Athens, Greece
May 23, 2010
Athens to Mykonos to Santorini to Athens. The last week came and went like the sunsets over the Aegean. It was a great time and I am thankful that I could spend time with someone important to me, while surrounded by great food, great views, and new experiences. Mykonos was a nice time geared towards various tourist oriented activities amid party beaches and boutique shops. I enjoyed renting an ATV, playing gin, and drinking the local white wine while watching the sunset from our balcony. We were lucky in getting on the only ferry to Santorini from Mykonos because of the workers strike. Santorini provides the most interesting landscapes that I have ever seen with white walled towns on the peaks of sheer caldera cliffs that lead to the ocean. Driving the manual rental car on the steep winding roads proved for an extra thrill. The last dinner we had in Santorini was on the edge of the caldera and was at zorba's mexican restaurant that was lined with Colorado license plates and served great Margarita's and food with a great view. The owner is from Colorado and wanted to hang a huge American flag up over the caldera edge, but the government wouldn't let her. I will hang at this hostel at the base of the Acropolis in Athens until I head back to the states in two days. As we say when giving cheers before a shot of Ouzo.......Yamas (to our good health)
Plakias,Crete
May 12,13 2010
Yassas---Hello
As of three days prior I never heard of Plakias, Crete, and now I am positive my life would not have changed in the positive way that it has sense being here. It all began after the 12 hour ferry ride from Rodes to Iraklion, Crete when I decided to walk from the port and head into the city where I came to find the hostel that was listed in my Lonely Planet travel book. It never occurred to me that I had never stayed in an actual hostel with a bunch of strange roommates before, so it was a pleasant surprise to find myself agreeing to the 12 euro a night meager room #105 with six twin beds in it. Iraklion is a city in which I figured I would just stay for several nights with the occasional day trip to see the rest of the island until going to Athens to see my girl. But the world changes with each new interaction you make, as I found after I returned from my long walk down the walkway and wall to prevent tides coming into the old port of Iraklion and a great tasting chicken souvlaki I returned to my room where I found Dory,a sixty year old English mother of two and adventurous soul who decided she would return the favor of a past friend when she stayed at the same hostel many decades ago who shared a haggard tin of local house wine with me when I asked if i could join her at her dinner table that sat atop the roof of this four story hostel building. I have decided to just get on my Jack Kerouac and stop using proper writing techniques about ten minutes ago so it might very well be the ramblings that just pop into my head from time to time more so than a proper sentence by sentence formed blog Dory mentioned that she was going to some place that I had never heard of that started with a P as I payed little mind to the ramblings of someone who i had known for but a minute or two And as she finished off her salad and drank wine with me she helped me with bus schedules and stories After pulling out my ear plugs after a good nights sleep and seeing Dory leave the room for her journey at 6 in the morning i woke up and briefly traded possible routes in Crete with the other people in our room The German kid did not speak much to me but i appreciated him putting up with someone talking on skype to his girlfriend right next to him without complaining So i went off with the one of the girls from the room to catch the next bus heading west and decided to go check out Plakias Ended up seeing ze german on the bus and so we followed him to the youth hostel were the first person i saw was Dory loungin in the hammock and so here we are, everyone from the first night staying here and hanging out at the best hostel in the world This place is amazing and has enlightened me with how the dozens of people Chris(eng),Lennon(Aus) Kurt(?)Rosie(eng)Dory(eng) Ralf(ger) Froukin(ger) Ger(Ireland)Paul and others all are so kind and peaceful and how well we all get along. There are no locks on the doors people share food/drink/ anything and is truly a magnificant piece of paradise amid olive,lemon, and lime trees. Many people come back to this hostel year after year and it is a special thing. Iraklion has the best of both worlds as the mountains and the ocean are together and both recreational playgrounds......the other day did the river walk and today we hiked up a mountain to a little white church which the Irish kid dubbed the priests nipple because the mountain looks like a breast with the church on top as the nipple when viewing it from town. clear blue water and pebble beaches mix with many a baseball mit skinned nudists in various beach coves.Last night the hostel crew and i partook in the local moonshine named raki where this girl works. this girl is named Paula Creevy...crazy... because her and i were in the same grade at the same high school in boulder,co and she is staying with us in the hostel as well. my entire trip i have spoke to less than five americans and then to run into her in this small town in the south of crete still blows my mind. she is a very nice person and on the walk today found out that her dad owns The Great Harvest bakery were my dad is friends with her dad. All of these interactions make me have to recommend the book called The Celestine Prophecies in which the various interactions made create a subsequent new path. I read this book in Boracay, Philippines off of the trade in book shelf and i have thought of it many times after. If i never would have spoke to my roommates from the first night in Iraklio I would not be were i am now. Here are the insights from that book
The First Insight... A Critical Mass
A new spiritual awakening is occurring in human culture; an awakening brought about by a critical mass of individuals who experience their lives as a spiritual unfolding, a journey in which we are led forward by mysterious coincidences.
The Second Insight... The Longer Now
This awakening represents the creation of a new, more complete worldview, which replaces a five-hundred-year-old preoccupation with secular survival and comfort. While this technological preoccupation was an important step, our awakening to life's coincidences is opening us up to the real purpose of human life on this planet, and the real nature of our Universe.
The Third Insight... A Matter of Energy
We now experience that we live not in a material Universe, but in a Universe of dynamic energy. Everything extant is a field of sacred energy that we can sense and intuit. Moreover, we humans can project our energy by focusing our attention in the desired direction, in that where attention goes, energy flows, influencing other energy systems and increasing the pace of coincidences in our lives. It is possible to see this energy enveloping all living things.
The Fourth Insight... The Struggle For Power
To gain energy, we tend to manipulate or force others to give us attention and thus energy. When we successfully dominate others in this way, we feel more powerful, but they are left weakened and often fight back. Competition for scarce human energy is the cause of all conflict between people.
The Fifth Insight... The Message of the Mystics
Insecurity and violence ends when we experience an inner connection with divine energy within, a connection described by mystics of all traditions. A sense of lightness or buoyancy along with the constant sensation of love are measures of this connection. If these measures are present, the connection is real; if not, it is only pretended.
The Sixth Insight... Clearing the Past
The more we stay connected, the more we are acutely aware of those times when we lose connection, usually when we are understress. In these times, we can see our own particular way of stealing energy from others. Once our manipulations are brought to personal awareness, our connection becomes more constant and we can discover our own evolutionary path in life, and our spiritual mission, which is the personal way we can contribute to the World.
Here the four main "control dramas"—the Interrogator, the Intimidator, the Aloof and the Poor Me—are discussed. Each person unconsciously prefers one of these four to suck energy out of others (as described in the Fourth Insight). A way of getting these under control is disclosed.
The Seventh Insight... Engaging the Flow
Knowing our personal mission further enhances the flow of mysterious coincidences as we are guided toward our destinies. First we have a question; then dreams, daydreams, and intuitions lead us towards the answers, which usually are synchronistically provided by the wisdom of another human being.
The Eighth Insight... The Interpersonal Ethic
We can increase the frequency of guiding coincidences by uplifting every person that comes into our lives. Care must be taken not to lose our inner connection when we have become part of romantic relationships. Uplifting others is especially effective in groups wherein each member can feel energy of all the others. With children it is extremely important for their early security and growth. By seeing the beauty in every face, we lift others into their wisest self, and increase the chances of hearing a synchronistic message.
The Ninth Insight... The Emerging Culture
As we all evolve toward the best completion of our spiritual missions, the technological means of survival will be fully automated as humans focus instead on synchronistic growth. Such growth will move humans into higher energy states, ultimately transforming our bodies into spiritual form and uniting this dimension of existence with the after-life dimension, ending the cycle of birth and death.
The Tenth Insight. . . Holding the Vision
The Tenth Insight is the realization that throughout history human beings have been unconsciously struggling to implement this lived spirituality on Earth. Each of us comes here on assignment, and as we pull this understanding into consciousness, we can remember a fuller birth vision of what we wanted to accomplish with our lives. Further we can remember a common world vision of how we will all work together to create a new spiritual culture. We know that our challenge is to hold this vision with intention and prayer everyday.
The Eleventh Insight. . . Extending Prayer Fields
The Eleventh Insight is the precise method through which we hold the vision. For centuries, religious scriptures, poems, and philosophies have pointed to a latent power of mind within all of us that mysteriously helps to affect what occurs in the future. It has been called faith power, positive thinking, and the power of prayer. We are now taking this power seriously enough to bring a fuller knowledge of it into public awareness. We are finding that this prayer power is a field of intention, which moves out from us and can be extended and strengthened, especially when we connect with others in a common vision. This is the power through which we hold the vision of a spiritual world and build the energy in ourselves and in others to make this vision a reality
AEGEAN SEA
MAY 9, 2010
I havent heard back from my old man yet, hopefully he is back in the comforts of home and not stuck in airport.Rhodes town was a pleasant beginning for my first stay in the Greek Isles.I maintained my location within the ancient fort of the Knights of St. John; with morning trips outside the walls to get Illy coffee, and afternoon excursions to explore other parts of the island by foot.The other day I literally just ran upon an amazing park named Rodini park which is also on the land of the Rhodes Acropolis.From the road I saw some trees, a dirt trail,and a sign I didnt have the faintest idea of what it said or where I was really, so i thought it was worth a look. It was like running the Boulder Creek Path, only on an ancient acropolis with wild peacocks,turtles,and swans, very cool. I would also find some beach time here and there along the way. Holy Moses! I almost forgot about the bearded yetti man working out on the diving platform in his tourquose bananna hammock (could have been Erik Wardell). I need to get on that gentlemens workout:when you do four and a quarter ab crunches while holding on to the railing you climb up and then hit the deck for three and a half back extensions then raise your arms to your head and just boldly send out the vibe for a half hour.I had to get a picture, seriously made me laugh for a good hour. I digress.The light has shown here while im on a boat that passes by some islands that will eventually lead to Crete. I just spoke to some nice canucks that had some valuable knowledge, and also made me realize that my dad and I have been overpaying for the places we have been staying, as it is not the popular high season here and most rooms should be relatively cheap. 5 am was the only time the boat sets off from Rhodes to Crete, and so waking up several times during the night to make sure I didnt miss the janky little alarm the mango rooms lent me and also hearing some serious partying going on in the party district of the fort. Walking the stone walkways towards the fort gate where the music and clubs were at in the dark was pretty dream-like at 4 in the morning and was a cool way to go out. They know how to party, I like to party. So I should end up in Irakleio, Crete around 5 this evening. Some fun facts: Inhabitants of Neolithic Crete were the first to cultivate the mild olive tree variety. The first sacred olive tree is the oleaster of Olympia, an offering of Cretan Hercules who crowned the first Olympic champion with its branch (olive branch), symbolizing the dawn of civilization,the formation of society and the abandonment of nomadic life. Athena's sacred tree is the planted on the Acropolis; it signals the creation of the organized city.
May 6, 2010
Rhodes, Greece
The airline industry workers in Greece did a 24 hour strike yesterday and left my father looking for another way out amid growing unrest in the land of olives and ouzo.
May 4, 2010
Rhodes,Greece
Taking into account me not paying attention to what day it is I would say that we have been here in Rhodes Old Town (Rodos) for about a week now. There is something about staying at a place with the name Mango that makes me feel at home, as me and Dylan (Miss traveling w/ ya big guy) made the BlueMango in the Philippines our second home, and now the Mango here has treated me well. Rhodes Town is the largest inhabited medieval town in Europe and is a good hub for the entire islands activities. Yesterday my old man and I did a nice day trip to the south of the island to a place named Lindos. Lindos is a quaint little city with a couple of small white houses that reside in the shadow of an old acropolis, and fort, on top of a mountain that is overlooking the ocean and the city. After a short hike to the acropolis we headed down to the sandy shored beach that sat in the cove that makes up Lindos, and swam in the emerald-blue colored water and relaxed for the day. Tomorrow I am going to take the forty five minute ferry over to Turkey to see how the 98% Muslim country rocks out. On Friday or Saturday I will be on my own and make my way towards Crete and bide my time reading, running, sampling the local fare, and generally just being mahogany in skin color until I get to see Anna Draft in Athens.
Im eating so many Greek salads
God Bless
May 2, 2010
I might just hang n bang in Rhodes, Greece for a while, this part of the city is in a big fort, so I feel pretty safe from attacks from the neighboring Assyrians.
I am also trying to help Greece and their current financial hardships through my fiscal generosity towards their hospitality industry. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/greece/index.html
Style and Scents
Two Italian things have stood out above most other things thus far. The first of which being the Italian style. Panache:From the old Italian word pennacchio, meaning a dash or flamboyance in style and action. They have panache. I had no idea of what I was getting myself into when I packed mostly tank tops and shorts.Everyone seems to be dressed in business garb no matter what their occupation might be, and people are seldom seen in shorts even on sunny days. I personally think it is a government scheme to make everyone dress in such a fashionable way as to make foreigners feel inadequate in order to purchase their fine Italian clothes. Not a bad idea.
The aroma of fresh orange trees somehow brings a rejuvenation to my body, while calming my soul. Italy has a good climate for the growth of horticulture and the lands are ripe with grapes, lemons, and oranges. The mixture of the aroma and the atmosphere is something I will not forget soon.
A couple things
While in Rome I woke up around six in the morning and went for a jog in the morning rain. It was one of the best workouts of my life: as I found my way to their huge park I was surrounded with giant old growth trees, orange trees, statues, and their national zoo.
With cities have such a huge source of revenue brought by tourists there are always going to be some people trying to swindle people out of a couple euros. On the way to the Colosseum a guy pulled his car over and asked me for directions to get to a well known location, and so I gave him directions and he told me he was from France for marketing and he wanted to give me a leather jacket “Very good quality, very expensive” (in a sweet accent) and a collared shirt but that he need money to fill up his gas tank first. No dice buddy. Another opportunist came to me on the
Spanish Steps and starts talking to me, “Hey buddy you from USA, you like basketball” and then gave me a gangsta handshake and then tried to tie a piece of string around my finger as a ring of some sort and then charge me for it. I respect the hussle but I think they should go for a more admirable approach next time.
The Vatican was unbelievable to see. The art collection that is painted on their ceilings alone is the most impressive sight I have ever seen. The gilded walkways and encapsulating art pieces funnel you into the Sistine Chapel and it is definitely worth whatever it might take to get there.
Rome, Italy
April 27, 2010
You cant Rome without Ceaser
This trip came to fruition after decades of dreaming of history's lessons; emperors ruling, philosophers and artists expressing, and envisioning the beginnings of organized society. And I had to find something to do with my two months off, so here I am. My father served in Naples, Italy after he got drafted to the army, and he had always mentioned coming back, and so here we are. The trip seemed to begin in a fog..........make that an ash cloud, after a volcano in Iceland erupted and halted air travel in northern Europe for a couple days right when we were intending on getting the connecting flight from Amsterdam. Unfortunately we were not caught in the other type of cloud coming from Amsterdam. The transfer lines from the people trying to get out of Amsterdam only delayed our arrival in Rome by a couple of hours. Rome was awesome. For three days there is nothing more you need to fulfill your time than do the ordinary old tourist sites and drink a couple of glasses of vino. My time there flew by, as you can walk to pretty much every major destination on the checklist as long as your situated within thirty minutes of downtown. The Colosseum, Palatine Hill, The Pantheon, Villa Borghese, Trevi Fountain, Piazza di Spagna (THE SPANISH STEPS), and a couple of the great museums kept me very pleased.
