Budapest and Istanbul

I very obviously have stopped the Daily Blogging that I had hoped to keep up. Budapest was absolutely amazing... I had no expectations going into the city and was so pleased to find great architecture, interesting museums and a skyline that blew me away. I can honestly say it rivaled Paris for one of the most beautiful night scenes I’ve ever seen.

Just doesn't do it justice...

I stayed at the Home Made Hostel which was tucked in a great area of town. The owners were fantastic and made every effort to make us feel welcome to the hostel and Budapest. My friend Chris was there already so I threw my stuff in my room and headed to a bar around the corner to meet him and grab a bite to eat. From then on Budapest was an awesome blur... we met some cool people in the hostel and had some crazy nights. We went to the House of Terror Museum, spent four hours in the Hungarian baths (heated outdoor swimming pools that ROCK), took a trolly car up to a castle, ate traditional Hungarian meals, drank traditional Hungarian liquor, ate not-so traditional meals (all you can eat sushi train of awesomeness), saw Figaro’s Wedding at the Opera, went clubbing, made bets (and lost bets...haha Guido) and just had an all around amazing time. We formed a little family of sorts and it was very sad to say goodbye to everyone, especially Chris.

On Friday I headed to the much warmer Istanbul! Cagatay met me at the airport and it was as if not a day had passed since I’ve seen him. For the last week we’ve been getting up late, spending a LOT of time at the local tea house and having a great time catching up and spending time with other friends. I desperately wanted to go fishing...

which didn’t result in me catching anything except other fisherman’s lines. We went to the movies and saw the 3D kid’s animation film Alexander’s Adventures, and although I can’t understand Turkish and had the language capacity equivalent to a 3 year old, it helped that the movie is indeed for children! I could understand what was going on! :)

I’m leaving Turkey tomorrow, and I will miss it. There are things I love about this place and things I still have yet to understand.

I love...
the tea.
the slow pace of living.
the communal meals.
spending an afternoon smoking hookah and playing backgammon.
the pride of the people.
the food!
and of course my friends...


Cagatay


Demet

I’m still not sure why they ever thought it was a good idea to serve a scalding hot beverage in a glass without a handle, and I cannot get used to peeing in a hole in the ground. (On the same subject... Cagatay and I had a long conversation debating the importance of the bidet... another invention that I will not use. My point? I would rather my ass be dirty than my hand, because I use my hand for many things other than shitting.)

Next stop? Copenhagen. I’m simultaneously excited and apprehensive. Excited because it’s where my dad’s family is from! Apprehensive because it will be cold and rainy and I have yet to buy those gloves...

Day 3,4,5

Day 3 & 4

I spent the next couple days enjoying Vienna... sort of. It got VERY cold and on Sunday it started to rain. Saturday was a rough start due to party times with my new Australian friends on Friday night. Aussies always seem to be everywhere and hang out in groups, and they LOVE to party... I should have known it was a bad idea from the start...

The Aussies
Saturday morning Chris (one of the Aussies) and I went to a nice bakery for a chocolate croissant and some coffee to refuel for the day. We also attempted to get some orange juice and instead got this sweet, murky liquid that was in fact orange but tasted little like orange juice. We met up with Matt and Nate (more Aussies) and headed to the museum quarter. They went to the Leopold while I went to the MOMUK (Modern Art). I wasn’t terribly impressed with the MOMUK... the exhibition space itself is a bit lacking and I wasn’t too enthralled with the subject matter. Cubism never revs me up much... So I only stayed for an hour before heading over to the Leopold to find the guys. I’m glad I went because the museum is so grand that I didn’t get a chance to go to the basement exhibition. The exhibition was by an Austrian artist named Otto Meuhl and was one of the most disturbing things I’ve seen. Here is one of his paintings...

Now the paintings were not the issue. I’m okay (and quite like) when artists seek a reaction from their viewers and sometimes do so in odd disgusting ways. What was disturbing was the story of the artist himself. Meuhl started his life in a youth Nazi group and after the war ended up teaching mentally challenged children art. In the 60s he began to live in a commune and also began filming their activities, which included group sex, bestiality and sexual abuse of minors. Some of these films are on display in the exhibition. Meuhl was arrested and served time for abusing minors but was released and did not show any remorse for the victims. It wasn’t until this year that he apologized for his behavior. Needless to say, the initially unharmful paintings turned into disgusting representations of a lifestyle that those in the commune led, and were for the most part literal representations. It was quite disgusting. All of us left the exhibit in a weird funk, feeling like we needed a shower.

We took Saturday night easy and got up nice and early on Sunday. Chris and I hit up the little bakery again and had a proper Austrian breakfast. Soft-boiled egg, fresh baked bread, cottage cheese, tomato, cucumber, coffee, juice, yum. He took off for Budapest and I stayed in Vienna and tried to cope with the rain. It was not only crazy cold outside but rainy... and I went out with every intention of buying proper gloves and winter weather accessories, and then walking to check out another museum I didn’t get a chance to before. However it wasn’t long before I was reminded that it was Sunday... everything was closed. Cold, wet and defeated, I wandered back to the hostel and spent the day inside doing some much needed research.

That evening I had a beer with one of my room mates, Luke from England. We hung out at the hostel bar with Harlan from New Zealand and Greg from Arizona. We chatted about relationships and politics, museums and beer. It was a nice chill night. After a few I headed to bed. It is officially Day 5 and I am on my way to Budapest. More updates to come...

Day 2

I know I know... one post right after another... it's sheer madness.

Today was the second day of my journey and it has been rough. Last night was a nightmare on the train, with us being woken up every two hours! First, make room there are more people. Second, make MORE room. Third, move entire cars because we're leaving these at the next station. And finally, more people again. I hardly got a wink of sleep and after arriving at 9am I had to find my hostel. It was extremely easy to find, a mere two minute walk from the station. Unfortunately my room wouldn't be ready until 2pm so I had to find other means of entertainment.

I left my bags and took off down what seemed to be the busiest road I could locate. I walked for awhile until I ran into the area filled with museums! What joy! On my way into the Leopold Museum my bestie Matt Duncan called and we spent a good while chatting about how he should be in Vienna. The Leopard was great!! I got in for free (thank you ICOM) and got to see some great pieces by Picasso, Monet, Miro... the original Water Lilies by Monet is there! I had no idea. After a successful museum trip I grabbed some lunch items at a grocery store and headed back to the hostel.

I checked in and have since spent my time organizing the next few days, and leaving the hostel here and there for little random things. For dinner I ended up wandering off the beaten path to find this ADORABLE little cafe with the most amazing smells wafting out. There was a sign out front that I couldn't read of course so I went in and asked if I could sit at the bar. The woman seemed mildly annoyed, agreed and brought me a beer. I then noticed that every table had a "reserved" sign on it. I was crashing a party. Too embarrassed to order food I just sat quietly with my beer and my Berlin book and spent an hour absorbing the great atmosphere of family and friends eating and drinking together. No one seemed bothered by my presence and after staying longer than I should, I moved on. At this point I was starving and simply settled for a pizza on the street. Tomorrow I will hopefully be having something similar to the mussels she was making.... Yum.

Hittin' the Road

Day 1 -
I started today exceptionally early so that I could say goodbye to Tomas. After another two hour nap I got up, showered, finished packing and hit the road... or should I say rail? I’m on a train journey to Istanbul, with stops in Brussels, Cologne, Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest. However, I’m trying to get to Istanbul quickly, so I am only going to be stopping in a few days in Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest. Today has gone smoothly so far. I timed out when I needed to leave Cambridge perfectly, so when I got to London I had just enough time to walk to the station, buy tickets, grab some lunch and get to the train. St. Pancras was the first full on train station I’ve been to and it was magnificent! I didn’t realize they ran train stations similar to airports. I guess I should have known better... I had to go through security and customs, but there was something a little more special about the station. They had the same amount of food shops as well as unnecessary goods shops, but it felt cozier at the train station, more sincere than the airport. I almost expected to see a regular mom and pop diner!

About halfway through the first leg of my journey I had a bit of a realization. Wait a minute, I’m paying TWICE as much to sit for LONGER in just as uncomfortable a place... The same slight smell of body odor, the same over-run air conditioner, the same uncomfortable seats... though wider made just as uncomfortable because other people are facing you. When this is the case it makes you a little more self conscious when you can feel the drool peek out of the side of your mouth “Is she asleep yet?! Guys, time to party, and we have an audience!!”

When I got to Cologne (otherwise known to the Germans as Koln... yeah... thanks guys... let’s make a name for a place that looks absolutely NOTHING like the English word... that’ll show everyone... ) I arrived at the ticket booth to be scoffed at in German, and told that there was NO WAY I was going to get a spot on the overnight train to Vienna. I got really frustrated at this, and it’s a bit silly I admit. I am going to try to work hard over the next few days to rethink my view on travel, which at the moment is just sort of a nusance. If anything goes wrong I have an overwhelming feeling that it is the end of the world... hardly so. If I couldn’t get a train I’d just spend the night and go the next day. I wasn’t being that rational at this point... After sensing my obvious stress at the situation the German cooled his jets and explained that as a last resort I could wait for the train and ask the conductor if there was room. Guess what? I am on the overnight to Vienna which has hardly ANYONE on it!! Ug!

There have been a few funny/interesting points in the journey so far.

Annoying Lady Story
There was a young Asian woman fervently talking on her cell phone and subsequently twitching. A twitch which caused her to slap the pages and wrappers she was holding on her leg. No one seemed to pay much mind except the woman a few feet to her left. This woman was much older and dressed in a long, violently black trench coat. She had rings on her finger an a leopard print hat, which I am assuming she paid a large sum for. The hilarity ensued when the prissy woman became irritated at the young girl for slapping the papers on her leg. She would stare at the papers angrily, as if this gaze was enough to break the concentration the woman was pouring into her conversation. Finally the older woman started huffing, and when the young woman stopped slapping the papers (not because she noticed the woman of course, but because it was simply a twitch) the older woman would look slightly smug and satisfied, as if she’d made all right in the world. However, this wouldn’t last long, and when the slapping began again, I thought this woman would literally start shooting daggers out of her eyes.

“Where is the love? (I know... it’s in the Cologne train station...)”
Three women filed out of the train in a uniform style and each greeted their boyfriends (husbands? lovers?) with varying levels of passion. The first woman skipped to her mate, forcing a big smile from his lips and he lifted her into a swirling hug. They talked animatedly for a short time before a few deep kisses and they left. The second couple was much more timid, embracing in a short hug and a few pecks. As they walked on however they held hands and giggled softly. The third couple were severely romantic, as they locked into an immediate kiss. The kiss lasted quite some time and every time I looked over I expected them to have separated. Nope. Eventually I had to board the train myself, and was no longer able to gawk at the German love affairs.

Sigh.

Busy Bee

Oh hello! I didn't even see you there...

Well many happenings in the last few days... where to start, where to start. Last week was nice and busy. I went out on a couple of occasions. Thursday night I went to the bar to meet up for the weekly Couch Surfing meeting. I was really early and as a result had no idea where the group was. I sat by myself for a solid 20 minutes (two and a half pints in beer time) until my new friends Tomas and Alan asked me to join them. :) So I made new friends there who I ended up meeting up with again this weekend. Friday I had every intention of going out but when it's 50 degrees F, and raining, and you'd have to walk 40 minutes across town... you start to think "naw... I'll stay in tonight..." :)

I spent all day Saturday in the library and went out Saturday night. Sunday I went to London to the Notting Hill Carnival. It's the second largest street carnival in the world! Awesome. I got some fun pictures from the day, but they don't exactly describe the feeling of being there. Cajun cooking smells in the air and the strongest bass beats... I swear the whole day my chest was vibrating from the music. It was really a blast. That night we went to my new friend T.C.'s aunt's house for a house party. It was so much fun! Just a big family eating and drinking and dancing. I love that.

We almost didn't make the train back to Cambridge, but we caught one and had another party on the train with new friends.
Monday (a holiday here in England) I did boring things, like laundry and cleaning. In the afternoon I met up with my friend Simon (who's leaving for Vietnam... Have fun!!) to see The Secret in Their Eyes. What a great movie!! (Warning: It contains pretty graphic rape scenes and full frontal male nudity...) It was surprisingly funny and touching though... and completely in Spanish. In case you're wondering, no my Spanish isn't all of a sudden fluent, there were subtitles... :)

I worked hard all day today and tonight I'm heading to Pub Quiz! I hope they don't have too many English trivia, as I will be far behind if that's the case... but either way it's a few drinks with good friends!

Up coming plans: This weekend I'm taking gliding lessons! (look it up... awesome...) I'm also hoping to climb to the top of Beachy Head (as I realized I only have FOUR weekends left!! Ahh!!) Also, I will be shopping for my Oktoberfest costume and beginning the Cambridge Gallon Challenge. Good times ahead.






Jo and T.C.

Nothing too profound this week...

I can't believe tomorrow is already August 20th! It's been nearly two months since I've been home and it feels like the days are quickly passing. I am making such good friends here in Cambridge and having a blast every day :) There is truly something to be said for traveling alone. It forces you to approach strangers, and make conversation with everyone you meet. It's one of my favorite things about traveling! Also the Cambridge community is so diverse! All of my friends are from a different neck of the woods but we all have such amazing things in common... most importantly our humor, which can never be sacrificed. Although I've been having a great time with new friends I had a fun-filled crazy week of shenanigans with two of my old friends!! (No Tasha... I don't mean "old") Tasha and Jif came to visit me a week ago and every day was an adventure.


At the Eagle!

We went to the oldest pub in Cambridge, where DNA was first discussed (and some say "announced." Went punting on the River Cam (where Tasha accidentally lost her room key...) We had a classic full English breakfast and a whole lot of tea. On our second night I introduced them to my CS pals and we all went to Darwin College's bar. This bar had the odd atmosphere of a fraternity house, as well as a gentlemen's club (not the strip kind)... very interesting... The next day we spent all day in London, going to Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. All the classics. We went out again that night. The next day we had another full day of exploring Cambridge and that night we hit the town dressed to kill. Sunday we needed a bit more rest than usual but we still had a great day, shopping and lounging in the park. Monday our intentions were to head to Brighton, but one wrong train choice and a person may end up in Sevenoaks. I don't know what's in Sevenoaks but it wasn't the plan. So we went pub hopping in London instead!! :)


Hey... this isn't Brighton...


One of the nicer pictures of us on the town...

These are summaries of the weeks events of course, but all I can say is I've had some great time with some great people. Work is going great. School work is chugging along. The weather is still rainy. I'm still having a ball. :)

Life is good.

Hello all!
Sorry for the long break between posts... I've settled into Cambridge nicely and have developed, what could be described as love for the city. The temperature is great, a nice brisk fall feeling in the air, and it really is nice to walk everywhere. I am constantly told by friends I should get a bike, but I figure I've got time to kill! There's no need a person can't simply walk unless they're late for a very important date. One negative to this place is the rain... I like a good rainy day, don't get me wrong, but every single day is a bit much... It's been better now, but it's so sneaky! For example, I left my place to go to a BBQ at a new friend's house and it was beautiful, upper 70s and sunny. The walk was supposed to take an hour, and sure enough, 30 minutes in the weather turned. Clouds rolled in from somewhere and it started raining. It was classic English rain... kind of drizzly, spitty type rain, but then it turned into rain showers kind of rain... It was then that I realized I'd left my umbrella at home... something a TRUE Brit would never do. I have a lot to learn.

Work is going fantastically well. Kettle's Yard is such an inspiring museum, and the vision of the founder is so innovative. Jim Ede founded it and he believed in art as a way of life. He was the first curator at the Tate Modern and he was good friends with many contemporary artists of the time. He collected works, mostly of friends and decided he wanted to show them to students, so he bought property in Cambridge, filled it with his art, and opened his home to the public every afternoon. You can still go into his home, sit on the furniture, read the books and look at all the amazing art works he has displayed. I could go on, but if you're interested he has published a few books, one is called "A Way of Life" and it's particularly about Kettle's Yard. A great man he was.

I was also able to meet Margaret Greeves last week, who is a lovely woman and used to be Assistant to the Director at the Fitzwilliam Museum. She has since retired but she was kind enough to show me around and even let me sit in on a meeting concerning the design of one of their upcoming shows!! These brainstorming sessions are always so fascinating to me. It was a great experience.

So all, not too much to report, work=good, new friends=good, life=good... and two great friends are coming to visit this week!! Once they are here I'll be sure to do some classic tourist activities, and I will try to be more punctual with the posts. :)

Now... Pictures!!

This is the view towards Wolfson College. Try to imagine it without that van...


This is the slightly more impressive view of one of the other colleges... all the classics are grand like this.


This is the grocery store I shop at. There is something really very enjoyable about going to the grocery store everyday... I love it.

Pints and Punting... what more could you want?

Finally, I've settled in Cambridge. Although I've loved the last month there is certainly something nice about doing laundry, and putting it in a dresser... ah... I've only been here a few days but I'm starting to get my bearings. I already found a favorite grocery store, the family that owns it is super nice. I've started working in the Development Department at Wolfson College, one of the MANY colleges in Cambridge, and next week I'll start working at Kettle's Yard, an art museum owned by Cambridge University. Let's face it, everything is owned by Cambridge University in this town. It's really confusing and sort of ridiculous... especially when it comes to private parks and gardens. That just doesn't seem fair. I've made a few friends as well, and we're all heading out for a pint tonight.

(For those of you who read this post originally I had to omit a part... for fear the person would read it... haha)

Here are some more pictures from Barcelona! Oh yeah... we went to a Monastery about two hours north of Barcelona... it was beautiful....


Twirling ladies at the flamenco show!


View from Montserrat... gorgeous...


*Ron Burgundy voice* I'm on top of a mountain!


Fear of falling off said mountain.


If you really looked at the cliffs you start to notice all sorts of little statues and buildings hidden within them. I wished we had longer than a day to explore.


I really love how this statue complimented the view.


Fruits and veggies in the market.


Inside the Sagrada Familia.

Absent

Hi all! - I've been so busy lately I haven't had a chance to post. FYI I landed safe and sound in England, and I am excited to get to Cambridge tomorrow. Already slightly embarrassed myself by walking around the cab to get in the passenger's seat... only to open the door to find the driver's seat... wow... Gave strangers quite a solid laugh on that one. More soon!! - Kristall

No hablo espanol!

After a small stint in the hospital, I arrived in Barcelona. Oh... wait... you want to know about that pesky hospital thing? Well I had all day to kill in the Athens airport so around lunch time I decided to have a sandwich. Not less than 20 minutes after finishing the sandwich I had extreme stomach cramps and hot flashes. I ended up getting food poisoning which about an hour and a half in, led to a panic attack. I was taken to the airport hospital where they gave me all sorts of medication (who knows what...) and got me in tip-top shape for my flight. Thank god I had all day!

The last few days I've felt a little sick to my stomach, but I've tried to push through. Luckily Anya had an overnight flight and has needed time to rest too. Last night, we went out for some of the most delicious wine I've ever had... and STRONG. Two glasses in we were feelin' tipsy and had the great idea to go see Eclipse!! (Don't judge me.) Anya was convinced it would be in English, and I knew better... Sure enough the Spanish Eclipse started and it only took about 30 minutes for it to be no longer fun, and we left, in search of more wine.

While in Barcelona, I find myself feeling really really bad that I can't speak Spanish. I know a little... a few basic phrases... but not enough to have a true conversation with anyone. In Turkey and Greece I never felt bad. Of course I wished I could speak Turkish and Greek, but I never felt as if I should seriously apologize for it. I consistently feel robbed by the fact I was never really exposed to another language. It's one thing to hear it in a classroom but it's completely different to have people to speak it with... Another part of me feels really lucky that English is my primary language. It truly is the language that binds multiple cultures. For example, at a table over today there was a German couple speaking to a Spanish waiter, and their way of communication was through English. So am I lucky or cursed? I haven't decided yet...

Tonight for dinner we went to a Turkish restaurant. Delicious!! Also, Anya and I shared a pitcher of Sangria... which is a little too much for two... We cancelled or plans of finding another spot and decided to go home, and rest up for a long Saturday filled with sightseeing, shopping, and more wine. :)

What day is it?

Way excited to be at the top... obviously...

It has been so easy to loose track of time on the island... We've been spending our days leisurely cruising around and laying on beaches. We eat dinner late and wake up late, and it's wonderful. I do feel ready to be back on the mainland... looking forward to more entertainment.

While we mostly went to beaches, we also visited some museums! We met an archeologist from the Netherlands, Jos, so we all went to the archeological museum, which was AWFUL... I think I could honestly say it is the worst museum I have ever been to. There were no didactics, and mostly pots, all excavated from the same grave site in Ancient Thira. Disappointing. We also went to another musuem (I'm completely forgetting the name...) but it is a private museum whose collection is mostly legal documents, mostly archives, but some prints, drawings and paintings as well. It was a neat little museum and the documents were extremely well preserved! Especially considering they were sitting in cases in the natural light, with no temperature control in the 100 degree humidity... For all of you non-museum people I'm sure this talk is endlessly boring, so I digress.

Yesterday, for our last day on the island, we decided to go to the caldera, an active volcano (last eruption was 1950) right off the coast of Santorini. We left late morning (which works well for Anya and I) and were transported by bus to our sail boat. Yep, sail boat! Unfortunately we weren't actually sailing, as the sails were tied down, but it was still a great boat. Our group was diverse, and I was amazed at how many languages the tour guide spoke. He repeated everything in Greek, English and Italian for the tour, and spoke German to another couple. He was kind of an ass though, as he kept gesturing to women's breasts and laughing about it with the captain... (Dudes are dudes regardless of country)

We got to the volcano quickly, and were told we were going to hike to the top. Um, excuse me? I'm all for a good hike, but with no water, in slippery sandals, on a completely black island in the 100 degree heat, with no sun cover I'm not as enthused. We made it to the half way point in about 30 minutes and I thought I was going to loose my breakfast right then and there. At that point dear Anya announced she could go no farther, and I followed her lead. I hate to sound like a quitter, but really, was I going to see anything other than MORE black rocks at the top? Nope.

We returned to the boat and the group arrived shortly thereafter. It was off to the hot springs. At this point the triathlon continued. We pulled up about 100 meters from the spring and they were like "Okay! You must swim!" Now, I'm always up for a good swim, and the heat doesn't make a difference when you're in the water! The spring was awesome. It's sort of straight out of a zombie movie though... There are loads of people swimming and there is a point where the water turns to a rust color from the mud, and at that point you can stand. So people slowly emerge, red stained out of the mud water and everyone is trudging towards land all slow and strange-like. I wish I could have gotten a video. The spring was warm and everyone rubbed mud all over themselves, which seems like a good idea, until later when it dries and you're all orange, and your skins super dry. :/

After the springs we stopped at another little island for lunch... which was very possibly the best meal I've had in Greece. A greek salad (with those delicious Santorini tomatoes), an ice cold Mythos, and mussels! For those of you who know me well, you know I don't like seafood, but Anya was insistent I try them, and they were great! They tasted like chicken, and for someone who hasn't had chicken in a very long time, this was a treat.

We were exhausted as we returned to the port. A day of hiking, swimming and sitting in the sun really drains a person... We were directed to a bus to take us back and we boarded. However, the driver had other plans. He headed the opposite direction of our hotel, picked up another couple, dropped them off at the airport, and continued farther to pick up another group of people... About an hour into being shuttled all over half the island, he stops and tells Anya and I to get off. Anya put her "bitch voice" on and told him where we were going. He said "Too bad. Take another bus." I am constantly amazed at how RUDE some Greek people have been... Honestly... Maybe it's the midwest in me, but people should smile at each other, and try to give each other a hand. We did as he said, grabbed a cab, and paid another 15 Euros for something that should have been free. When we got to the hotel we intended to complain but Loukas, the owner and possibly sweetest man I have ever met, was the only one there... so we didn't tell him a thing. It's probably better this way. After our first day fiasco I'm sure he would have thought we were fools.

We relaxed our last night, as I had to get up for my flight at 5am. We weren't about to make the same mistake we made our last night in Istanbul... Good. Times. Right now, I'm wasting time in the Athens airport. My flight to Barcelona leaves at 4pm this afternoon. Can't wait! As for now... here are many pictures of beautiful Santorini. Goodbye Greece!


On the last day we stumbled upon the coolest beach...


Beautiful Oia, Classic Santorini


Anna and Irene, best shop owners ever...


Tasty samples from Anna and Irene


Actually "sun drying" tomatoes... delicious.


I love the trees here!


Stairs leading to the lighthouse.


This is the view everyday. Anya and I were laughing about the T.V. last night, there was a weather girl on, being a little too stripper-like into the camera. We figure it's because she never has anything new to say. "Well folks, it's going to be sunny... and hot... again...."

"I wish someone would rub suntan lotion on my back... that wasn't you." - Anya

Yesterday was more of the same in Santorini... a lot of sun, a lot of water, a bit of beer, and a lot of couples. They're everywhere!! A girl can't catch a break... The only single good looking guys on the beach yesterday just did a lot of staring all afternoon. Is that a signal I'm supposed to approach? Well, I guess that's not how I roll... Santorini is definitely romantic, and that is evident in all the canoodling going on. It is endlessly entertaining watching couples on the beach, but a single girl can only take so much.

Anya and I keep joking about how we appear to be lovers. I mean even our room! We had to arrive a few days early so we got put in a room with one bed... no big deal. However, the room also has all red lighting and mirrors around the bed. Ah!! (The mirror continues to freak Anya out in the morning when she awakes to see herself 2 inches away from herself. haha) Also, there are five ways to travel on the island.

1) Walk. (Hell no.)
2) Taxi (15 Euros for a 2 minute ride...)
3) Rent a car (I can't maneuver my body between some of these roads let alone a car.)
4) Rent a Motorcycle (With cars zooming in and around other cars, I don't feel steady on two wheels.)
5) Rent an ATV (Done.)

So all day yesterday we cruised around on (or own separate!) ATVs. It was loads of fun! I honestly had more fun doing that then laying on the beach. We went to Red beach yesterday. This really amazing beach surrounded by red cliffs, with red volcanic sand. It's quite a hike to get there and in this kind of heat I'm not sure if we'll do it again. In the afternoon we came back to the hotel and stuffed our faces with fresh Santorini tomatoes we bought from a road stand. Then we headed out to Perissa beach, a popular beach with black sand. The waves on this beach were killer and it didn't take but a few seconds for me to get completely wiped out by one. I returned to the towel defeated. :(


Only picture from Red beach. That's the cliff we had to climb up and scale down on the other side.

In the evening we showered up and went to Fira, the most popular of the island villages. We found a nice place to eat but it didn't take long for us to be completely wiped and decide to head back to the hotel. Side note: It is FREEZING at night! I don't know how this is possible when a person begins sweating at dawn, but sure enough, when the sun goes down you need a wool sweater to stay warm. Or a man, and since I have neither I will be very chilly for the next 5 nights...


One of many pictures of a sunset. Beautiful.


Our hotel.


Tomato Balls! Famous on the island. Not very good though. I know, surprising.

What a hilarious misunderstanding...

Goodbye Athens! Hello Santorini!

We (Anya and I... and then there were two) left Athens this morning and after a tumultuous plane ride, landed in the Greek island of Santorini. It was nothing like I expected. I suppose I equate all islands with Puerto Rico, which is lush and green, and mostly animal reserves. Santorini is right off of a volcano, so it's dry and brown here. There are cliffs and hills but the island has a very open feel to it, like you can see for miles.

Our trip started off very rocky. We were directed by our hotel owner to wait at the hotel for her husband Loukas. When we arrived at the (small) airport we waited for about 15 minutes. Then a man with a van came up to us and this is how the conversation went:

Man - "Two?"
Me - "Are you Loukas?"
Man - "Yes Loukas."

And off we went with the man. I was worried this wasn't exactly right, but on the drive we tried to clear it up.

Me - "You are Loukas?"
Man - "Yes Loukas."
Me - "And your wife is Gianna?"
Man - "Yes Loukas."

When we arrived on a corner another man showed up to take us to the hotel.

Me - "Are YOU Loukas?"
New Man - "Yes. *touching chest* Loukas."

Off we went with the new man. He took us up and down hills, through town, down some stairs and down an alley. (Let me remind you that it is 100 degrees (not an exaggeration...), and I was dressed in black pulling 50 pounds of luggage. Not my finest hour.) At the end of the alley there was a sign for "Hotel Lucas" I immediately dropped my luggage and was irate. Luckily Anya kept her cool and went inside to straighten up the issue. The lady at the hotel gave her the correct number and we were told to leave. Nice.

We had to go up the stairs, back up and down around the hills just to get back to the place the first van dropped us off. We saw a set of pay phones and I called Lila, the owner. After a very confusing phone call we decided to head back to the airport, so they could pick us up there. We took another taxi and 30 Euros later we found the owners!!

Lila is a hilarious, ridiculously loud woman who just kept repeating "Where were you?!" and all we could say was "We don't know!!!" It was just a hilarious misunderstanding...

Lila knew just how to make us feel better though. We got to the hotel and she took us to this beautiful pillow-laden patio where she immediately gave us a couple of Amstels... ahhh... The rest of the day we've just been laying by the pool, drinking Amstel, getting some sun and genuinely relaxing. I figure after today, we deserve it.

Acropolis and a few museums!

Much to catch you up on. Yesterday we got up bright and early to head to the Acropolis. Our new friend from Finland, Casey, came with us. On the way to the Acropolis some of the group was intimidated by the seemingly extreme hike to the Parthenon, so when I turned the corner I noticed some of my group was paying to get on a trolley. I am worried about my skin, because I seem to have another bump coming in on my right eyebrow, so I was up for a little shade. We each pay 3 Euro and the trolley drives off... away from the Acropolis! It wasn't long before we realized the trolley was a 40 minute tour of the area we'd been exploring all week. Needless to say we felt like ridiculous tourists, but we embraced it and pulled out the cameras, why not?!
After the worst tour of my life, we got off at the Acropolis.


Conquering the Acropolis!


Umbrella Tour

The Acropolis was wonderful. You can see all of Athens from the Parthenon and out to the sea. It was overwhelming to believe that it used to be a center for political and philosophical discussions, and how ancient the structures are. Also, after being in the British Museum, and then going to the New Acropolis Museum I just can't believe they won't give back the Elgin Marbles... They truly belong in Athens, and the museum can MORE than handle them in their care. Is there a petition I can sign? If so, I'm in.

The last couple days we went to more ruins and a few museums. One of the museums we went to was the Greek Folk Art Museum, and it was great! The museum is ran by this adorable older couple who are extremely nice. He doesn't speak much English, but he liked patting me on the shoulder and grabbing my arm! I learned so much there. The didactics were fantastic and simple, and things were very well organized for flow.


Ancient puppets from Folk Art Museum

Today everyone left, but Anya and I switched out of the backpackers rooms into the studios, and they are NICE. We've been listening to Greek MTV which is endlessly entertaining, and catching up on all of our emailing and homework. Tomorrow morning we leave for Santorini!! Can't wait for a full week of beaching. Greek islands here we come...

Temple of Poseidon and a trip to the beach

Temple of Poseidon

Well I haven't melted yet!! Or gotten third degree burns...
Today we left nice and late in the morning for a trip to the Temple of Poseidon. Poseidon, as I'm sure you all know, was the Greek god of the sea. He is majorly responsible for the struggles of Odysseus, and has a tendency to be a pain in the ass for the other gods. The temple is the most preserved temple in Greece so it was a great site to see. It's also on top of a mountain, which means the surrounding view is just as majestic.

After a short tour we headed to the beach at Sunio. It was sunny and hot but the water was nice and cool. The hot sun felt so good on my skin but I felt like I had to reapply sunscreen nearly every 30 minutes. Either way it worked because I got home without a red spot on me. Thanks Aveno 100+ suncreen :)


Beach!

This evening we walked around a bit more and had a good dinner. Like I've said before, Greece is great but there is something different about the tourists who choose to visit here. It seems almost everyone is Australian... which makes sense, I mean it's hot there, it's hot here. However, it also seems like everyone just wants to party! For example, our hostel here is nice, and they have some great amenities, including a rooftop bar overlooking the Acropolis, but it's super crowded and loud because everyone is drunk! Our hostel in Istanbul had a rooftop bar but it was so laid back. Everyone just talked and smoked hookah and played backgammon. Of course we had a few drinks as well but we weren't out to get drunk.

Also I found myself annoyed at one guy who is staying at our place. He was talking loudly about how rich people should pay more taxes and how even when they donate $1 Million dollars it's like donating $1 for them. He just kept going on and on about all the injustices in the world, and although there were some points I sort of agreed with... I just wanted to tell him to take a look in the mirror! Is he donating 20% of his income to charity?! No, he is an American, living in Germany, vacationing in Greece. He is doing nothing to better the world. Now I'm not trying to be high and mighty, that's for sure. I completely understand that what I am doing is a selfish thing to do. However, I intend on using my cultural discoveries as a way to educate others, hopefully in museums someday. I'm not sure why it bothered me so much. I guess I get annoyed when people stick so hard to one side of the fence and don't open their minds to the reasons people may feel pressured to behave the way they do.

Anyways, off of my soap box! Tomorrow we are heading up the street to the Acropolis and then off to some museums. The rest of the week we have some issues to deal with. The day we were supposed to head to Santorini, Greek workers are planning a strike at the port of Piraeus. This is the only port we can use to get to Santorini. SO we'll see how the week goes... Cross your fingers.


Stuffed Mushrooms for dinner!

Delphi and a whole lotta sun...

First photo in Greece!

Greece. Is. Hot.
This is an understatement to be sure. I found myself wandering the streets of Athens in the blinding heat, in pants, pulling luggage, wondering where in the world my hostel is and wishing I was wearing some sun screen. This was not a great way to start as I was already missing Istanbul and wishing I had been able to stay longer. We eventually found our hostel and settled in. The hostel is right next to the Acropolis and we have a great view of it from our rooftop! (Not as great as the view in Istanbul... okay okay I'll stop comparing everything to Turkey...)
The first night we just wanted to take it easy. I found a little laundry mat to wash some clothes, and then the girls found a place to eat and did a little bit of shopping. Of course the first thing I had was spinach pie. Delicious. I apologize for the lack of picture. By the time I realized I should have taken a picture it was long gone...


Here's the menu! Greek is definitely Greek to me...

We got some good sleep last night and today we were ready to take on Greece! We took off this morning to Delphi. Delphi is about a 2.5 hour drive northwest of Athens. We went with a tour bus, which I HATE doing, but when it comes to traveling long distances like that it becomes the most convenient way to travel. Delphi was in the mountains of Greece and it was just breathtaking. The Greek countryside reminds me a lot of Colorado, which I love, but it's more European of course and there are olive trees everywhere.


Ruins at Delphi.


More Ruins.


Object mount at the Museum of Delphi... I can make that... No big deal.

Delphi was a long hike up a mountain, but the view was even better, as you can see from the pictures. The best part of the day came at lunch (3 p.m.) when we found a big oak tree to eat our eggplant, tomato, and feta sandwiches and fresh peaches underneath as it rained in the sunlight. Gorgeous... and eventually wet. :)

We made a stop at another little village in the mountains and then we were off to Athens.

View from the Cafe.

I like Greece so far. It isn't what I expect, but I think I am imaging more of a Santorini look. In fact, I met a girl today who had just spent the last two weeks in Santorini. She even extended her vacation because she loved it so much. I have a feeling I will feel much of the same...
Tomorrow: Off to the Temple of Poseidon then the beach!! (like I haven't gotten enough sun...)