on a roundabout was beautiful (and very cool) inside. to get to the Changing of the Guards ceremony on time we had to leave just after the sermon but were treated to some spectacular African singing voices...which made you wonder if you were really sitting in a church in the middle of a roundabout in Athens! the full Changing the Guard ceremony is only performed at 11am on sunday mornings and the pomp and ceremony of the whole event made it well worth fitting into the timetable...a troupe of men dressed in short white kilts, white stockings and shoes with pom-poms on them marching strangely and making click-clack noises with their shoes and guns. luckily I had found out that Keramikos (an ancient cemetery) was closed for renovations so we headed straight for the Ancient Agora where everything was open except the site museum which explains what you're actually looking at! nevertheless we read the commentary from the Lonely Planet and found out way around the site which was spectular (and spectacularly hot). more steps, more hills but once again, even though the calves are killing me now, very worth it! from the Ancient Agora we headed into the Plaka for my first "traditional" Greek meal - a chicken gyros, greek salad and a can of fanta. okay, so maybe ouzo would have been a more appropriate drink but the cold, sweet fanta went down much better than the ouzo would have!!! I think this afternoon is going to be a quiet one with maybe a visit to the travel agent to find out about the next leg of my journey - to the Peloponese via Dafni - and a much needed rest for the feet and calves. from here I'm not sure where or when I will be able to write next but I trust me, I will! and before anyone thinks they have to break the news to me, yes, I know the Hawks went down on Friday night - they probably felt my absence knowing I wouldn't be standing in the Mustang Bar watching the game!
Friday, May 09, 2003
yasus from greece... well, I only found one computer for internet in the Vienna airport which you had to stand up to use - and it was out of order, so here I am in Athens. my visit to Bangkok Airport was hideously long and boring! I managed to get about 20 minutes sleep stretched across four seats with hundreds of people walking past me and staring. flight time finally came and I borded for my ten and a half hour flight only to find I had been seated next to a "morbidly obese" man and his wife. Luckily I managed to find two spare seats next to a man who spoke absolutely no english! I think I slept for about half of the flight and luckily I was awake to see the most beautiful sunrise I have ever experienced!!! I looked out of the plane window at about 3am to see amazing layers of blue sky, pink sky and dark grey clouds (it was still dark). there was a clearing of clouds below us and you could see the lights of little villages on the coast of the Black Sea every know and then - a big thanks to Austrian Airlines for having a map of what was below and an disproportionately large plane showing where we were. flying into Vienna airport was almost as amazing - the "patchwork" of paddocks ploughed in different directions and planted in rows of greens, yellows and browns - hopefully the photos will turn out! Vienna airport was pretty bland in comparison to Bangkok - long halls filled with Duty Free designer shops! Karen, please let Michael know that I counted no less than 3 Gucci shops and I only walked down 2 of the 3 departure wings. 10am finally came and I made it into the departure lounge only to find out they were experiencing "technical difficulties" and our flight would be delayed by 10 minutes, then another 10 minutes, then we would have to take a bus out to a different plane on the other side of the terminal - of course all of these announcements were made in Austrian first so half of the lounge would moan and groan 5 minutes before the other half knew what the hell was going on! delays and busses aside, we finally made it onto the plane and were treated to a two and a half hour flight with spectacular views all the way! snow covered mountains, undulating mountains and then the Agean coastline dotted with little islands. the sea was so blue that it looked like sky below us and not water and that the islands were "floating" in this blue sky! Athens airport - finally - but then there was an hour long bus trip to get into the centre of Athens. so after 20 hours of flying, 17 hours waiting in airports and one bloody hot bus ride I was at the Syntagma metro station with 19kg of luggage on my shoulders. finding the hostel I'd booked was amazingly easy. I had absolutely no idea if I was heading in the right direction until I looked up and saw the YHI sign on the top of a building 500m ahead. 4:00pm - just enough time to dump my luggage, buy a phone card, call Mum to say "I'm alive" then stagger back up the stairs to fall asleep for 12 hours! today I got my first real taste of Athens. whatever anyone says about Athens being loud, smokefilled and overcrouded - double it!!! I managed to get myself lost after the first 10 minutes and discovered a gorgeous little church that doesn't even exist on the "lonely planet" map. it was at the intersection of four streets, all of which are lined with desiger label clothes and shoe shops. managed to find my way back onto the trail I was supposed to be following. I don't know whether it's the map I was following or my judgement skills but everything seems so much closer than it appears on the map. combine this with the fact that almost every place of interest is surrounded by four storey concrete buildings on all sides and you could miss things very easily! it's also very hard to get far enough away from things to take photos of them too! I saw too many things to list here in my hour of internet time for 3euro but the major ones were the Choregic Monument of Lysicrates, the Paul & Alexandra Kenellopoulos Museum, the Roman Agora and Tower of Winds, the Athens Flea Market, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the National Gardens. I knew brining my step counter would be an interesting exercise - 23,000 steps taken between 6:30am and 3:30pm. and now I'm sitting in a loud, smoky internet cafe while it's half time in the Hawks vs Roos match and I can't find a score! okay, I've inhaled enough smoke for one day - I'm off to my hostel for a panadol, a sleep and some two minute noodles! kalispera
Wednesday, May 07, 2003
 good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Thailand... so to everyone who's asked me "are you getting excited" and I've answered "it doesn't seem real yet"...it's starting to seem real. I'm in the transfer lounge at Bangkok airport with a couple of hours to spare until my flight to Vienna. came up last night with ma and pa and had a lovely dinner at Mykonos (opp. Queens Hotel) with Cait - a definite recommendation. a mad texting/phoning session to say goodbyes and then off to the airport at 5am. Glen, Kristy and the girls came. Ashlee nearly had me in tears - she kept whispering "I'm going to miss you Auntie Leigh" in my ear when I hugged her. I managed to say goodbyes and hold onto the tears until the second that the plane took off - so Tash you'll be happy to hear that even I cried! the flight was pretty good - only one screaming kid (and that was only on landing), Tim Tam's with your cuppa and there were spare seats so I managed to do my usual trick and nab four of them to myself. didn't get a chance to sleep though - two movies, two meals and we were basically there! we landed at exactly 1pm and by 1:30pm I was getting a massage - no point dilly-dallying! $30 for 45 minutes of head/shoulders and 15 minutes of feet/calves and I'm feeling pretty good! so now I've got 8 hours to fill in - I thought it most most important to check the emails and update superblonde to let everyone know that all's well so far! I've decided not to leave the airport - can't be bothered with customs etc. - so I have to find some other way of amusing myself. maybe I could lay down on the indoor kiddies playground matting with the sleeping Afganastanis - or then again, I could just wander throught the duty free shops pretending I'm looking for something. oh well, until Vienna...
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