Another Day!

Today was a wonderful- we spent the day at the beach- I went snorkeling and saw amazing fish! I had forgotten how colorful and fun they are to watch! I followed a wonderful purple and white huge fish out quite a distance into the deep! The most unfortunate part of the day I was yet to discover. I had prepared- at least I thought I was prepared for a day of snorkeling....lathering up with SPF 50 all over my backside. However.......as I have come to find out this evening....it was not enough. My sunburn is fairly bad- however it could have been much worse! GRRR I am still annoyed- I was really careful to avoid this irritation.... oh well- I guess a trip to Hawaii one expects at least 1 sunburn!

After we had dinner we celebrated Brandy's birthday by having a chocolate mint cake which was fairly delicious! After this we went on a quick walk. A fairly uneventful day filled with swimming reading and eating...... tomorrow will be a day of non stop action!!! :)

Last Several Days

Sorry to be so lax on the blogging! We made it!!! We made it!! Now the poetic juices are flowing! A day with Delta was a date with doom for Chris and Dang! But forgo the sad sop tale.....We are in Hawaii- who can complain? :) Except that it is POURING! Enough complaining! the House is INCREDIBLE- at least 7 million! And we successfully exterminated the worlds LARGEST spider- see incredible documentary of how to successfully assassinate dangerous arachnids- Well never mind- the movies will not upload here on the internet connection :( So maybe when we get back home we will upload a ton of media bliss!

So yesterday- we rested up- swimming at home in the morning and then exploring the beach in the afternoon. We have fully explored both rental vehicles...we have a Chevy Impala and a Ford Explorer. And after 2 days of driving both of them I fully endorse my previous opinion that foreign cars are by far superior! The only fabulous thing about the Chevy is how many people you could smuggle across the border in its trunk!

It has been non stop action- first with the wild assortment of bugs and VERMIN that we have found. We have been watching Verminator getting tips on how to properly do the job. Chris has found his new inspiration and future calling. He told us today that the only time he has peace is "when I have a broom in my hand beating a bug" NEWS UPDATE: He just informed me only moments ago that he found a 5 inch long centipede in the garage- however it was already deceased therefore we were robbed of the pleasure of taking its life and savoring the view of the shiny splatter!

Today we went to the volcano- and explored the lava tubes- it was amazing! We also saw the steam vents. When we came home we we sampled extremely expensive pizza- however were severely disappointed with the lack of toppings compared to what was advertised on the amazing picture on the box. A basically 3 topping pizza was in truth reduced to only sauce and some cheese that little Chris had to find for us. Anyway after the pizza we went on another bug hunting expedition... which was again incredible.

Sorry for the lack of blogging- I will try to improve over the next couple of days!

HAWAII! The family!!!

Penny decided to bid on a vacation to Hawaii (the big island) several months ago at a charity auction at University of Oregon...and luckily for us she was the highest bidder. So here we are ready to take off on one more adventure as a family this time!!! Everyone is going... my brother, Brandy, Alexia, Chris and Dang and Christopher. It is going to be a blast. Chris and I are looking forward to the tropical storm that is supposed to hit sometimes soon- we are both hoping that maybe we will get diverted to Tahiti! Excellent....Well I have my passport with me....maybe I will just keep traveling ....ha ha.. Anyway I am going to blog if we have internet at the house we rented..... Hopefully we do!!! Other then that I expect crazy hilarious spontaneous outings...which tends to happen with Chris and I get together.......oh yes and the coffee! Mom isn't smiling yet! But I am GIDDY!!! :) :) :)
Where we will be staying!

http://www.konacoastvacations.com/site/Overview/PropertyID__22966/4322/default.aspx

Ferry and Flying

I successfully completed the first part of my voyage home. The ferry ride yesterday went well very long 5 1/2 hrs- and I am so thankful for the wonderful Holiday Inn near the airport- I love love love it there. I was able to print my itinerary, get rested, and Penny guess what????? THEY AGREED TO MAIL YOUR POSTCARDS FOR FREE. Seriously- that is the sign of an excellent hotel- well they should I paid a ton for my 8 hrs there! My flight to Prague was entirely uneventful- I was so tired though- because I was at the airport at 1:30 AM waiting for the plane- I kept falling asleep waiting at the airport and on the plane! Now I am waiting for my flight to Munich!! which departs in 6 hrs!! I will be able to relax once I arrive at San Fran. 2 flights away!!!! I am glad I have a carry-on- I packed some of my favorite clothes in that- for fear that my big backpack will get lost or delayed!!! I am thinking ahead trying to avoid major unhappiness!!! I only paid for an hour of Internet- I am sure I could write more- I seem to just babble on!!! next stop Munich!!! :) Can't wait to be home- in my own bed- driving my own car around!!! It will be heaven!!!

Naxos

After a fairly boring and uneventful ferry ride I arrived on Naxos. My travel agent said- your hotel is close to the port just ask directions from the locals when you arrive......well I did and the few that could understand what I was saying said "take a taxi- it is far to walk and you will get lost" So I proceeded to find a taxi- luckily the are all there lined up at the port. My taxi driver was a nice gentleman who proceeded to compliment me! Which was rather amusing! He told me a was a "beautiful lady" and asked how old I was, I told him and he said "oh my you look so much younger" ha ha. He proceeded to ask me what I was- a student, or what I did for work- I explained that I had just finished law school- and he was wildly impressed- asking me what type of law I was going to do- I informed him I first had to pass the bar--- the results- which I am still waiting on- and if I didn't pass I will have to take it again!

After a very short cab ride we go to the hotel- which is vacant- don't get me wrong- the hotel is actually very beautiful- the insides are amazing. I mean it is very pretty colors and it looks all redone inside- however I am the ONLY guest here! it is a bit spooky. The owners are a women and her son- the son appears to be in his early 20s and seems helpful. The mother is nice too.

So after checking in I asked the son- where I should eat- he told me the only restaurants are back near the port!!! Oh no! I headed down that way- however not wanting to get lost I finally gave up at eating dinner- The only markets were mini marts- which the locals shop at and other shops which only have like home appliances. Not helpful when looking for food :( So it was getting dark- I stopped in at the mini mart- to stock up once again on yogurt, fruit and milk. I have a fridge in my room- I know now why they have fridges in the rooms- because there are NO places to eat nearby- I just wanted like a sandwich shop- anything - not sit down even, maybe a hotdog stand???!!!! NONE!!! I found a couple taverns but no FOOD! I found bakaries- but I don't want to just eat pure sugar!!!Anyway I get back to my room and it is FREEZING. so I find the remote for the heater/air conditioning, and find the spare batteries that are thrown in one of the desk drawers. I put it all together and set the heat to 30C. Nothing happens......so I go downstairs in my empty hotel attempting to find life somewhere.....I found the son- who was very helpful and followed me up to my room. Apparently the balcony door hadn't been closed all the way and there is a trigger which the heater won't work unless it is closed all the way. So he closed it and alas hopefull HEAT!!!

Since the hotel is has an open space in the middle- there are 2 beautiful palm trees that grow there- there is outside air coming in from both sides- which makes the room that much colder.

By now I had my coat- sweater, long pants on, hat and I am shivering. There wasn't even a hair dryer in the room that I could use to warm myself. It was like camping- without the campfire, and warm sleeping bag and the camp stove!!!!! ( I recommend if you are traveling to Naxos- you pack as if you are going camping- cooking pot, and campstove are a must have here!!!) If only I had a propane stove I could warm myself and cook something!!!!! Oh the luxuries of even camping!!!!! Anyway, I crawl into bed - taking the extra blanket out of the closet. Finally about 12 midnight the room is less cold and actually getting bearable! I still slept w/ my jacket on all night and 2 pairs of socks- but miraculously I slept all the way through the night (which is a first!!!) and no part of my body appears to have frostbite! But I know tomorrow night is going to be freezing as well- you see- the room key has to be inside the door- in the room in a slot for there to be power in the room- it is an energy saving device which is really cool......but it means when I am gone tomorrow- that the heat again will be turned off!!! :( noooooooooo~!

I still would recommend this hotel to people- it has a ton of character- just not in the month of APRIL!! TOO COLD!!!

This morning I decided to take a walk- down to the port area- figuring I can ask directions back- the problem w/ this is that well...different from Santorini and Athens, not that many people speak English on Naxos. It was very difficult to to speak to anyone- I even tried asking people where the post office was- Penny I really am trying to mail out your postcards!!! I was trying to ask where there was food to eat as well. Oh my this is interesting!!

Anyway I finally made it down to the port. Yay!!! this is good. I took some pictures of these cool ruins: Sanctuary of Apollo! So that was cool! Well on the way back I stopped in and asked the one of the travel agencies what the ferry schedule was- thinking I might change my travel plans yet again.

The town of Naxos is basically closed down. Like I found close to my hotel- there are the local markets open- but all the general restaurants aren't open yet. I guess I won't be having a regular meal for a couple days! After finding this out I became a bit worried because the next island destination is even smaller than the one I am on....So I may just take the ferry tomorrow and head back to Athens! To get around on Naxos- I asked the travel agent- she said I would have to rent a car- but she said driving around I was likely to get very lost- as there were tons of country roads...I thought well- that doesn't sound like a good idea. hmmmmmm

So I headed back to the hotel- taking a taxi- the women who owns the hotel- said her son would be back by 10 and I wanted to see if I could get online- and the password he had given me didn't work. So I finally get back--he and I figure out that the DSL cable wasn't plugged in. This made all the difference!!

So I was doing some research online- and I have decided to cut out the next island- I am going to head straight back to Athens hopefully tomorrow morning- at 9:30 is the ferry time. I fly out of Athens on the 10th- a much better travel itinerary than I had when I had changed it a couple days before- it eliminates a bunch of horrid layovers, including an overnight, and a 8 hr layover that I would have had in Munich. Don't get me wrong- I like Germany- I am part German!!!- but the thought of sitting in the Munich airport for 8 hrs doesn't seem that awesome!! But changing the flights was a mess. They changed my flights out of Prague to San Fransisco to Eugene, but not my Athens flight- I kept saying. I AM IN GREECE- I HAVE TO HAVE A FLIGHT TO PRAGUE (because I had booked my trip as a travel package- I have to travel the same route as originally planned Athens-->Prague-->Munich-->San Fran-->Eugene, I can only change the dates and times of the flights- not the cities themselves)!!!! Ahhh what a mess. I tried dialing out on the phones here but they didn't work. So I was on Skype with the travel people for 1hr + I had left my computer charge cable up in my hotel room (the Internet can only be reached in the lobby) and I was praying that my computer didn't die!!!

Finally it was all done!!! Thank goodness.

So I am heading back upstairs- to have a lunch of some cold yogurt, milk and some bread I saved from breakfast- they did give me breakfast here- I saved some of it- I feel like I am rationing my food!!!! lol. Then I am going to take a long exploratory walk- and buy my ferry tickets for tomorrow.

What an adventure this has been. The locals here on this island are not as friendly-I feel it is more hostile than France. Maybe not hostile- but I feel like I am walking around naked because everybody stares at me!! I feel much more like an outsider than on other parts of my trip. I am walking down the street and everybody looks at me. I am dressed like the locals- dark jeans and a black coat- but I must stand out- I guess my hair and light skin- they can tell instantly that I am a foreigner! I am not even taking pictures. But yes, I feel very out of place here!

Well I am off to eat my ration of food for the day!!!! David- this is the way to lose weight- travel to a Greek island- during the off season!!!! :)

Update after my walk- I made it down to the port again and bought my ferry tickets for tomorrow- I leave at 9:30 am to arrive back in Athens around 3:30-4:00pm. From there I will take a taxi to the holiday inn by the airport. Then on the morning of the 10th- I will fly out of Athens at 4:30 am-->Prague ariving at 5:30 am. A 1:00pm--->Munich. At 3:10 I fly to San Fransisco---> and then to Eugene arriving at 11:52 pm on the 10th- that is going to be a long day- especially w/ the ferry ride like 8 hrs before I start the flights! Ick. But I think I would get horridly bored if go to the next island- there is nothing open!!!

I did finally get some food- I found some restaurants down by the port so that was really good- I got a larger meal and brought some back w/ me to put in my fridge for tonight!! I wondered around looking for souvenirs for people- but all the shops are either closed till the tourist season opens or they close at 2! It was 3. Penny I did find a post office finally.....however it closed at 2!!!! So I have tried 3 times to mail your postcards! maybe the Holiday inn will mail them for me???? I will ask ok? Tonight I am going to relax- I have to head down to the port fairly early- I don't want to miss my boat!!! :) That would really put a wrench in my travel plans. I am just crossing my fingers there won't be another strike till I am out of Greece!!!!

I am so glad that I have had this travel experience- being on my own- but it also makes me realize what in life I really want! Chris I was telling you- how I am so motivated to get my licence- even if I have to take the bar again! I do want to practice law for at least a short while. I am so driven now- I was so drained after graduating law school- I feel almost back to me again!!!

I also want to say it has been wonderful to see first hand the increase of popularity America is having because of our new president. It is incredible- it makes me so so proud of our country and proud to be an American. Obama is beloved in other nations- and everybody I have met- from all nations- Germany, Australia, Greece, Spain, England, Brazil, France, Italy, Holland, Argentina- have such hope and respect for him- and our country, and I feel that the US is coming back from the derogatory international view people have had for so many years with the president beforehand. In writing this, I respect that others have different political views from me- but I have verified for myself- that the majority of people I met- did not respect the US policies under the Bush administration and that is changing now. So before someone says that this is untrue- I ask you "have u travelled abroad and spoken to people about political beliefs?"

Signing off- this may be my last blog entry of my travels!!!

Soaking Rain!

Yesterday I took a boat trip out to a little island that is covered w/ volcanic rocks-well literally all the islands around here are volcanic- not necessarily acting volcanoes- even Santorini is a volcano. So I went out there- making an executive decision- because I had the whole day and there really wasn't anything left to do in town besides shop I would do this trip. It is very important to point out that it was cloudy and there was a 70% of rain according to the weather forecast.

Getting down to the port was cool- you can go by cable car- which was a neat experience. Then the boat came and took us out to the island which was about a 15 min ride from the port. Once we arrived it started pouring. Thank goodness I had my REI soft shell jacket- Braden this thing saved my life!!! It was drenched on the outside but it didn't seep through at all and get me wet- it was wonderful. My jeans were soaked through from the rain and the wind. It wasn't extremely cold out- but it was very very uncomfortable- Now I have lived in OR for quite some time and usually water does not bother me that much!!! but this was not so much fun. The hike lasted for about 45 min. The tour guide was a cool bloat- who kept insisting I was from Ireland because I had red hair. Although he accepted that I lived in the US- he kept saying "your family is from Ireland right?" or "your family's family was from Ireland" they must not get that many redheaded tourists from the states? I am not sure.

So after this hike we head back- the water is very very choppy the waves are probably a couple feet- I love it- I was sitting outside- because even though the water would splash up and get me wet- it was better than getting nauseous by sitting inside a very very small cabin w/ a ton of other people. It was really funny- there was a group of about 9 girls from on spring break- they were studying abroad and they all had worn flip flops? When I think of hiking on volcanic rocks- I must admit flip flops is the first thing that comes to mind!! Ha ha!!! lol (sarcasm here) I couldn't believe it! I had worn my cross trainers and I was very very glad I had them- luckily my feet were dry for the whole day.

Coming back I took the cable car up the mt. I wanted to take the donkey- but it was raining again and I was cold so I decided against it. I returned to my hotel room- saying hello to the few locals I greet everyday! I relaxed and dried off for a few hours- took a short nap- this time setting my alarm so I wouldn't sleep through dinner yet again! It worked- I forced myself out of bed around 6:30 p.m. and marched off to the best gyro stand in Santorini! it is about a 20 min walk from my hotel but it is absolutely worth every step! So after having a scrumptious meal I headed back- this time to only get DRENCHED again! I thought about buying an umbrella- but it seems like such a waste of money because I have so many back home! You know what a thrifty person I am. Instead I made several other mandatory purchases- I bought two hats, and a pair of shoes for Penny! I made it back to the hotel room- sopping- I could literally wring the water out of my jeans for the 2nd time that day! Oh my! Today I am of to the next island- Naxos- the ferry departs at 3:30 I believe. I have to leave the hotel 1 hr before it is a 30 min drive down the cliff to the port. :) Hopefully it won't be raining on the trip?

Ohhh I met another wonderful dog buddy- this one met me after I had stopped in the local supermarket in the morning to pick up my water and a few snacks of fruit for the day. He followed me all the way to the cable car- then he went down the footpath to meet me at the bottom of the port!!! He was there again when I returned from my boat ride. Penny don't you want another dog????? :)

So now I have to pack, shower, and rest up for my traveling today! On to a new adventure!

Wonderful furry friends, donkey, and driving around the countryside!

Today I woke up around 8;30 my plan was to take a boat trip out to one of the volcano islands near Santorini- however the weather was overcast- an it had been raining on and off- so I decided against it. Instead I trekked into Fira I wanted to pick up a few more souvenirs- problem was is that I have bought so much stuff here- I needed to buy an additional suitcase- So I also had to look for that! Luckly I found a wonderful retro looking one for 25 E so that was fairly cheap. No one will mistake it for theirs!!! On the way back to the hotel- I was out for about 3 hrs. it was now noonish- a random stray dog adopted me. We walked in the direction to the hotel together- this dog was hilarious- he would march on ahead of me- but he would always look back to make sure I was still there. When I went in a shop- he would wait patiently for me outside. So I made it back to the hotel- this time w/ out getting lost!! I changed into some warmer clothes- got my snacks out of the fridge, and my maps. My dog buddy was resting outside my hotel room- it was so cute! I want to bring him back to the US!!!

So I decided to rent a car and drive around the island. I was really scared to do this because I was so sure I would get lost and the roads are soooo narrow and curvy. But otherwise I wouldn't be able to see most of the island. There are supposedly buses here- but according to most people they are very unreliable. I see bus stops everywhere- and I even see people waiting for the bus- but for the 8+ hrs of walking around Fira I have yet to see 1 single bus. I think they are a myth :)

So I rented the car (see above- it is plastered w/ ads for the car rental place!!!) - thinking I am going to die driving on these roads. However, because it was Sun, it was actually the perfect day to drive- because not that many people were on the roads. So I am leaving Fira- thinking I am heading off to the red sand beaches. However- after about 10 min of driving I haven't seen a sign and I have a suspicion I am going the wrong way. I go into a coffee shop and the guy tries to give me directions to where I want to go- however, he was not sure on the directions- meanwhile his sister shows up and she tells me to follow her- and directs me to where I need to turn! The people here are so nice. So I make it Pyrgos! which was a cool little village- I drove around for a bit and then chose a random main road and started driving again. This time I ended up at Prissa beach- which was one of the black sand beaches- however Ancient Thira is there as well- it was pretty cool. I had lunch at a vacant little diner place where I had a decent greek salad. Then I was off again. The waiter was wonderful and had wrote out a map for me to follow to Akrotiri. Amazingly I found Akrotiri easily.

The roadsigns here are hilarious- I mean there is only one sign that directs you to the village- and if you miss it- you won't see another sign- they are also posted right before the turn. So it is so easy to miss.

The countryside was amazing. Then after seeing Akrotiri- which was around the red beach- oh I took a path off of the parking lot here- and hiked up to a viewpoint that was beautiful. And on the drive back to the main road- I saw a donkey in a field- I love donkeys and I was very excited about this!!! My little car- handled the curves marvelously. The posted speed limit most places was 30 km/hr. but I typically was going about 50 km/hr. The car just wanted to cruse at that speed. It was so good to drive again- I haven't driven for over a month- and it was wonderful to have the radio on crusing around a very beautiful place. There are no street signs so driving is very amusing- I didn't even try using the map- I would just take a random road and when I didn't see a sign for a long time I would pull over and ask for directions.

I drove up to a lighthouse and hiked up to a little lookout point. However getting out of the parking space was a bit nerve racking- the road was so narrow- you have to back up to where your rear wheels are on the edge of the cliff- and unless you have someone outside the car it is almost impossible. Luckily some other kids were able to tell me how far I was from the edge and directed me! So I am travelling back down the mountain- it is gorgeous- Everything is green - and there are wildflowers all around- the cliffs that surround the sea are amazing. It is a very majestic island. However I am glad I was not there during tourist season!!! I can't imagine how crazy it is to drive then with so many people on the island.

I headed back around 4 because I didn't want to be driving at night or even dusk- there are no lights- and it gets pitch black and there are cliffs that I could just go over. So I returned the car w/ no problem and walked back to my hotel.

Tonight we had torrential rain- it was raining so much that water seeped in under my door and in my room and I have two towels hopefully to catch the excess during the night!!! What an adventure!!!! Tomorrow I hope to take the tour to the volcano! that should be cool- although the weather isn't supposed to be much better. I slept through dinner once again- I took a nap from 6-9 so I am once again relying on my fridge to supply me w/ fruit, yogurt and milk for my meal!!! thank goodness for my fridge!!! I found a channel on TV that was playing the Wedding Planner in English w/ Greek subtitles- it is the first English thing I have found on the TV, besides BBC news! I have watched the same news over and over again and it was nice to see a bit of the movie.

Today was a huge success- mainly because I forced myself to drive in a foreign country- and it was fine!!! I am off to try to get a bit of sleep!

Long walk of exploration and .....shopping

Last night I didn't sleep again! I was having a horrid time breathing w/ my cold- I have tried to look for nasal spray or anything like a nasal decongestant but without any luck. Anyway- I did take a long sleep last night from 6-10 so I have had some sleep. I have decided to cut Prague out of my travel plans- I have been gone from OR for over a month now- It will be a month in a half the way it is and w/ Prague= about 2 months. and I want to start the job hunt and I really don't feel like spending another + week in hostels there! (I don't want to pay $$$$ for the hotels there). Besides I am sick of huge cities- I really am enjoying the islands here and I don't want to have to deal with tons of people around and getting lost in a metro area again- like France, Athens and Rome!!! . I have decided that the perfect destinations for me- are those where I am trekking around in the country- and I am looking at nature!!! Right now I am sick of looking at ruins and old buildings- I am not being spoiled or snobby- but after a while of seeing things- they all start to look the same!!!! I am travelled out! :) However the islands are the break that I so needed- for relaxation and a slower pace!

Today's happenings:

I went to breakfast here at my little hotel- it was similar to the traditional breakfast we had in Holland- bread, cheese- slice of meat normally ham- and some jam to go on the toast. I came back to my room to shower- and had some yogurt that I had bought last night at the mini mart. To save money on food- I have been picking up fruit and yogurt at the mart down the road- because my room has a fridge it seems like the perfect way to eat lunch and keep snacks! I set out on my daily adventure- it was about 11:00 a.m when I left the hotel- I had a map- so at least I could ask directions for when I got lost. So I am gallivanting along- I have fallen in love with this island- it is magical- around every corner there is a new discovery- an old church- or a fabulous lookout of the sea, or a trail that only the donkeys must use (I discovered this because the amount of droppings there were! and I was wondering why no one was on it? :) See picture!!) ha ha. I took a ton of pictures I walked till 2:30 in the afternoon- when I started heading back to the hotel- I knew which general direction I had to go- but navigating here is a bit tricky because everything is built on levels of the cliffs- so I had no idea if I had to go up or down at some parts. However in Greece almost everybody is super super friendly and speaks English- so I wasn't too worried. Instead I started looking in a few shops for souvenirs and stuff like that. I found 2 new pairs of shoes that are amazing! I love love love them! and a dress- Penny you will love the dress- and yes it is made in Greece. I also got 2 new silk scarves that are fairly fabulous as well. I think I am going to get a huge shopping bag and use that as one my carry-ons- and put my purse in that! it will work!!! Anyway my cold is finally getting better so that is a relief- I was so miserable for a few days! I finally made it back to the hotel around 3 after climbing up and down many many stairs!!!

It is so beautiful here- and I am so curious I keep going off the main roads into cool alleyways and that is when I get all lost- I can turn down alleyways and not see a single person for about 10 min of walking!! Then I know I am off the main drag! So now I am back in the hotel taking a bit of a rest- with the air conditioning on!!! yay! I think I might try to nap for an hour. Tomorrow I hope to take a cruise out to the volcanoe islands that are off the coast- I have to speak to the manager about that- I believe he said he sold tickets- if not- I can go down the road to one of the many tour agencies who sell tickets- I asked one of the local girls who was helping me in the store where I got all the clothes what was really worth doing on Santorini and she said to do the volcano tour. So that is what I am going to do- it didn't sound that cool at first- but I trust her and others have said it is really amazing as well! I am not doing the beaches here- I may have time- but the other two islands that I am going to after Santorini- are all beach- I mean you aren't on a cliff!!

Well I will update this later tonight if anything interesting occurs! But yes- if you go to Greece you must must come to Santorini!