Roughing it

Here are a few pics of us "roughing it". I woke up early to do the laundry one morning, and Tres caught me in action. I then volunteered him to hang the lines for us so the clothes could dry. Here is another pic of "home sweet home". This is the first home we have owned. Check out all our laundry drying. Tres also took this shot at the beach where we are staying. I thought it looked like a professional shot. This is the trip of a lifetime, and we are enjoying it 100%. We are so glad we made the decision to do it, and thank you all for being interested. Until next time.

Kavala/Phillipi

I must say our 3 hour ferry ride to Kavala was easy, and we got away with sitting in the reserved section. I don't know how, but we didn't have to sit on the deck outside with all the "commoners". :) I am glad that this campsite wasn't my first introduction, or I wouldn't have made it through the last one. This is like the Hilton of camping sites. It is so clean, nice, and has every ammenity you could ask for. We spent the night and then had a full day the next day. We started off headed for Phillipi to see the ruins because of the Christian significance -- first European Christian church. We started off talking to the guy at the ticket booth, Alex. He was very friendly and talkative so we asked him about some mudbaths we had seen signs for. He said he had been there that morning, and we should check them out. We asked if they were walkable, and he said about 2 miles from the site so we decided to head for it. He then said, "Why don't you just take my scooter?" to which we replied, "ok". He didn't know us at all but said we seemed trustworthy. We got on the scooter (Tres drove it like a pro, especially for his first time driving one) and headed for the mudbaths. They were quite an experience. I have never seen so many naked, old women in my life. Yes, that is me with the mud all over. It was 45 minutes in a lake of mud. Men and women were sepearate, and Tres said I should be glad about that. Afterwards, we took the scooter back. Tres didn't want to and headed for the ruins. It was a pretty sacred experience because we saw the prison that Paul and Silas were in (check out the book of Acts in the Bible) which is pictured and the remains of the first Christian church that Paul helped start (the cross is from a piece of the first church). It was a great day all in all. We then took the bus back to our campsite for a late dinner of traditional Greek food. We ate up.

Leaving Samothraki

We left Samothraki around noon but took some last minute shots that morning. Here is a shot of the toilet of the campground where we stayed. Nice, huh? I opted for the normal toilet at the office everyday. I just couldn't master that one. Tres preferred the normal toilet too. The sheep were crossing the road that morning at our campsite while we were waiting for the bus stop. It was cute. The church is a little church Tres and I had seen the morning before so we hiked there while we were waiting for the ferry. It was really pretty and nice to see in the sun. We completely enjoyed this island and hope the next stop is as great.

Gods and Hot Springs

Day two of Samothraki. We woke up early to catch the bus. We found out this island runs a little like Mexico -- very late. The bus was 30 minutes late. We could have slept in. We first went into town and bought our tickets for the ferry in order to leave the next day. Then we headed to a place called the Sanctuary of the Gods. It is full of Ancient ruins. The Nike Monument was the famous ruin that used to be in this Garden. The sign read 5 kilometers which is roughly around 2.5-3 miles so we thought sure we can do this. 40 minutes later we were wondering if the road would ever end. Fortunately, a guy stopped and picked us up. Don't freak out, mom and dad! He was a Greek now American, and was so happy to meet us. He is a professor in NYC and talked our ear off. He was really nice though and dropped us off at our spot. The Garden was neat, pretty, and we enjoyed a nice lunch of grapes and real Samothraki cheese that we had bought from the market. Later that day we took a bus to a village called Therma where there were outdoor hotsprings on top of the hill. Luckily for us, we had them all to ourselves. We then found a great little restaurant where we enjoyed a great Greek meal. WE had Tzatsiki, greek beans, greek salad, and Tres ordered a burger which he later thought to possibly be a lamb burger so he did enjoy true Greek cuisine too :) It was a great day and night, and we will miss this island too but on to new adventures on the mainland of Greece.

Day One In Samothraki

We had a blast in Samothraki. Talk about beautiful -- this island definitely is. We decided to take the day and hike to some waterfalls nearby. The walk there was 4 kilometers which wasn't bad. Our new Dutch friend Raz went with us. The first waterfall was a pretty easy hike and was well worth it. We decided to go on to the next waterfall which was a pretty tough hike up some huge mountains with falling rock. We were troopers though,and it payed off. The water felt great and the waterfall was fun. Tres jumped from some high rocks into it. Raz and I watched. We then decided to try for the third one which was a real hikers trail. It was tight on the mountain with the three of us, and we didn't have as much conversation as the trails before. I loved the third waterfall because there was a sort of natural waterslide which I loved sliding down. No one was there but us so we really loved it. We had a great day and in total spend from 12:30 - 7:30 hiking! We had the international dinner that night and ate heartily with our friends and slept well. This island was a great choice.

The Campsite

We arrived at the campsite along with many other backpackers. It was cool because everyone else had huge packs like us and were around our age. I did not know what to expect seeing I had never stayed in a tent before. We arrived at night so I couldn't see much, but it loked fine. Tres set up the tent like a pro -- in the dark. The next day I saw much more. First of all, the campsite was on the beach which was nice to hear the ocean when I slept. The shower was another issue. It was basically a concrete slab with some shower heads hooked to it. I was a little unnerved but seeing it was right off the beach it was ok because we could just shower in our swimsuits. The water was very cold though. We did shower in our swimsuits, but others didn't!!! That was very unnerving! Our tent was great, and I actually liked sleeping in the tent ; although, we had the stricktest rules on the campsite. The tent was to be zipped at all times unless we were getting in or out. We also were the only bugfree tent on the campsite. We made friend with some great people from Holland, Scotland, and France and had a dinner with them all one night of Greek food by our tents. It was great fun with much interesting conversation. Tres had hotdogs, of course, but he did branch out and try Tzatsiki which he learned he likes. We had a great time at the campsite and enjoyed all the people. The bathrooms we did not get a pic of, but they were Turkish toiletts which are in the ground with two places for your feet so you can bend. Needless to say, I did not use them. I cheated and used the one ordinary toilet at the office :) More pics and adventures to come.

Samothraki, here we come!

We were sad to leave Lesvos because it was such a relaxing time for us. We caught the ferry for Samothraki which was an interesting experience in itself. A Greek woman and family came up to us on the ferry and starting talking Greek. They realized we didn't speak Greek and just kept talking -- in Greek. They were so funny. They ended up spending most of the 9 hour ferry ride with us; although, we really couldn't communicate. They would point to things and say the Greek word so we got a great Greek lesson. They had a cute granddaughter that we played with for quite a while too. Maybe they just wanted a babysitter :) Anyway, when we were leaving the ferry, they ran after us and gave us big hugs. It was such a neat experience. The Greeks are very friendly people or as far as we have experienced so far. Here is a pic of us on the ferry and the family.

Petra and Olive Trails

We took our car out for a spin this day. We went to Petra where there is a church on top of a big rock. We climbed 114 steps just to get there!!! When we reached the top, we were welcomed by a sign saying no shorts allowed or provocative wear. I was wearing shorts, and Tres was wearing something provocative so we couldn't enter. We did get a good look inside the doors. We just didn't step inside. Next we hit a trail along the coast filled with olive trees, grape vines, and pomagranite trees. It was a long hike and at time treacherous. Tres made it even a little more treacherous by climbing up rocks that jutted over the ocean. I was a nervous wreck and did not participate in the climbing. He looked pretty cool up there though. The hike back was long, hot, and tiring. We jumped in the beach for a quick cool off and then headed back for a nap, dinner, a movie, and donuts. The movie was in an outdoor theatre which was really a neat experience. We had a great day and night. We have half a day left here in Molyvos and will miss it. It has been great and so relaxing. We look forward to Samothraki which is the next island. More hot springs, waterfalls, and hikes.

Hot Springs!!!!

So, Eftalou Hot Springs were our first time in thermal baths. They are all natural and supposedly very good for you. The water was 100 degrees Farenheit! Even my mom may have had a hard time with this bath, and she loves hot baths. Our longest stay in the water was about 5 minutes, and we were the best in the bath. Any longer than that, and you felt like you may faint. We would get in, soak, then get out and cool off in the ocean. Tres, especially, like the cooling off part. There were quite a few people bathing with us. Don't worry, no nudity. When we were finished, we definitely felt refreshed and exhausted. Nap time! After our nap, we headed off to the "village" for a nice greek dinner. We also had nice Greek desserts which were huge and delicious. We may come back with an extra 10 pounds. It was a great day, and we slept well that night.

Nassos Guesthouse and Eftalou

The guesthouse we stayed in was amazing. The rooms were very Greek, and the view was breathtaking. We slept with the windows open every night, and no bugs came in!!! It was like Paradise here. Our first full day we woke up at noon and headed straight for the beach. Surprised? It was beautful, but rated R for nudity. There were more naked people than we had ever seen and ever cared to see, especially in their physical state. No pics. We just relaxed, jumped off some rocks, soaked in the sun, and covered our eyes.

The Ferry Ride and Olives

So, exhausted as we were, we made it to Pireaus via the suburban railway which was much cleaner than the airport floor. The costs were than we had expected. I almost had a heart attack because the budge got off by about 5 dollars :) Tres didn't even know we had a budget. We were famished so we decided to grab a bit to eat, but not before we bought the ferry tickets from an old Greek man yelling at us from his wheelchair in front of his shop. The tickets were bought. Time for some food. I had a Greek salad and tried olives for the first time!!! they were the good kind -- not the green or black we eat in the USA. I loved them. Tres opted for an even more traditional greek dish -- pizza. He loved it. He says papa johns is better though. After getting on the ferry, we found two nice comfortable benches ( life jacket bins) on which to nap. We slept a total of 7.5 hours out of the 9 hour ferry ride. We also got a "treat" on the ferry for a pick me up -- ice cream. It is a universal food. We arrived safely in Lesvos, eventually found the Avis car rental representative, and started on our midnight car ride to Molyvos, Lesvos.

Headed for Greece

We finally headed off the Marco Polo in Stockholm and headed for Germany. Our luggage was out of control. It's a good thing we were on a train and not an airplane. We arrive in Kiel after a long day of train hopping. Joe picked us up. It was great to see him. It was even better to sleep in his house and take a bath in his nice, big tub in his nice, big house :) We stayed two days in Kiel and had a good time and ate alot. We left on the 16th from Felda where my sister lives with our backpacks, tent, and sleeping bags attached. Check out the pics. After many transportation complications, we made it to Athens at midnight. We had no place to go and since Athens isn't the safest city at night, we opted to sleep in the airport baggage claim area along with a few other backpackers. Let's be honest, it looked like a homeless shelter in there with us all sleeping on the chairs and our backpacks on the ground around us. I got a nice comfortable bench chair combo while Tres got the B-rated floor. When he wasn't sleeping on the concrete floor, he passed the time by riding the conveyor belt. We made it safe, got around 3 hours of sleep, and left the next day to tackle finding the ferry, food, and cheap tickets.