Slow Week With One Major Exception

Ten days since the last update, wow. I would say I'm sorry for not keeping up but really not much has been going on. There was a bit of an altercation between some people in my group and a Georgian students that prompted us all to sort of lay low this week. Actually, it didn't require all that much, we were all sort of burned out after a few weeks of nonstop class to party action, and everyone seemed to want to rest up before our Easter break to the islands. Even in a slow week and half, however, there were some exceptions.

Visited that Dodoni oracle I mentioned in my last post. Pictures on flickr, and I added some videos to a YouTube Channel I just created. Also, that Wednesday we visited a wax museum of Greek National History done entirely by an P. Vrelis. I don't like wax museums -- they creep me out. And while I'm not trying to disrespect the artwork (because it's more than I will ever be able to do) I feel like if you are really that good a sculptor, then get a slab of marble and sculpt. Stop playing with crayons and candles. Anyway, the whole thing was tedious, long and felt like I was in line for some uber-bloody Revolutionaries of the Balkan States ride at Disneyland.

On Friday we took the best excursion yet. First we visited the Ancient Nicopolis (Actium) where there was an amphitheater that we could actually run around in. Some good pictures on my photostream and circulating facebook from that one.

-- SIDE NOTE --
The group is working on something where we'll all be able to share high-res photos. So what you're getting now is (hopefully) not all the photos I'll have of myself, my housemates, and group mates. However, this is looking like it won't happen until we get back to the states and have access to desktop computers / server space etc. I'm not a techie so I don't really know what's going to be involved in setting this up.

Back to the excursion. After the Actium we visited Nekromanteio. This was the oracle for the dead, and there was actually an underground room where people went to communicate with their dead relatives. The scenery around the place was great, but the oracle itself was a little disappointing.

After Nekromanteio we drove past the river formerly known as Styx, which happens to run into one of the most pristine, most visited, and most swimable beaches in Greece. Glad I got to see that out the bus window.

It was all good though, because we drove past this on the way to Parga, one of the most beautiful places I've seen in Greece. It's this little town on the west coast with a huge castle up on a hill. It's sort of hard to describe but this hill separates two beaches with all these little islands. Sort of reminded me of Eilat, sans Venice Beach factor. Plentiful pictures and videos of this online. The two panoramas are of the two views from the castle.

That's it for now -- I take of for ten days between Mykanos, Ios, and Santorini early tomorrow morning, so expect no updates, photos, videos, or anything until (at least) May 4.

Oh, and because I don't know when exactly I'll be back on the 4th right this instant -- Rachel and Rick, congratulations!! I hope the wedding is amazing, and I'm sorry I wont be there to celebrate with you and (probably) embarrass myself... again. And happy birthday Dad! And by then my siblings will have officially committed to colleges, so congrats to David and Alexis as well for making the biggest decision of your lives in a calm, collected, and very mature manner. Hope I was actually some help to you two through this.

Anyway, May 4, same bat time same bat blog.

p.s. a group mate of mine is in the hospital for a low platelate count. he's bruising really easily and will bleed terribly if cut. they say it's hereditary and he's going to be fine (he looks and feels fine already but is bedridden and connected to a bunch of, to quote him, "ridiculous tubes.") Anyway, his vacation is being indefinitely delayed -- so give your thoughts to Karl so that he can come through and enjoy this time with us. Few people in the group deserve this as much as he does.