reoryn

Well, here I am back in Athens. It's my last day here and I'm spending it with Katherine and Clivia. Clivia has a flat here, so we're taken care of for the next couple of nights. I am extremely grateful. Today, we just lounged about after our long train ride from Kalambaka to Athens. Our plan for today is to walk around the Plaka and then to climb the hill next to the Acropolis for a view of the city at sunset. I think it will be a fitting end to this great trip.

In the next 24 hours or so, i'll be home in Tucson. Not really looking forward to it, for several reasons. I'm sure that i'll have some culture shock, for sure. After I get back, I have to immediately jump back into graduate school mode, as i have meeting the next day at noon. For now, i'm going to enjoy my time here.

So the season has officially ended, and, I might add, on an exciting note. The site has garnered much buzz after the minoan lentoid find, the middle helladic pottery (both of which dates the site to much older than previously thought), and also on Alexis' miniature bronze tripod (which was the first one found in the last hundred years or so). I would love to come back next season to work on the altar with Art and Ethni, hopefully as an excavator.

I've spent the last couple of days traveling. I was in Athens for 2 days, saw the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Kerameikos, and the National Museum. Said goodbye to Sarah and Dan, which was very sad, and hopped on a bus to Delphi with my travel buddy Katherine. We saw the museum and then did the sanctuary, which was amazing. Afterwards, we decided to do a later site, so we made our way to Meteora. Somehow, by the blessing of the gods, we made it here, and picked up some friends on the way. Steve, who's from California, Pietro, from Brazil, and Gloria, from Basque country. It's been a blast. Meteora is famous for its jutting rocks which house a handful of remote monasteries. Phil, I think you would really appreciate it here (and I got you something as well ;)

Tomorrow, we're hoping to catch a train back to Athens and spend some time with Clivia before we go home.

Thanks everyone for wishing me a happy b-day! I had tons of fun here. Sarah Ward got me some art supplies for a present and Allisa got me some wine. At dinner, Mary bought some teramisu cake and they surprised me (kinda) with birthday songs and candles. My last present was from the whole group, which were worry beads. Of course, that wasn't the end of it. A small group of us went off to the terrace and had tequila and juice. All in all, a memorable birthday.

For the long weekend, I went to Nafplio, a Greek/Venetian resort town. We lucked out tremendously with our room and got a great view of the entire city along with a view of the ocean. Its a nice town, if you like the typical tourist town, which suited our group just fine. We had great food, relaxed, and drank. I wanted to see some sites nearby (Tiryns, Mycenae, Epidauros), but unfortunately the Greeks were on strike again...sigh. In any case, the small weekend trip felt like a real vacation, so i'm happy.

Work has been pretty rough this week, mainly due to the wind up on the ash altar. Everyday, we come down with ash on our faces, in our throats, in our noses, and in our ears. I found my first greek coin the other day, that was exciting. It was from Aigina. Oh, and Art and Ethni invited me to come dig with them at their site in Mexico this coming year! Can't pass that up. Anyway, that's about it, more stories to come...

Okay, i gotta make this quick. Stupid internet cafe. So last i left off, there was the weekend trip to Bassai. Well, because we can pretty much see the temple from the top of the Altar of Zeus, we were able to hike to the location in about 3 hours. The hike was fun, but seeing the temple was better (even though it's completely covered by a tarp). All i can say is that it was pretty freakin amazing. Afterwards, we went to the beach, which was nice and refreshing. I swear, every greek beach is from a fantasy. The next weekend we went to Olympia, but because of a strike from the greek archaeological society, we couldn't get in...Yeah it sucked. We got to see part of the sanctuary, hippodrome, and temple of Zeus outside the fences, but that was about it. This weekend is the long free weekend, so a huge group of us are going to the city of Napflio, which connects easily to Mycenae, Tiryns, and Epidauros. I'm excited. As for work, i have my own small survey team at the highest point of the site, the Ash Altar of Zeus. Yep. It's pretty cool. There are two trenches up there, both headed by world-reknowned archaeologists. On my free time from not shooting points, i get to sift through their buckets, which yield tons of bone and pottery. Yesterday, I found 3 metalic artifacts: an iron piece, one metallic handle to a hanging lamp, and a bronze ring. The altar is probably the best spot for finds on the site, so i'm very lucky to work right up there. Okay, gotta go, tonight they're going to party for my birthday!!!

So i'm here on the mountain. Actually, at this very moment i'm in the town of Megalopolis, just at the very bottom of the mountain. The living situation is interesting, not unlike a weird camp, but the place is beautiful, as is the surroundings. We've started working a bit, but not much, as the site needs to be cleared of weeds and trenches need to be planned out. I'm enjoying myself tremendously. Our days are very long (we wake up before dawn and end close to midnight). The cook feeds us well, because we desperately need the energy. I've been told the days get busier, but for now we've had long stretches of boredom during the middle of the day. We have no contact with the outside world: no t.v., no radio, no public phone, or internet (yet), so i'm pretty much relying on contact whenever i can get to the internet cafe. There are lots of bugs up here, and i here, mean scorpions. I'm going to be surprised to see a scorpion here before i see one in arizona. As for work, i'm the only other person, besides the assistant, to have any experience with surveying, which means i have more responsibility than expected. I don't mind it. The place is great, and i love staying active. I hope i'll get in better shape after this. That's about it. This weekend we're supposed to hike to my favorite temple in Greece, the Temple of Apollo at Bassai. It's in the most remote spot in the mountains with no form of civilization around. I'll send word afterwards and hopefully stay in contact more often, but that's probably not going to be the case. Oh, and veronica tells me i have jury duty. Of course that would happen.

That's right, what would an extended trip be for me without the airlines losing my luggage? Like at Harlaxton, I am currently at my hostel without toiletries and clothes. But I get ahead of myself. Frankfurt was pretty much boring as hell. After my funny attempt at updating (see previous entry), I took an extended nap on a bench and ate lots of german chocolate. My last flight was with Lufthansa, so I got some free beer and wine during the 2 hour flight. Happiness! A Norwegian guy sat next to me. We talked the whole time, which was pretty cool, as i have never met anyone from Norway. He was on his way to the Greek isles from Athens with his family who were scattered throughout the plane. At one point while we were talking, a flight attendant informed this guy sitting in front of us that some of his luggage were left behind at Frankfurt and that they would be sent to him later. The Norwegian and I joked about how that had happened to each of us before...little did i know that it would happen to me again (he got all of his luggage).

So here I am, at the Hotel Zorbas, wanting to go out, but not having anything to go out with...I feel really groddy. The shower was nice. I had to hunt down toiletries, as most stores are closed now. I can't believe i still haven't seen any temples or anything. I don't even really know where i am in Athens. Tomorrow, i want to get up early and see as much as i can. Hopefully, i'll have my shit by then. And at 2, i have to meet up with the rest of the group at the airport. So far, this has been one weird adventure.

Okay this is weird. I am currently at Frankfurt airport, killing some time before my flight to Athens. Its really weird trying to type on a German keyboard (the y is located at different spot. Anyway, the long flight was great, i got middle seating but pretty much got the whole spot to myself. okaz running out of time

Don't have much time. Just came on to say that i am, as we speak, off to Athens. My itinerary is Phoenix, Frankfurt, and then Athens. I'll come on periodically to say what's up. Wish me luck! Au Revoir!

So, I have a job. Actually, I have two jobs. The tutoring company hired me, but their current project has no open positions. They did contact me yesterday to tell me about another school project. However, it lasts until the end of July, which obviously does not work for me because I'll still be in Greece. I'm still going to try. The gig is 5 days a week, from 8-2 or so.

My other job is at a local thrift store on Speedway. It's not too bad, really easy job. I basically walk around and put clothes, shoes, books, junk, etc. on the shelves. Sometime this week, they're going to train me on the register, which should make things more interesting. The great part is, they already know that i'm leaving in a couple of weeks and they're allowing me to come back afterwards.

Finally, i have lots of crap to do yet to prepare for my trip, including packing and taking care of my biz-nass. Sigh. I really can't wait until I'm in Greece and I won't have to think about all of this stuff.

I think my dishydrosis is coming back.