Greece

Started in my Greece adventure in Athens. The first day was dedicated to having clean clothes, things could have grown legs and walked away i think. I did my second official "real" wash,in a washer and dryer.... in 2 months! Please do not assume that my clothes have only been washed twice, i have done lots of sink and shower washing, but it just isn't the same. The washer and dryer is the best invention ever. I don't care what you think, it was!! Forget TV and internet, WASHER AND DRYER!! I don't think i have ever been so happy as when i was folding my clean clothes. Not even when i saw the Mona Lisa!
The next day was possibly less exciting then clean clothes, but definitely more educational!(just joking) I joined onto a tour that walked me through Athens. We saw so much that it is really impossible to tell you everything, but as a list we saw: Changing of the gaurd (halarious!!), parliment building, the ampitheater which was build for the first official olympics in 188osomething, the rich guy who build a bunch of stuff free for Athens house, the temple of Zeues ruins (incredible!!!), the Acropolis, amazing rock hill that apparently one of the important scholars was tried and condemmed to death on, yummy resturant in crazy flea marked, icky icky meat marked (to be called meat market not only for the dead animal carcasses, but also for the jeering cat-calls of the butchers), a whole bunch of other places and other ruins!
On the tour there was 3 Aussies, one other Canadian, and an American. One girl who was also my roommate was on her last day of a 3 month trip, and had just spent a month in the Greek Islands, so as this is where i was going next, was sharing tonnes of information with me. The American girl and I also hit it off, she was on her first day of a 4 month trip, and was trying to soak up as much info from other traveller as she could. She also was headed to the Greek Islands the next day, and by the end of the tour, we decided we would go together.

The next day we met VERY early at the ferry station, and boarded an 8 hour ferry to Santorini. This Island is exactly what you think, when you think of Greece. Stark white buidling, with smooth rounded edges, bright blue shutters and doors, contrast sharply with the perfect clean white buidlings, but are perfectly matched to the sky and ocean that surrounds the little crecent moon shaped island. White churches with dome roofs painted the same brillian blue, have little 3 tiered bell towers that are the perfect overlook to the sea, and bright orange and red sunsets. Outside of the stucco heaven cheery towns, the land lies in sharp contrast with dead dusty hills, and rocky cliffs. Little green bushes grow up, as if trying to escape the dusty ground, but then bow back down, and scatter their vines along the dirt. On closer inspection you realize they are actually grape plants, and rather than be given long stalks and string fences to grow and spread out along, they are little clusters on the ground.
Donkeys march up and down the high steep hill which leads down to the old port. They are clad with colorful blankets under simple saddles and have bridles decorated with beads, tassles, and bells so you hear them as they clamber back the back streets in the evening and early morning to and from work.
The ocean is a brilliant sparkling royal blue and they have black, red and white sand beaches depending on where you venture to on the Island. Nancy (the amerian girl i am travelling with) and I rented ATV's yesterday and cruised along the island visiting a bunch of beaches and towns, before heading up to Oia, to watch the sunset over the ocean. This is the town where every picture that you have ever seen of the sun setting over a blue domed white church is taken. Ever single postcard in the city is taken from this town!
Today we hiked down the side of the cliff to the old port, where you can take a ferry out to a volcano which is just next to the island. However the wind was so strong today, all the ferries were closed. So we jumped on a bell clad donkey and had them hike us back up the hill. I had the crazy donkey who refused to let any other donkey pass him, so weaved back and forth up the trail like a drunk driver. Any donkey who tried to pass was immediatly kicked at or bitten. Not the donkey one wants when on a big cliff! But i made it up alive unscathed! I cannot say the same for any donkey who came near us.
Tomorrow we are going to head off to Mikynos, another Greek Island. After a few days there i am going to leave Europe and try my luck in Egypt.
To all of those who have sent Emails, thank you so much! I love them. I am sorry i am so bad at getting back to you, but i will try very soon! Thank you thank you.
Hope all are well! Missing you!