So.. Jordan got up a the crack of dawn this morning.. 830.. lol.. rented a wee scooter and zoomed off to Halki to visit the distillery of the famous Citron liqueur that they make on Naxos. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yummmmmmmmy..
Was fun, about 18km (30 minutes-ish) from Naxos town, up into the mountainous interior of Naxos, very pretty, and I even managed not to injure myself! yay!
I was in a bit of a hurry on the return as my ferry was leaving at about 1pm, so I headed back and returned the scooter (they were shocked at how short a time I had been out) and George (hotel guy) drove me and a few others down to the ferry pier.
Got chatting with one of the others who were headed to Santorini and had stayed at the same place, resulted in getting an email address, phone number and address for him and his family in New Zealand! Hooray for new friends! :)
2-hour ferry ride, found my hotel guy here and we headed off.. the place I booked, although lovely, is on the far side of the island from the main town (11km), little bit of a sleepy place not not too bad. Lovely hotel and a simple and clean room again, and about 30 seconds walk from the beach.
Came out to the poolside after getting settled in, met a lovely couple from Yorkshire UK, who ended up buying me a beer and having a good chat. They are getting married here the day after I take off. :)
Went down to the black sand beach near the hotel for a little look see, and out for a wander to see what food and internet was available.. internet first.. now I must eat... peace..
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
greek salad
best greek salad EVER!!!
ok it was quite similar to greek salad i've had before, except they gave these two huge slabs of feta, rather than grating it. sooooooooooooo yummy. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.........
ok it was quite similar to greek salad i've had before, except they gave these two huge slabs of feta, rather than grating it. sooooooooooooo yummy. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.........
je t'aime naxos
Who likes to sleep in until 11am every day??
It's a pretty lazy lifestyle here in the Greek Islands, loving every minute of it.
Went back to the same place for breaky.. got the 5 euro instead of 7 euro one like I did yesterday.. it was still an enormous quantity of food. Sometimes I wonder if the amount of food served varies by what the customers appetite appears to be rather than the cost or even what is listed as included with whatever you've ordered.. LOL. I can't pack away what I used to be able to!
Today I discovered St George's beach.. the closest beach to Naxos Town and likely, at times, the most crowded. Not today, just a few people.
Spent part of the afternoon wandering about, the weather perked up a bit today, yesterday was windier with a bit of rain. I was hoping to get up to the village of Halki, which is where they make Citron liquer, famous on Naxos. Because I couldn't get my lazy ass out of bed any sooner, by the time I got down there (130ish), I was told the next bus would be at 3pm, and the last bus returning around 430pm, and it's a half-hour trip each way. You do the math.
I ended up missing the bus, although I was sitting at the stop and asking the bus drivers and looking at every bus (not that I know how to read Greek, lol!). Just as well.. 1 hour to do taste testing and purchase is not really that much time.
I plan to rent a scooter and take myself up there tomorrow morning, at the suggestion of a nice gentleman in the tourist information center. I would have to come back for around 1145 and head to the ferry for Santorini.
After a hour or so of chill-out time in my room.. here I am back at the internet cafe. Getting hungry..... :)
It's a pretty lazy lifestyle here in the Greek Islands, loving every minute of it.
Went back to the same place for breaky.. got the 5 euro instead of 7 euro one like I did yesterday.. it was still an enormous quantity of food. Sometimes I wonder if the amount of food served varies by what the customers appetite appears to be rather than the cost or even what is listed as included with whatever you've ordered.. LOL. I can't pack away what I used to be able to!
Today I discovered St George's beach.. the closest beach to Naxos Town and likely, at times, the most crowded. Not today, just a few people.
Spent part of the afternoon wandering about, the weather perked up a bit today, yesterday was windier with a bit of rain. I was hoping to get up to the village of Halki, which is where they make Citron liquer, famous on Naxos. Because I couldn't get my lazy ass out of bed any sooner, by the time I got down there (130ish), I was told the next bus would be at 3pm, and the last bus returning around 430pm, and it's a half-hour trip each way. You do the math.
I ended up missing the bus, although I was sitting at the stop and asking the bus drivers and looking at every bus (not that I know how to read Greek, lol!). Just as well.. 1 hour to do taste testing and purchase is not really that much time.
I plan to rent a scooter and take myself up there tomorrow morning, at the suggestion of a nice gentleman in the tourist information center. I would have to come back for around 1145 and head to the ferry for Santorini.
After a hour or so of chill-out time in my room.. here I am back at the internet cafe. Getting hungry..... :)
i heart homesickness
well, it finally hit me this morning.. that i won't be home for over a year, that i'm unemployed, that i'm way out of my comfort bubble.. jordan needed a little cry this morning. all better now :)
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Photos!!
PS.. I figured out how to get photos up. They are on my flickr page:
www.flickr.com/photos/mrcookiebear/sets/72157607547879118/
There are the first 15 photos :) Hopefully many more to come. Don't worry, I've taken loads already!
www.flickr.com/photos/mrcookiebear/sets/72157607547879118/
There are the first 15 photos :) Hopefully many more to come. Don't worry, I've taken loads already!
loving Greece
Athens was fantastic.. even if big and dirty and smelly. Maybe that I only had one actual full day there contributed to my positive opinion!
The day after we did Hydra.. we joined the tourist masses and did the Acropolis. Totally amazing .. even if half of it is under scaffolding! They are cleaning and restoring the whole site and it is a somewhat painstaking and lengthy procedure. The Parthenon and other structures are truly awe-inspiring.. I only say 'other structures' because I never paid attention in social studies class and can't remember what they are called!
We spent an hour and a half-ish up there, with about a million cruise ship tourists (barf!), before heading off to find some food and wander the narrow streets of the Plaka. I found the Plaka largely tacky and touristy, loads of shops selling lots of mass-produced souvenirs and postcards, plus a lot of overpriced restaurants. We found some lunch just outside the Plaka, it's funny how the price dropped in half by being barely outside the tourist area.
After a few hours of chill out time at Mary/Robyn/Ceileigh's hotel and a trip out to find some gelato, I headed back for my hostel to get packed up.. we had a night tour that evening and I wouldn't be getting back until late and leaving very early. I hate it when inconsiderate hostel guests make tons of noise or turn on the lights when people are clearly sleeping, so I thought I should get myself ready outside of sleeping hours!
The night tour was a bit of a bust, although it was something to keep us occupied and show us around a little. The tour guide wasn't all that enthusiastic. The dinner and performance (dancing, music, etc) at the end of the trip was definitely the highlight of the evening.
After dinner/entertainment, we walked through the now dark streets of the Plaka, back towards the Acropolis to get some night time photos of the site. We said our goodbyes as I was heading off to the islands the following morning, and the girls were going to the Peloponnese .
Early morning was very difficult but I did manage to get myself to the port and onto the Blue Star ferry in time for the 725am departure! I had booked a nicer seat aboard the ferry which I was grateful for.. the deck or random chairs in public areas on the boat were the other options. Had a nice conversation with a fellow from Brisbane who was nice enough to share some photography tips, and some recommendations on things to do when one has a year in Australia!
Arrived in Hydra about 130pm where I was met by George, the owner of the Windmill Studios where I was staying. I got dropped at a small apartment, cute, clean, and best of all, super cheap! After a nap (that turned into a 4 hour sleep!) I headed out to find dinner.. found a little taverna (well, Greek mama that reminded me of a certain Greek mama in Sidney BC) beckoned me in, and I had some yummy chicken souvlaki (I *really* need to expand my Greek food palette), with Greek beer (Mythos) and dessert. The waiter even brought around a shot of something powerful to myself, the fellow at the neighbouring table and one for himself.. I love this place. Got chatting to the guy at the table beside me, we ended up going for a wander and another drink.. not what you think get your head out of the gutter! Finally got home around midnight.
So far today.. are you bored yet... I've done breakfast and have been in front of this computer for 2 hours. LOL. I'm off!
The day after we did Hydra.. we joined the tourist masses and did the Acropolis. Totally amazing .. even if half of it is under scaffolding! They are cleaning and restoring the whole site and it is a somewhat painstaking and lengthy procedure. The Parthenon and other structures are truly awe-inspiring.. I only say 'other structures' because I never paid attention in social studies class and can't remember what they are called!
We spent an hour and a half-ish up there, with about a million cruise ship tourists (barf!), before heading off to find some food and wander the narrow streets of the Plaka. I found the Plaka largely tacky and touristy, loads of shops selling lots of mass-produced souvenirs and postcards, plus a lot of overpriced restaurants. We found some lunch just outside the Plaka, it's funny how the price dropped in half by being barely outside the tourist area.
After a few hours of chill out time at Mary/Robyn/Ceileigh's hotel and a trip out to find some gelato, I headed back for my hostel to get packed up.. we had a night tour that evening and I wouldn't be getting back until late and leaving very early. I hate it when inconsiderate hostel guests make tons of noise or turn on the lights when people are clearly sleeping, so I thought I should get myself ready outside of sleeping hours!
The night tour was a bit of a bust, although it was something to keep us occupied and show us around a little. The tour guide wasn't all that enthusiastic. The dinner and performance (dancing, music, etc) at the end of the trip was definitely the highlight of the evening.
After dinner/entertainment, we walked through the now dark streets of the Plaka, back towards the Acropolis to get some night time photos of the site. We said our goodbyes as I was heading off to the islands the following morning, and the girls were going to the Peloponnese .
Early morning was very difficult but I did manage to get myself to the port and onto the Blue Star ferry in time for the 725am departure! I had booked a nicer seat aboard the ferry which I was grateful for.. the deck or random chairs in public areas on the boat were the other options. Had a nice conversation with a fellow from Brisbane who was nice enough to share some photography tips, and some recommendations on things to do when one has a year in Australia!
Arrived in Hydra about 130pm where I was met by George, the owner of the Windmill Studios where I was staying. I got dropped at a small apartment, cute, clean, and best of all, super cheap! After a nap (that turned into a 4 hour sleep!) I headed out to find dinner.. found a little taverna (well, Greek mama that reminded me of a certain Greek mama in Sidney BC) beckoned me in, and I had some yummy chicken souvlaki (I *really* need to expand my Greek food palette), with Greek beer (Mythos) and dessert. The waiter even brought around a shot of something powerful to myself, the fellow at the neighbouring table and one for himself.. I love this place. Got chatting to the guy at the table beside me, we ended up going for a wander and another drink.. not what you think get your head out of the gutter! Finally got home around midnight.
So far today.. are you bored yet... I've done breakfast and have been in front of this computer for 2 hours. LOL. I'm off!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
happy.
I was sooooo glad to get the hell out of London. Just wasn't doing it for me this time. The fact that I slept 16 hours the first night and zero the second didn't make it any easier.
Met back up with my aunt and cousins at Gatwick and we arrived last night in Athens.. easyJet was ok (only cost 45 pounds!).. was able to hitch a ride with the transfer my aunt had booked (not staying with them, can't afford their posh hotel!). Dropped into my hostel which is right in the middle of the Plaka in Athens.. the Acropolis is quite visible from outside my accommodation. We are going to check it out tomorrow.
Today we took the fast ferry over to the island of Hydra, which was FANTASTIC. Totally different than the crazy dirty enormous Athens.. no motorized traffic on this particular island, just donkeys to get around. Not for those with mobility challenges! Lots of steep staircases between the beautiful white buildings that the Greek islands are known for. Feral cats everywhere.. I couldn't resist petting them!
After a lovely afternoon we had a very bumpy ferry ride back and arrived at the port in the pouring rain... completely unprepared.
Off to bed with me!
Looks like getting photos on this blog will be a challenge.. my camera does RAW files which are too big to upload.. I promise you will see my photos by 2015! LOL
Peace out.. love u all xo
Met back up with my aunt and cousins at Gatwick and we arrived last night in Athens.. easyJet was ok (only cost 45 pounds!).. was able to hitch a ride with the transfer my aunt had booked (not staying with them, can't afford their posh hotel!). Dropped into my hostel which is right in the middle of the Plaka in Athens.. the Acropolis is quite visible from outside my accommodation. We are going to check it out tomorrow.
Today we took the fast ferry over to the island of Hydra, which was FANTASTIC. Totally different than the crazy dirty enormous Athens.. no motorized traffic on this particular island, just donkeys to get around. Not for those with mobility challenges! Lots of steep staircases between the beautiful white buildings that the Greek islands are known for. Feral cats everywhere.. I couldn't resist petting them!
After a lovely afternoon we had a very bumpy ferry ride back and arrived at the port in the pouring rain... completely unprepared.
Off to bed with me!
Looks like getting photos on this blog will be a challenge.. my camera does RAW files which are too big to upload.. I promise you will see my photos by 2015! LOL
Peace out.. love u all xo
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Lovely London.. can I leave now? lol
OK, it's not that bad.. I'm just really, really excited to get to Greece.. just 24 hours more...
Besides the flight leaving late (which involved an hour on the tarmac due to a navigation system issue, yay) the flight was uneventful. British Airways - much more cramped than I expected.. possibly the tightest airline seating I had ever been on. Hooray for being tall.
I actually managed a couple of hours of prescription medication induced sleep, highly unusual for me on a flight.. so I was quite grateful for that. Tube ride into central London was only about an hour and not terribly crowded.
Finding my hostel was a BITCH. Mostly because I was jetlagged.. but partly because the directions provided by the hostel booking website were not great. My fault partly for not being smart enough to write the hostel phone number down before I left home. After much frustration and a few minutes on the internet at a hostel down the street, I found it, dropped off my crap, found something to eat (an entire small pizza with about 27lbs of cheese on it, but I could have cared less at that stage) and dropped into bed about 9pm...
... 1:30 pm, finally crawled out of bed, unfortunately this resulted in me not being able to visit with my cousin as I had hoped :(
I met up with my friend/former coworker Sarah and hung out with her for most of the afternoon and evening.
Are you bored yet? LOL
Off to Greece tomorrow.. bye! :)
Besides the flight leaving late (which involved an hour on the tarmac due to a navigation system issue, yay) the flight was uneventful. British Airways - much more cramped than I expected.. possibly the tightest airline seating I had ever been on. Hooray for being tall.
I actually managed a couple of hours of prescription medication induced sleep, highly unusual for me on a flight.. so I was quite grateful for that. Tube ride into central London was only about an hour and not terribly crowded.
Finding my hostel was a BITCH. Mostly because I was jetlagged.. but partly because the directions provided by the hostel booking website were not great. My fault partly for not being smart enough to write the hostel phone number down before I left home. After much frustration and a few minutes on the internet at a hostel down the street, I found it, dropped off my crap, found something to eat (an entire small pizza with about 27lbs of cheese on it, but I could have cared less at that stage) and dropped into bed about 9pm...
... 1:30 pm, finally crawled out of bed, unfortunately this resulted in me not being able to visit with my cousin as I had hoped :(
I met up with my friend/former coworker Sarah and hung out with her for most of the afternoon and evening.
Are you bored yet? LOL
Off to Greece tomorrow.. bye! :)
Sunday, September 21, 2008
and we`re off..
The day has finally come.. I can`t believe how calm I am at the prospect of leaving home for 15 or more months.
After getting to the airport an hour late to greet two somewhat frantic cousins.. we went for a bite and a beer, and I picked up some British Pounds, Euros, and Singapore Dollars.. yay. Isn`t that interesting..
Off to the gate.. ta ta for now. :)
After getting to the airport an hour late to greet two somewhat frantic cousins.. we went for a bite and a beer, and I picked up some British Pounds, Euros, and Singapore Dollars.. yay. Isn`t that interesting..
Off to the gate.. ta ta for now. :)
Friday, September 12, 2008
Updates
So.. all didn't go as planned with my FREE Geckos trip.. sigh.. LOL.
The UK/Europe part of my trip is unchanged.
21 September: Fly Vancouver to London, 2 days in London
24 September: Fly to Athens , 3 days in Athens
27 September: Ferry to Naxos, 3 days in Naxos
30 September: Ferry to Santorini, 2 days in Santorini
02 October: Fly Santorini to London, 3 more days in London
04 October: Fly London to Singapore overnight, 3 nights in Singapore
08 October: Overnight train to Kota Bharu (Malaysia), over to Perhentian Islands by taxi then ferry, 6 nights there
14 October: Back to Kota Bharu, fly to Bangkok, 1 night in Bangkok
15 October - 5 November: Join Gecko's tour Bangkok to Saigon, see old itinerary below for a blurb about the trip, or click here. 2 extra nights in Saigon at the end of the trip.
07 - 10 November: Travel to Hoi An, Vietnam, famous for it's silk shops. Going to get some suits made as I've lost 45+ lbs since the last time!
10 November: Back to Bangkok, one night and a day cycling trip
11 - 22 November: Overnight train then bus to Trang, explore region, wind up through Krabi and eventually Phuket, checking out fabulous islands and beaches as I go.
22 November: Fly Phuket - Kuala Lumpur, one night.
23 November: Up to the Cameron Highlands
27 November: Bus, then overnight train to Singapore, one more night in Singapore
29 November: Fly Singapore to Sydney, spend 2 days in Sydney
01 December: Fly Sydney to Melbourne.. that's it! :)
The UK/Europe part of my trip is unchanged.
21 September: Fly Vancouver to London, 2 days in London
24 September: Fly to Athens , 3 days in Athens
27 September: Ferry to Naxos, 3 days in Naxos
30 September: Ferry to Santorini, 2 days in Santorini
02 October: Fly Santorini to London, 3 more days in London
04 October: Fly London to Singapore overnight, 3 nights in Singapore
08 October: Overnight train to Kota Bharu (Malaysia), over to Perhentian Islands by taxi then ferry, 6 nights there
14 October: Back to Kota Bharu, fly to Bangkok, 1 night in Bangkok
15 October - 5 November: Join Gecko's tour Bangkok to Saigon, see old itinerary below for a blurb about the trip, or click here. 2 extra nights in Saigon at the end of the trip.
07 - 10 November: Travel to Hoi An, Vietnam, famous for it's silk shops. Going to get some suits made as I've lost 45+ lbs since the last time!
10 November: Back to Bangkok, one night and a day cycling trip
11 - 22 November: Overnight train then bus to Trang, explore region, wind up through Krabi and eventually Phuket, checking out fabulous islands and beaches as I go.
22 November: Fly Phuket - Kuala Lumpur, one night.
23 November: Up to the Cameron Highlands
27 November: Bus, then overnight train to Singapore, one more night in Singapore
29 November: Fly Singapore to Sydney, spend 2 days in Sydney
01 December: Fly Sydney to Melbourne.. that's it! :)
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