The last couple months I spent in Fort Sill Oklahoma, where I was refreshed on the basics of soldiering skills as well as some of the leadership aspects I learned in ROTC.
We did some things I’ve done before, and some things I haven’t:

What I found interesting and rather entertaining was the combatives that we trained in. The army used to use a closed fighting system, which while effective did not offer as many possibilities and combinations as the current system. This current system is based on Judo and is extremely effective, and a good workout.



In the picture above one soldier has the other in his guard, however the soldier in the guard is starting to pass the guard and soon will have his sparing partner stacked and and then in side control.

We will be doing combatives again and get certified during BOLC III (where I am now at Fort Huachuca)

Another training event we did was night and urban operations. We used NVG's (night vision goggles) and lights mounted on our M-4's to identify targets at night as well as navigating in the dark. This was a very new experience and rather exhilarating because your vision is severely reduced to a small field of view. However, without the NVG's you can't see anything in pitch black. Its rather amazing how they amplify the light and if needed have an infra-red capability. Combining that with the mounted lights makes for a twilight-zone-like feeling.




As far as MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) goes I finally got trained. Basically what MOUT is-is swat team tactics for entering and clearing buildings in teams and or squads. I have a short video from my training that has some MOUT in it. You will get the idea.



A new program they have at BOLC II is the convoy life fire where we are in a vehicle traveling about 30 mph and we engage targets on the left and right sides of the vehicle. It was a worthwhile experience but took a full day most of which was picking up the spent ammo. It really could have been done better.



The most valuable experience I had at BOLC II was after running OPFOR ops (opposition forces operations) against our own company for 24 hours straight, I went back into the FOB (Forward Operating Base)[a type of non-contiguous battlefield organization]{meaning that our forces are in a base surrounded by enemy territory, where lines if communication and transportation are not controlled by friendly forces} and after 24 hours of running operations as the platoon leader I became the Battle Captain for the entire FOB. I set up in the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) and with the assistance of my PSG Davison managed FOB security, QRF (quick reaction force) and all communications and TOC operations for another 30 hours. After 24 hours I had 2 hours sleep and coordinated all operations coming in and going out of the FOB for another 30 hours. This was almost entirely a personal choice. I could have handed off the responsibility and slept. However, I wanted to see how well I made decisions with such a lack of sleep and how long I could be effective under pressure:





BOLC III (Basic Officer Leadership Course Phase III)(previously known as Officer Basic Course)

Now I am in sunny Sierra Vista AZ, approximately an hour and 15 minutes South East of Tucson. I am training in military intelligence at Fort Huachuca; one of the oldest Forts in the US.





'Military Intelligence Corps. Military Intelligence involves electronic warfare, counter-intelligence, classified security, surveillance and determining the capabilities and intentions of the enemy.'

Specifically what I will be doing is linguistics as a platoon leader in one of the last linguist units around. That is after my training here and after the Defense Language Institute at Monterey.

The curriculum here is challenging, both mentally and physically. We do an intensive workout everyday starting at 6am until about 715 where we do any number of exercises for upper, lower, or core body strengthening as well as running between 3 and 5 miles at an elevation of a mile :) The atmosphere is different here. I was sucking wind for the first couple weeks running here, especially when we go up hills. I am getting used to it though. It really helps that the countryside here is so beautiful in the way that only the desert can be. The mornings are calm and quiet with the exception of the UAS/UAV's that are flying lazy loops over our heads gathering imagery intelligence.



After PT we have class for about 7 hours studying the different roles of intel in the world and all the systems that allow us to do our jobs and maintain the information and technology advantage. Additionally, we are learning how to be an S-2 (intelligence officer) for a combat arms Bn, which doesn’t directly apply to me but will help me relate to commanders in all different branches. A lot of it is interesting and comprehensive. I was worried that it would be boring and thus I would have a difficult time paying attention and doing well in the courses, but the material intrigues me. So far I hit my benchmarks for the first two tests; a 96% on my first test and a 95% on the second and hardest of the course. Tuesday is the PT test which will be interesting. This PT schedule has been very good for me and I feel confident the test will reflect the hard work I've put in the last three weeks.

The latest activities have included a terrain walk where we got 'eyes-on' to a piece of terrain that we were designing offensive and defensive operations on from a map. This was helpful because it showed us that you really cannot fully plan an operation based on a map recon. You really need Human Intelligence or Imagery Intelligence on the area that reflects the real time situation.


This is our class 07-503. I am somewhere in the back right.

We recently had a road march. I pride myself in road marching. I like it not because it is fun but because it is difficult and there are several techniques to it. I started my road marching 'career' at Ft. Knox Kentucky, which is known for its three huge hills: Agony, Misery, and Heartbreak. I believe a Drill Sergeant had a heart attack on one of these hills during a basic training road march. I haven’t seen anything that can compare since.
We have the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge competition coming up and part of it is an 18 mile road march in under 5 hours. I plan to do the whole thing, why not?
The last road march we had, myself, Liy, Stewart, Pavlo, Sergei, and Birkholtz finished a 35 lb 6 miler in an hour and 20 minutes. It’s not a great distance but for our first we were pretty quick (faster than everyone else anyway :)



Sierra Vista isnt a bad town. Its very pretty in the morning and has the conveniences and entertainment that your average young person requires. The population is rather young which is nice, however that is primarily a reflection of the Basic Training, AIT and MIBOLC classes at Fort Huachuca. Regardless it means that there is a fair amount for me to do:



My apartment is quite nice. I have two bedrooms and two baths. One bedroom I have converted into an office and one bathroom is just for guests. It is fully furnished and overlooks the pool and BBQ area. I am quite happy with it.

I know its been a while since my last entry. Sunday August 5th finds me in my apartment in Sierra Vista AZ letting my body heal from non-stop physical training and my mind relax from the rigorous curriculum. For those of you who havent seen the latest, the last two entries show the massive amount of progress we made. The following is the latest and greatest:





Not bad eh?

This is a black primer coat but at least you can tell how it is going to look in black when I get back. You remember the rust and the huge holes cut out. Now look:
Before:

After:


As is normal with these old beasts, as soon as you fix one thing something else goes wrong. I had a wire connecting my positive battery terminal to my coil to provide spark to the distributer and that seemed to work for a while. But when I prepared to drive my Charger home that wire melted and left me without power to the coil. There is something wrong in the ignition system. This is ok because I anticipated it. I have had a wiring harness to rewire from headlights to driver's seat for a year now in anticipation of this. In fact it came at almost the perfect time. I have a few more months here in AZ and then its back to Seattle and my baby.
Me and my baby:

Ed and my baby:

Current Mood: calm

Livejournal has the ability to insert video's into your journal entry's now. I have a short video at the end of my entry.

The last week has been great for my charger. Almost all the rust is cut out and the patch panels welded in as well as sanded down and primed. Its amazing to see how much better it looks and to know that it will now last for a long time.
For this update I am going to do some before and after comparisons.

First see the rear quarters before:




And now see them:




Would you like to see the trunk floors? Before:



And witness after:



How about the front end?:



And after:



The following section will have some close ups and specifics on this weeks work:
As previously stated, the biggest improvement this week was getting the patch panels in and ground, sealed, sanded and primed:






You can see the quality of the work in the close up.

Another big piece was finishing the trunk which originally was badly rusted and had to be cut out completely along with the passenger side trunk extension and almost the whole passenger side rear quarter panel:



Then Ed inserted the new trunk floor and extension and welded them in place.



Below you can see where the trunk floor meets up with the trunk extension:



Here is the nearly finished product. You can see the stickers on the new quarter panel.

Also this week I sanded the hood and the trunk down to bare metal:




Which Ed then primed and blocked:




The gas tank got a couple more coats and additionally the taillight holes were sandblasted and repaired. The rear valence is also in the process of being set and mounted:



The following video is rather low quality since I took it with my camera phone, but check it out anyway. Its only 15 seconds long:

Current Mood: peaceful

Friday was a good day for several reasons. The part we've been waiting for arrived and so we can really tackle the biggest part of the project which is the passenger side rear quarter trunk and patch panel.



That and I got a couple pebbles out of my gas tank with a screw driver and a wrench. Then I painted it with POR 15.



Monday should be a big day!

Welding and sanding and blocking oh my!
Before I arrived Ed blocked the front driver side quarter panel for the first time!
When I got there I sanded the paint off the front valence panel which proved rather difficult because there are a lot of contours on it and every once in a while I would launch a rotary sandpaper fisbee across the shop on accident. Nevertheless I prevailed!



While I was doing this, Ed welded in the patch panel for the driver side rear quarter. As it is now its rough, though the panel fits nicely. After some grinding and sanding and bondo and paint you will never know that there was once rust there.



In other news we put the hood back on after treating it with a chemical stripper. It is still going to take some work though. It was really rough and that is going to be an important piece.



So far, sooo good.
Peace

Current Mood: happy

Today we were rockin 'n' rollin. We got the trunk rust cut out and welded in a new panel.





I removed the trim around the back windows so that Ed can prep and paint that area and put it back on top of the new vinyl top that his friend is going to make. Ed also did some bondo work and spray primed the driver side front quarter panel and door.



I wire brushed the gas tank and put a chemical anti rust solution on it as well. Finally I ordered a new filler neck-trunk floor gasket with metal insert to replaced the old worn out one.



Things are coming together and we are discovering good things not bad. It turns out that the passenger side is in better condition than the driver side. Usually you discover problems on top of problems. Relatively smooth sailing so far.

Fridays I work a half day so I took the opportunity to work on my Charger for the second half of the day. Ed doesnt work on Fridays so i spend 2 and a half hours in his shop removing the interior door panels so I could access the door handle bolts, as well as those of the side mirror and lock.




This allows us to strip the paint around these areas as well as cover everything with paint so it looks crisp.
Then I removed the rear taillight assembly.



Now we will be ready to rock on monday and get the rest of the paint off!

After the fast start we got on day 1, day 2 went a little slower. We really didnt have as much time however Ed did cut out the rusted areas on the driver side rear quarter panel in such a way that we can weld in the cut out patch panel.



Here is the patch panel he cut out of the rear quarter skin I brought him.



The panel fits very well and I recommend YearOne to anyone doing a restoration project. Its hard to find aftermarket pieces that fit this well.
Additionally Ed took off the banged up rear valence and cut the piece I brought to fit. Again it fits like a glove.



This project is going well so far. I work a half day tomorrow so the rest of the day will be spent alone in the shop taking apart the doors and removing the mouldings and trim. I anticipate a pile of 38 year old dirt on the floor by the end of the day.

Today is an exciting day. For years I have been working on my Charger fixing and improving internal components wishing that I could learn to prep and paint the exterior in a glossy black. Today I spent my extra time with Ed stripping the old primer to steel and removing bumpers, valences, lights, and cutting out the rusty parts. Its rather impressive how many nuts and bolts are hidden under the moulded panels of a car. We also fixed the door so it doesnt squeek and so it lines up much better as well as welding in a patch panel to fix the rusty area.




Tomorrow I will be bringing in the new body panels that I have so we can cut them to patch the original ones as well as trunk floors, driver side floor and window mouldings. Things are really moving well and I cannot wait until the prep work is done!




Until tomorrow, Mopar or no car

Well, my front brakes are now disc after a long and difficult conversion. As you know I took the front disc's of a 1979 Dodge Aspen from Pull-A-Part and replaced my worn out front drum brakes. I learned a lot about the suspension and the brake mechanisms in the process. I took my charger to The Northwest Brake Shop to have them look it over and make sure that it is safe. This afternoon I will know.
Tomorrow I will take it to Ed, who has been doing body and paint work for 25 years. He and I will work side by side to turn beast into beauty. I am so excited I can hardly stand it.
I'm going from this:

To this:

When I get back from Arizona I will assemble my 451, install the 3.91 rearend and the GearVendor overdrive unit, turning beauty into a beast again!

Current Mood: content

I know you are excited to hear about how my trip to Baja went with pictures included so here goes:

Paul and I flew into Cabo San Lucas and were immediatly ambushed by Grom and his sister Shannon who jumped out of their Caravan with squirt guns. The first thing Paul blurted out was "don't shoot me I have my cell phone". We never once used a cell phone during our 6 week trip.
Like most people coming out of American society we were wound up, talked about nothing of real importance, and were white as snow. It took us several days to slow down, look around and really appreciate life the way it should be.

The people we stayed with were fantastic fun individuals. Grom and Shannon have been kiteboarding for several years and were previously ski racers from Colorado territory. They were a breath of fresh air from life as we know it. Johnny was a pharmacology student in Baja to unwind from the stress of school. He turned out to be a really great guy who Paul and I bonded with strongly.

We all lived together in tents with our central space being what is referred to as a palapa. Essentially it is a palm thatched roof over walls woven out of saplings. Grom and Shannon and Suzi, Grom's girlfriend, had driven down with lawn chairs, cooking stoves, dishes, tables and enough other things to resemble a civilized living space. Sharing food, rent and gas costs made our living very affordable.
We stayed on the beach in a small town 30 minutes east of La Paz. Every morning waking up to the cries of a rooster and hitting the water as soon as the wind picked up. As a beginner kiteboarder I was a little more hesitant than the others but as soon as I started having real success and thanks to the instruction of Paul I was stoked to hit the water with gusto.

Paul, Grom and Shannon are all IKO kiteboarding instructors so I couldnt have been better off. After about a week I was getting up on a board and going down wind. It took me a while to get the hang of kiting back upwind, and then finally getting some airtime.

The beach was beautiful and the days warm; the sky was blue and the people friendly. I made many friends and had about 30 people's names and something interesting about them committed to memory within a week. I am certain I have made friends for life. Most of the people there live on the west coast from Canada down through Oregon; a delightful crowd. We would drive north about 10 minutes and then launch and ride the air down wind to our campsite. This helped me practice until I was confident and capable enough to go back up wind. Together we build a slider, which is much like a rail to jump onto, slide and jump off of. It was a success until Grom slammed into it and bruised his thigh.


On days where the wind wasnt blowing we would entertain ourselves in otherways. Either playing football on the beach, walking in the desert, watching movies on laptops, swimming, body boarding, wakeboarding, or just socializing. We snorkled, fished, and hunted goats.
One day I took a field trip to find the largest cactus in Mexico. It was over 60 feet tall and probably more than 600 years old.

The goat hunt was an amazing experience. Our camground host YoYo has a federal permit to exterminate the goats off of the 20 mile long island several miles east off the coast of La Ventana where we stayed. About 60 years ago the army put goats on the island in case the Japanese attacked through Baja providing a source of food. However, the goats soon got out of control with no natural predators and ate many of the species of cactus native to the area. The solution, send me, Paul, Grom and our friend Steve over to the island to hunt. We got up before dawn, loaded the boat with water and guns and YoYo's dog and friend Enrique. Then we unloaded on the island and set off with Enrique and the dog as our guides. Paul and Steve documented the hunt and I hunted. It was difficult keeping up with Enrique as he scrambled up the El Royo's as a goat. We spotted a herd about a kilometer up and set a course to head them off. We got to the top and approached quietly. As we came up over the crest there was a herd of about 30 that immediatly sprinted down the otherside. Enrique and the dog set off after them and the rest of us tried to follow down through cactii and over rocks. Enrique shot on which was drug down and killed by the dog. The hunt was not over. Soon enough we split up Enrique and I taking one side and the others a different side. Enrique and I would flank a group of goats flushing them into each other's path and unloading with our .22's I dropped a huge billy goat which started rolling down the hill but then got up and ran off as I was reloading. Rather frustrated with how powerless our guns were I became determined to make sure to get at least one goat. I found one by its self shading itself under a large cactus. I crept up and sighted so I couldnt miss. I hit it and it bolted. Stalking it by myself for about 30 minutes Enrique and I finally found it. Thankfully I had mortally wounded it and we were able to clean it without chasing it any furthur. Enrique gutted it and made in essence a goat backpack for me to haul down the mountain.
We set off back down the mountain with our goats. It was easier to throw the beast 20 feet down at a time and the scramble after it since one of my 'backpack' straps tore. At about 1pm YoYo picked us up with a couple fish that he had caught.
The following day YoYo prepared the goats and we had a BBQ'd goat feast. I made a bunch of tzatsiki to go with it which turned out to be a big hit. It was by far the best goat I have ever had.
I was sore the next day but we kited anyway. On sundays we watched NFL football at our friend's Kent and Cynthia's house on the beach complete with beer, chips and an overstuffed sofa. We had the pleasure of watching the playoffs and then the superbowl. Unfortunatly the Seahawks got knocked out but it was still fun to watch players like Ledainian Tomlinson, Payton Manning, and Brian Urlacher (and Champ Bailey in the probowl).
We took a road trip to the otherside of the Baja penninsula to Punta Marquez where we had large waves for kitesurfing. I documented with a video camera since I tried the waves with too small a kite and ended up washing down wind a kilometer. We had a bonfire that night with tequila and stories. Mark and Mary led us there in their 1970's volkswagen bus.
Prior to this we did spend a couple nights in Cabo San Lucas dropping Suzi off at the airport. We went clubbing at the Luv Shack and El Squid Roe with the locals and tourists alike. I had a blast as usual.
I extended my trip from 4 to 6 weeks so I could spend more time with Paul and really get where I wanted to be in the sport of Kiteboarding. On one of the no wind days we went tuna fishing with Captain Bob, BJ, Scott and Steve. It was an all day event which you can see many pictures of at www.thefacebook.com in my profile under photo's. I caught a few beautiful Bonita tunas as well as a very large Cabria that we had prepared by the chef's at the Giggling Marlin for 5 dollars that evening. BJ caught a large beautiful yellowfin tuna which I believe is Ahi. The meat is exquisite.



The last day of my trip was probably the best since the wind was great and I had was able to launch at our campsite and go upwind about a quarter mile then take my time on the way back. Paul and I went out at the end of the day together. He led and I followed right behind keeping as far upwind as he was. We normally would do downwinders from northcamp; this time we did an upwinder to northcamp. Kiting with him both of us wearing Swedish National Soccer team jerseys and stoked on life was incredible. We raced up to northcamp Paul taking first, me seconds behind and Marcus a minute later. We sat on the beach at northcamp with our kites flying side by side discussing the jumping lesson Paul was going to teach on the way back down to camp and the tuna feast that awaited us prepared by Scott and Carrie a wonderful couple from Canada that we became close with and who I hope to see again next year.

Above is a picture I took of Paul which will be on his board sponsor Crazyfly's website.
And we were off! I got about 6 feet of air and landed it again and again. I landed as many as I crashed and really got a feel for letting the wind carry you up and up and then trying to glide down and land as smoothly as possible. It was exhilarating. We landed and put our kites away together and now I'm officially certified IKO level 3, sweet...

My main goals for this trip were to spend time with my brother Paul, learn to kite, and really stop to smell the roses. I got all that and much much more. Now I am back in civilization and rejuvenated for the next phase of my life which is working for a couple months and getting things set up for my 6 month training in Military Intelligence in Arizona. Life couldnt be better. Salud, y amor, y tiempo para gustados!

Current Mood: cheerful

Thessoloniki is fantastic so far ladies and gentlemen. It is striking distance from the tomb of Phillip II of Macedon, Alexander the Great's father and a lot of archeological sights. However, I have been spending most of my time with a group of about 60 foreign exchange students from all over the world. I am using my swedish daily by speaking to the Norwegians and Swedes here.
I am staying with Danielle and her great roommate Lauren who have been teaching me Greek bit by bit. Its been great to go out with a different group each night to a different club, or watch a horror movie together, and talk over cups of coffee or a home made meal.
Last night was an exception however. I was in for a treat as the student body per tradition rioted in the streets. This was met with an organized (though rather undisciplined) force of riot control police and military who used an excess of tear gas to disperse the crowds. I spent a good hour in the vicinity disguised as much as possible as a Greek spectator and got several good doses of the gas. This is nothing new as it is annually part of my military training, however the environment I experienced it in was rather unusual.
Thessoloniki is big but I am oriented and can get around quite easily with out getting lost. More updates to come with pictures!

Choking down emotions so strong it makes me want to vomit, I stare out the window of the speeding taxi. Chewing gum and idly playing with my worry beads to keep myself distracted from thinking about what I know will hurt. Its not working...I feel it now, and can do nothing but embrace it. I know pain, physical and mental anguish, but not like this. This is a profound feeling of loss, its almost staggering. I accept it as inevitable and something that will become less and less frequent as time passes. I must find the time to mourn; now is not the time. Thus, I endure. Going through the motions of paying the driver, checking in and boarding the plane as if in a dream state; I'm trying not to feel... Low blood sugar can't be helping so I grab a sandwhich and a half litre of water before boarding.
As I watch the island of Crete grow smaller through the window I think about all the good times we had and how we changed each other's lives in the process. Farewell Mia, I love you.

Current Mood: melancholy

Well, we finally got to camp!
I wish I had the photo's to share right now but I promise I will update this post with pictures. We drove our tiny little rental daewoo out to the northern most peninsula on Crete and hiked in a couple kilometers to an amazing cove surrounded by cliffs and goats. We camped an a sand spit that stuck out from the beautiful beach. The sun was setting as we set up my brand new Sierra Design's tent. Its an amazing design specific for high wind situations. We set it up for a south wind which we had at the time...
We scoured the landscape for firewood and after a half hour had a roaring fire going at which point we at dinner by the fire. The stars were out in force and we finished the evening reading our books bundled up inside the tent. Around two am the wind changed direction and began gusting to approximately 70 kph. Then came the rain. My tent was being pelted all night. Even though Poseidon was throwing himself at us the tent remained strong and shed the wind and rain like it was a mere nuisance. I love this tent.

The pointy corner has whats called a Jake's corner with a tripod setup that is extremely strong. I can lean most of my weight on it without it buckling. So we were warm and comfy in the storm and waited until noon the next day when the rain let up to pack up quickly and hike out.
We drove south to escape the weather and found a nice place to spend the night. The following day I wanted more camping so we went furthur south and found a great beach town with one open restaurant. It was Mia's birthday and we spent it camping on the beach and fishing naked. Good times. Today we are halfway to Knossos the ancient minoan capital where the labyrinth and the minotaur are fabled to have existed. Tomorrow we will see. I will update you with pictures as soon as I can upload them.

Before I tell you and show you pictures of Crete I wanted to talk a little about Santorini and show you how beautiful it is.
Santorini has survived several huge earth quakes the first one several thousand years before Christ which plunged most of the island into the ocean. There was said to be civilization on the island at the time and that it sank and is now themythological lost civilization of Atlantis In 1926 the volcano at the center of the island errupted creating the newest Greek land mass.

The greeks of Santorini have dug out the cliffs and created beautiful residences as well as hotels and restaurants on the cliff side. We found a place called Hotel Loucas which normally would be 140 Euro a night that we got for 110 for the first three nights and then 80 for the last saving a good 120 Euro. Breakfast was included. yes, we splurged but what an amazing place to be. Our room was dug into the cliff and had two bathrooms a huge bed, two stories, a jacuzzi, cable tv, refrigerator and was at the center of the island with the best view of the caldera (the sunken basin with the volcano in the middle).

Everything is expensive in Santorini since it is a huge tourist attraction during the high season but we went to Oia on the Northern tip and found things 50%off and a good selection. I got a nice normally 140 euro Esprit watch for 70.

There were even more dogs in Santorini and they would rove around with you chasing cats and fighting amongst each other. We couldnt help but take some photo's of them. They are all mutts that were owned as puppies until the children tired of them and they eventually just went furthur and furthur from home each night for food. They have interbred so much that you can hardly tell what they are anymore though its fun to try.

One of our day trips was to a wine museum which gave us an appreciation for how much work goes into making wine and just how they do it. It included a wine tasting of a white, a red, and a dessert wine. The dessert wine being my favorite. Unfortunatly I found a dead rat in one of their exhibits. (They had a 300 meter underground tunnel with life sized exhibits of the wine making process).

The nasty weather rolled in part way through our stay on Santorini. Precisely at 6pm each evening the sky would open up and pour down buckets of rain. It was apparently a very strange occurance on Santorini. Luckily we were happily eating and drinking at a local taverna. The weird weather made for several neat pictures of the sun and clouds...


Another of our day trips was to take a sail boat to the volcano and hike up to the four volcano sites. It was quite beautiful with different colored layers of rock, basalt, obsidian and many others, from red to black. The second stop was to a hotsprings where I jumped off the boat and swam through fridgid water to get to the spring which was on the coast in the shallows. It wasnt nearly as cold as Puget Sound but the springs tasted aweful. Nonetheless it was a worthwhile experience.



There was steam coming out of this hole.

We decided that to escape the bad weather we would go to Crete and hopefully camp. When we got to Crete it warming up, things are less expensive here and its quite beautiful in Hania a coastal town. I bought a silver and bronze ring with the seal (profile head) of Alexander the great which I really like and a fake armani belt as well as some worry beads and a 4 dollar bottle of Hugo Boss cologne. Besides that we have been eating well and everyone gives you a couple shots of Raki after dinner (a 40% alcohol that is made from what is left after grapes are pressed) and send you on your way. I am getting the hang of the greetings and how to use them which is nice. People keep talking to me in Greek after I greet them until I can get in that I am not Greek :) We found a great place to stay and are saving over 60 euro a night here from the high season price and due to some sweet talking. We have stayed for four nights and just moved to an even better priced and similarly accomodating suite. Hania is beautiful when its sunny and even through the infrequent storm...

While I have been typing this Mia lined up a flight for me for wednesday to Thessolonikki and a flight for her to Jordan to visit her sister. We have a little less than a week left together and are going to rent a car today or tomorrow to take to knossos the minoan ruins and camp while the weather is nice. I'll be damned if I carried my tent and sleeping bag and have no opportunity to use it. It will happen.


Does anyone else want a post card?

Love, Kris

Current Mood: energetic

Yasas friends and family,
Everything is going wonderfully I wanted to post something since it has been a while. We have spent the last 5 days on the island of Santorini where it was believed that Atlantis existed 5500 years ago before a massive earth quake sunk most of the island.

We have lots of pictures which we need to find a place to upload. Its beautiful here and we have been staying in a hotel that is dug into the cliffs.
The food is great and there are a lot of shops around that sell all kinds of neat stuff at off season prices.
I have been reading an author named Steven Pressfield who writes about ancient civilizations and the battles that took place in ancient times. I just finished his book called "Alexander; the virtues of war" which is a great historical fiction novel and I am looking forward to to the next. Its great fun reading about the history of Greece and invisioning ancient times.
We are leaving for Crete tomorrow morning at 4:40 and will stay there for nearly 2 weeks exploring minoan ruins. I will have a more detailed update within a day or two including pictures of the last week.

Today started much like yesterday, late-ish morning, breakfast of eggs, sausages and nescafe. Only today we took the moped and drove inland, up the mountains to Lefkis the original capital of Paros. This town was designed to be hard to reach for pirates and the way they built the streets and buildings it is very convoluted and misleading. You can never see whats around the next corner. You cannot drive on most of the inner streets though I did see a moped or two parked.

We walked the streets getting lost and then finding ourselves again and taking pictures along the way:

In the middle of the town is a relatively new and attractivly built cathedral:

Behind which we found a cemetary that sloped downhill into a valley whose sides were comprised of three hills with Byzantine routes traversing each one.

At the base of the cemetary we discovered several giant plants that resembled agave. Their stalks were easily 15 feet tall and the leaves were probably 6 feet long and a foot wide:

We had lunch in Lefkis and then headed to Piso Livades a small seaside town where a friend of Mia's has a house. We expected the house to be boarded up but we still wanted to see what the area looked like. So we headed down from the mountains and into a quaint sea side town through a small forest of eucalyptus trees. We found the house next to a small chapel overlooking a pebble beach.

We spent some time down on the beach enjoying the view. The light was great for photo's we snapped a few:



Then it was back to the studio's for a little relaxation. I was speeding about 20 kph over and still getting passed by everyone. Its rediculous sometimes but we are adapting. Another thing is that between 2:00 and 5:00 people take a siesta. They close up shop head home for lunch and a nap or some chill time. I saw a guy today at 6pm walking down the street in full pajamas with slippers on rubbing his eyes.
One quick gripe I have is at the restaurants they will give you a basket of bread and then it shows up on the bill at around 2 euros. They dont ask if you want it, they assume. Oh well. Now I know if I don't want it I can just say so.
My greek is getting slowly better. I can say, Please, thank you, yes, no, hello, and good afternoon. I'm still working on fine tuning pronounciation and then I'll move on to expanding my vocabulary.
I'm going to call it a night with the grasshopper we found in the cemetary, I'm getting hungry...

Current Mood: contemplative

Hello dear friends and family!
I have finally been able to sleep in until about 930 and only woke up once last night at 6 instead of 330. Things are looking up. This morning I made a delicious breakfast of bacon, fresh eggs, fresh bread and hot chocolate. We ate it out in the sun looking out over the blue water and the olive orchards. Most of the day was spent walking around the area exploring and taking in the sights as well as swimming and having a picnic on the beach. It was relaxing.
At some point an army of flies found their way into our studio... for 15 minutes there was a fierce battle and then silence. The army of flies was defeated to the last one.
I'm in town now for a beer and some dinner, Mia is resting. Tomorrow we head to Lefkis the former Capital town of Paros. It is in the mountains and very cleverly designed to confuze and separate the invading pirates so the locals could pick them off. We will be taking pictures to share. Goodnight!

We are now settled at our studio and able to enjoy our surroundings. Our host is a very interesting man named Argiris a former merchant marine sailor who delivered aluminum for making planes to Oregon during Vietnam. He has a wonderful olive orchard, a pomogranite tree (he gave us one) and several lemon, tangerine, and orange trees. He even has a banana tree that he says is for decoration. There are lots and lots of grapes and 10 chickens which provide us with fresh eggs every morning. He has given us fresh olive oil and we are in town now to pick up the ingredients for a greek salad for this evening.

The beach is down a little footpath about 200m from the studio and we have a direct view of the nearby town and port across the bay from us. It is truly picturesque.

I havent been this stress free and happy in a long while. I can just imagine how rejuvinated I will be when I get back, ready to tackle just about anything.
Does anyone know a good web site that we can upload 3 mb pictures to and share with you.
Thank you for your replies and remember I will be glad to send you post cards if you provide me your address.
Love, Kris

Current Mood: excited

Well, it seems this trip is going to be fantastic!
Today was by far the best so far and it only is going to get better.
Let me fill you in...
First we got up ass-early and caught the 725 ferry to Patos. Now these ferry's arent the kind we washingtonians are used to they are the bastard children of a catamaran, a WSDOT ferry and a cruise liner. 26 euros for a 4 hour trip. We arrived in Paros and of course were ambushed by tourist hungry service providers. After we shouldered our way past we found out that our campsites were closed for the season. Luckily enough a kind man and his brother put us up in their (rather sketchy) hotel for 25 euros total for one night. We spent the rest of the day on a 50cc scooter scouting out the beaches, hotels, studio apartments, and hostels.
For lunch we found an internet cafe/sports bar where I was able to catch the Liverpool/Manchester United game. (This is the second game I have watched this week previously Chelsea/Barcelona) tonight is Barcelona/Real Madrid. By happenstance we discovered a little studio apartment 10 minutes from the port overlooking the beach with a nice kitchenette, bathroom and covered private patio which we convinced the owner to open up for us for a week.

Nearly all the accomodations are closed, however the euro is a powerful thing... List price 50 euro a day, our price 28. That settled, we headed back for town for supplies and to negotiate a deal for transportation for a week. We paid 10 euro for the first motorcycle for one day, time to see what a week of revenue and some fancy talking would do- at a different business. We have our transportation for the week at a grand total of 52 euros. Thats 7.41 euros a 24 hour period.

List price 15 euros for 7 days 105, our price 52 (and a bigger bike).
So now our lodging and transportation is set for a week on this delightful island for 252 euros between two of us. Food and beer are about half of what I am used to as well.
Things are looking great and so far the weather is beautiful.

I was royally pissed about how our plane landed an hour and 15 min late and cost us 105 euros to get a last minute taxi to our connection and I lost a $450 jacket so I'm starting a tally of our savings to make myself feel better:
Maliscious Expenses: 105 Euro (Taxi)- 17 Euro (Bus) = 88
Arcteryx Jacket $450
Total= $538

Savings: Lodging: List 350 - 200 off season price = $150
Transportation: Taxi list $12 - haggle price $8 = $4
: Moped 1 rental list price $15 - haggle price 10$ = $5
: Moped 2 rental list price $105 - $70 off season price - haggle deduction $18 dollars = $53
Souveniers: Item 1 list $15.50 - haggle price $10.00 = $5.50
Total savings of: $217.50
We are getting there and its only day 5!

There will be plenty of pictures tomorrow.

Love, Kris

Current Mood: cheerful