Ian and Nika's Overseas Epic

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22nd July 1999, Thursday
Venezia, Italy

Tuscany was blissful - we thought we had actually better do somthing more than lie around the pool, visit local wineries and small Tuscan towns - so we got a great book and did some spectacular long guided walks throught the Tuscan countryside. Just amazing wandering through the fields, vineyards, abandoned farm houses, tiny towns and ending up at some fantastic restaurant for a half way lunch. There was a bit of strife though when I tried out one of the local delicacies - and found out that I was right all along. Fried rabit, washed down with a '97 Chianti is delicious! (Watch out when we get home....if the gay bunnies ever chew the couches again....).

Went to a really gruesome medievil 'torture' museum at San Gimignano - there are wwaaaayyyyy worse things than working at Kellogg's! Nika made a good call in not going in!

One night we drove to an old fortress town, where it turned out they were having their annual medievil night, where everyone dressed in period costumes - the whole town was lit up with candles, barrels of wine, real owls (the most surreal eyes!), medievil food (gross!) and to top it off there were knights in armour fighting (not playing around either - there was lots of broken swords, split armour and blood). Another hightlight was a sword swallower who swallowed an 80cm sword (glup!!).

Venezia is delightful but frightfully expensive (and Nika hasn't going shopping yet) - haven't got time to write about it now as the net shop is closing. Ciao.

17th July 1999, Satuday
La Cruce, Radda da Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Just when it couldn't get any more blissful - well it has! We've hired out a cute little villa in a small Tuscan town for a week - complete with the obligatory stone walls, valley views, swimming pool and (very novel) a kitchen. We have eaten our last three dinners at 'home' - no this isn't an emerging latent desire to come back Sydney and "spend our every waking hour working on, or thinking about working on, someone else's branded packaged goods with the intent of making them (transiently) marginally more desirable to indifferent consumers? And channelling the potential of our active & curious minds into the pursuit of ways to get a more convoluted title on our business cards? And a slightly nicer car?" (**thanks for the above quote Terry**). Gee, I'd rather be rewriting business plans - NOT!

No, we're cooking as there are just the most magic ingredients in the local shops and deli's - everything we (Nika actually) cooks turns out to be a gourmet delight! My job is to make the Martini sodas and open the wine. The swimming pool is a pleasant nescessity, as the temperature here is normally in the high 30's (we came back to our car one day after leaving it in the sun and it was in the 50's!).

Prior to finding our Tuscan love nest, we travelled from Perugina to Cortona, where the book "Under The Tuscan Sun" was written - stunning place, set high on the hills - we both hate the woman in the book who bought a house there!

Next was two days in Castlenouvo, a delightful old hill fortress town surrounded by sunflower fields - the flowers standing a proud 1.5-2m tall. Nika bought a sunflower dress at the Roma markets which she likes to frollick through these fields in - interesting! A day trip to Siena was really cool, but like most towns a bit over-run with tourists - a bit jarring compared to our La Cross nest.

We're also touring the local Chianti wineries - they are absolutely stunning, with excellent drinking reds. One in particular "Dievole" was devine - it was like an old village set in the hills amongst the vines. We were greeted with glasses of their whites and roses, and then taken on a hour long tour around the winery. Each new wine was tasted in a new room - the underground cellars with 60 x 50,000l aging barrels, the chappel, the ham/cheese curing "dungeon" (my - did that place have a nose on it!!). The winery also has accommodation (which outshines our current nest!) and a fantastic restuarant - we're still deciding whether we should indulge in this one Ł70,000 per head for 5 courses accompanied by different wines - not quite backpacking fare!

Yesterday was a thirteen hour day in Florence, which despite the crowds was wonderful. Interestingly, everywhere we came across sculptures & paintings of this woman "Leda" making out with a duck - we're on a mission to find out more about this Tuscan "duck love". Uffizi was stunning , highlights being Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" and "Primavera" - we've decided we want these paintings in our next house. Fantastic gellato as well!

We're going to indulge in the local restaurants and explore small local villages for the next four days, and then head up to Venice. Amazingly, the car is still undented, but it has earned a nickname - "Scootereater". We've got heaps of photos to scan in, but scanners aren't that common over here (it's just a matter of time!).

Also, I've updated our itenary with the actual dates of where we've been. Ciao ciao.

12th July 1999, Monday
Perugia, Italy

"That which does not kill you, makes you stronger". Well, we are getting used to the Italian driving - or more honestly it's calmed dowm a lot since we left the madness of the Amalfi Coast (it's decreased from one potentially serious incident per MINUTE to about one every hour or two).

The Amalfi Coast was beautiful, a bit like an Italian version of the great ocean road - with every Italian on holiday there! Driving early was great, as most people don't start moving until around midday (including normally us!).

We've just spent three days in Perugia, which we rocked up to and found out they were having an international jazz festival here (obviously put on in our honour). All day / night there have been great free outdoor concerts, with acts like the "Olympia Blues Band" from New Orleans - eight super mellow black guys playing blues with the wrap-around tuba / trombones / sax (etc) while slowly walking up the street being led by their old 'grand master' - awesomely cool! Another highlight were the "Chicago Praise Ensemble" - a gospel group of around 30 black people who put the 'church' scene in the Blues Brothers to shame! They were hyper energy, and hit such high sustained notes that we were amazed that "the walls (didn't) come tumbl'n down!". After the concerts there would literally be 15-20,000 people wandering through the main square / street of the town (after midnight).

Went to Assisi - sucked, too many tourists. Detoured to a small magnificient hill top town Trevi, and then on to Spolento which is (another) fantastic interesting old town, filled with winding lanes, old building and great shops - we're really getting into the local delis - the oil, bread, cheese, cured meats are stunning! My 'baby' (gut) is growing in appreciation. Nothing that another five years of mountain biking and living on fruit in a health farm can't fix.

This morning we're heading out into the Tuscan country side to find a hide-away for a week or so - planning to do nothing but eat, explore cute little towns, read, and chill under the sun. We're aiming to be in Switzerland by the end of July.

7th July 1999, Wednesday
Sorrento, Italy

I have aged 40 years in 2 days, or to be more precise 359km's. I now know why there are always a constant stream of ambulances screaming around, and why 4 out of every 5 cars is dented. The Italian drivers are very "spirited" (translation - insane, with no regard for life, limb or consequences!).

If there is a quarter of a car width, they will try and squeeze into it (because they can!). Road "rules" aren't even road "suggestions" or "hints" - they're more road "trivia" or "annoyances". Passing around blind corners is expected, way excessive speed is the norm, stoping in the middle of the road to have a chat to a friend is polite, vehicles won't run unless mobiles are being simulateously used, seat beats are for sissies - and scooters believe that everything will move out of their way (even when they're coming head on to you on "your" side of the road). I'm wondering how long until we have one as a hood ornament!

Italian drivers aside, our car is still undented. It's a new Peugeot 306, with all the toys - including a French number plate (I think this singles us out for "special attention"). As far as local cars go, this is actually quite a large car - something like UGY (my old Falcon) just wouldn't fit here! Stil, I miss the pick-up and sheer grunt of a large car..

We spent yesterday at Pompeii, which was absolutely awesome! The city is in remarkably good condition, with fantastic frescos in all the houses and buildings. Of particular note was the main brothel, a two story building which had very explict pictures outside each cubicle of what each woman's "speciality" was (doggie, 69, etc). The plaster casts of the bodies which were caught in the erruption were especially interesting - details like clothing, sandles, facial expressions could still be seen!

I'm really getting into the Campari & soda, Martini (vermouth) and other quick quenchers - drunk quickly while standing up at a small bar. Super refreshing, and put a great tinge on everything - if we ever work in a conventional job again, we're going to have to have a "refresher" bar in the corner of the office!

Tomorrow we're driving down the Amalfi coast, and then going to slowly head up inland to Tuscany - the Italian coast really isn't worth hanging around on (after living in Sydney, we are beach snobs!)

3rd July 1999, Saturday
Roma, Italy

Ahhh... real coffee...no, nectar of the gods...unbelievably fantastic great flavoursome soul enriching tingly coffee.

Roma's a fascinating place to explore - there's so much to see it tends to all blend into one. We're staying in an old hotel room which has a ceiling that must be 7m high, with really old slattered shutters opening onto a small balcony overlooking a busy street.

Been to heaps of muesums - "statue fatigue" setting in (we have seen over 4000 statues!), but Musei de Vaticano was outstanding! Although it was very busy, the Cappella Sistina was awe-inspiring. If I had one gram of artistic talent, I'd take up painting inspired by this! The 'hall of maps' was also excellent - a 150m room painted with all the regions of Italy - hundreds of years old. Didn't see the Pope though - he must have been to busy to drop in and have a macchiato with us.

Eating out here is sensational - breakfast of pastries and toasted fresh soft sandwichs standing at a cafe (with numerous cups of tiepido cappuccino - ambrosia!). The pastas are perfection - al dente and divine. The good pizza is exceptional! Enough raving, but overeating is a big problem for us!

This morning we went to Domus Aurea, which is Nero's place - it has only been open to the public for 4 days. It's all underground, as it was seen as too opulent by his successor Trajan, who filled all the rooms in with dirt and then built 'buildings for the people' on top of the site in approx 80AD. Net, now the dirt has been removed, the original palace is still in good structural condition, and fascinating to walk from huge room to huge room, imaging what decadences must have taken place there almost 2000 years ago!

Must fly - more sights to see, coffee to drink, Italian to learn before we pick up our car and start driving tomorrow. Arrivederci ciao ciao.

The BEST Things About Greece

* Jewelery
* Mouth watering calamari
* Taztiki dip
* Monevassia
* Cheap windsurfing with excellent gear!
* Rhodes fortifications
* Fresh juicy cherries
* Crystal clear water
* Francesco's hostel (on Ios)
* Athens Acropolis at night
* Pork souvalikis (with lemon)
* Backgammon
* Awesome towering mountain passes
* Sunsets over the water
* Greek mythology
* Flaming Lamboginis

The WORST Things About Greece

* "Rotting Peasants" on long bus trips
* Athens pollution
* Taztiki overdosing (garlic city!)
* Greek coffee
* Video camera tourists ("strip filming" the sights)
* Package tour beaches

The BEST Things About Turkey

* Blue water cruising
* Feasting on Turkish delight
* Roasted soya covered peanuts
* Fresh honey drenched baklava
* Staying in a treehouse
* Weird Cappadocian moonscape
* Blue mosque in Istanbul
* Smiley's restaurant in Kas
* Turkish cut-throat shave
* Going to a bank and withdrawing $100,000,000.
* Nika's belly dancing costume
* Apple tea
* Topkapi place harem & 86 carot diamond
* Fresh fish rolls on Istanbul harbour
* Chimera (eternal flames)
* Underground water cistern in Istanbul
* Cheap beer
* Fresh cream pastries in Bodrum
* Looking like statues at the Daylan mudbaths
* Attaturk worship
* Carpet salesmen opening lines (see below)

The WORST Things About Turkey

* Turkish "coffee"
* Leering men who sit around all day
* W.F.S.
* "slitties" (heavily veiled women who give Nika the evil eye)
* Overnight bus trips
* Raki
* Rip offs and scaming
* Carpet salesmen
Our Favourite Carpet Salesmen Opening Lines

* Hello. May I please hussle you?
* May I please try now? (immediately after we turned down the other 2 guys standing next to him)
* Can I borrow your Lonely Planet?
* Hello cowboy. Movie star?
* When will you pick up your carpet?
* My "brother" lives in Sydney / Melbourne / Canberra / outback / etc..
* You want Vegemite?
* I don't want to sell you a carpet!
* Where you from?
* YES PLEASE!!!!
* I am a nomad - this is my family design

28th June 1999, Monday
Istanbul, Turkey

Glup - Gallipoli brought a tear to the eye / lump to the throat.. Very moving experience going there. ANZAC cove was about the absolute worst possible place the troops could have landed - totally exposed and uphill. At the bay, our guide played the song "the band played waltzing matilda" followed by "the last post". Stirring stuff. Walking around the battlefields we came across heaps of pieces of half burried bone (an elbow here, bit of spine there, half a rib, etc). The fighting must have been beyond insane. In the muesum there were bullets that had hit oncoming bullets head-on and fused together - think about the sheer volume of lead required for that to happen! Surprisingly we learnt that while the Allies lost 50,000 men, the Turks lost 250,000! (mostly killed by the constant shelling of the Allied battleships offshore).

We've been in Istanbul for three days now, and it's a totally fascinating absorbing place! It's huge, run down, but it doesn't smell like a lot of other cities. Highlights have been...

The Blue Mosque - stunningly beautiful, especially at night when it's lit up like a castle - rows after rows of ascending domes.

Aya Sofya - a huge ex-mosque which is now a muesum - the main dome is about 15 stories high, and appears to float (there are very few supporting columns)

Turkish Bath - no-one in the place spoken any English, and my limited Turkish went nowhere! 40 mins in a sauna, followed by some HUGE Turkish guy scrubbing me so hard that I lost 6 shades of my tan, followed by a "massage" which I can only describe as the guy trying to engrave his knuckles 5cm in the marble slab with my body in the way - like being run over by a very heavy truck! Back into the sauna to recover and then straight into a cold shower. Net, a lot of similairities to the Hellfire club, but I couldn't understand what they're saying.

Whirling Dervishes - this is a deeply religious Islamic ceremony, where the participants wear long cloaks and then spin on the spot for 30 mins. Exactly like in the film Baraka. Dizzy to watch!

Topkapi Place - the old Sultans place, complete with the original Harem - this was one decadent bedroom (or more correctly living quarters, all equisýtly tiled / carpeted). The place was loaded with treasures - an 86 carat diamond, 3.2kg emerald, Mohammed's tooth, 46kg solid gold candle sticks, huge armouries, and 1000's more!

The Grand Bazzar - 4000 shops crammed under one roof - Nika and Sonia have gone back there today to spend every cent they've got and enslave themselves to a life of poverty - again, there are enough kitch things in there to outfit one million pool rooms (aka as in the movie The Castle).

Baklava / Turkish Delight - wickedly indulgent and addictive!

The Underground Cistern - used to supply the palace with water, it's 140x70m, with about 15cm of crystal clear water left in it - there are heaps of large fish swimming around. There are 100's of columns holding the roof up, eriely lit with classic music playing in the background.

Leaving Turkey tomorrow for Roma! Quite sad really as we've really enjoyed the place! Rome prices are going to be a shock - we've heard accommodation is 5 (five) times the price of Turkey!

23rd June 1999, Wednesday
Selcek, Turkey

Quick update - waiting for the girls (Sonia + Nika) to return from a carpet shop and then off onto a bus to Ayvilak - I don't know where this actually is... somewhere south of Gallipoli, which I'm also really keen to go see. It's supposed to be amazing and really emotional.

Went to Bodrum - really pretty town with the world's BEST cake shop. We ate and ate and ate here - the most amazing cakes and pastries (my "baby" is progressing really well - 4 months size!). The town is fronted by a well preserved castle in the harbour - we went in and drank wine the the old knights dining room looking out over the bay - way cool! On the first night we got there, we were supposed to meet a friend Sonia Novak at the airport which was 40km out of town (at 11:30pm). The hotel owner said 'no problems - for the cost of petrol ($3mio)' he would take us. Well, at 10:30pm he said $12million cost! Net - we managed to "persuade" him to take us for free, he ran out of gas en route, coasted into a gas station, we got to the airport and Sonia had missed her plane! (Bill Clinton was in Slovinia and they had closed all the roads...). Later that night I kicked his butt at backgammon (to demonstrate to him what a tosser he was - being beaten by a non-Turk. ha ha).

The next night Sonia was sucessfully rescued from the airport and we went crawling around the atomic powered nightclubs of Bodrum. Serious noise. Structual damage noise. Feel the noise!

Found a really cool pension in Selcuk (Tuncay Downunder) which has free DVD moives, cheap beer, cool people and they drove us all around the sites. Only catch is they also own a carpet shop which we ended up in for the soft / hard sell. Nika's resisting, but I think Sonia's going down for one or two (around $600-$800 each!). The carpets are really cool, but I think they'd lose their charm outside of Turkey - the designs are so intense and visually heavy. The Ephesus ruins were really good - spectacular ancient 3 story library, wide marble streets, brothels, etc. It's getting warm (high 30's plus) to walk around in the day - great inducement to drink more and swim! Beats the hell out of Cereal Central!

CHECK OUT THE FOUR PICTURES ON THE 'OVERSEAS PICTURES' PART OF OUR WEB PAGE. I only got four scanned in before the scanner blew up - it couldn't handle us! More will be scanned in soon!

18th June 1999, Friday
Dalyan, Turkey

Gasp - not more Turkish food! Is there no end to eating the same cuisine at least three times a day - every day! We would (almost) kill for good Asian / Indian / Mexican / Italian / BBQ and even McDonalds (gasp!).

Dalyan's really cool - we spent the day in mud baths, caking ourselves in grey mud, drying in the sun and then playing "statues" - literally it was hard to move. I got this neat 'crazy cracks' pattern over my back from the sun burning through the cracks when I moved. Also got on bikes for the first time on the trip - great to alleivate some of the withdrawals, but it was the first time on a non-sus bike in a few years - ouch - gimmie my Fisher 'armchair'.

There's an unusual statue here of three turtles in a three-some. We saw a sea turtle during a boat trip yesterday - unfortunately it dove before we could catch it and turn it into soup (ref the opening comment's desperation).

Meeting Sonia Novak tomorrow in Bodrum - eight days of shopping and chick stuff in the pipeline!

15th June 1999, Tuesday
Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey

This place is amazing - but almost totally deserted! There would only be 2 dozen or so travelers / tourists in the whole town! Really wierd, given that there must be at least 50 hotels / pensions here - even the carpet sellers are too lethargic to chase us! The pubs at night are empty!

The landscape here is brilliant - it's made of mounds of soft volcanic rock which has been eroded away into pointy beehive shaped rocks about 20-40m high, which were then hollowed out and turned into houses / churches in the 8-13th century. Awesome fun to wander around the surreal landscape and crawl / climb through the abandoned houses. It's a landscape photographers wet dream!

Yesterday we went on a brilliant tour - including an underground city. This place was carved out of the rock, 8 levels deep (90m) where up to 5000 people lived for months at a time (and they didn't wash while they were there!). Definately not for the caustraphobics! It was literally like a rabbit warren - and I think they must have been a lot shorter than me (given the numerous bumps on my head / back!). It would be awesome to play paintball in there! We also went to some awesome churchs carved highup in the rock - they're all interconnected by tunnels so you need never go outside. During lunch I played our Turkish tour guide at backgammon, and (perhaps unwisely) beat him. Now this must be one of the greatest blows to a Turk's ego - probably far worse than saying he had a small dick etc! The local men gathered around, screaming "advice" to him in Turkish. Fortunately we had to move on befor WW3 errupted.

This place has a wierd vibe - a lot of the local women are ultra conservative - veiled in the baggy scarfs and working the fields while the guys sit in the cafes smoking and eyeballing every woman who walks past.

We feel a craving for the sea - next stop is back to Fethiye and then to Daylan on the South West coast.

11th June 1999, Friday
Antalya, Turkey

Well, we temporariy got side-tracked on the way to Antalya to a place called Olýmpos. Now this place was seriously cool - we stayed at a groovy place called Kadir's Top Tree House, and of course we stayed in a tree house - it was about 4m off the ground, wooden poles, plastýc sheeting and a few Turkish rugs - appropriately named the "Sugar Shack". There were around 100 backpackers in this place - mostly Aussies and Kiwis. The first night we came back from the beach just a bit too late to join in a game of "caps" (where everyone must drink 20ml of beer every minute until there is only one "winner" left. You're out if you don't drink / stand up / urinate / throw up / pass out). VERY fortunate that we were late as the "winner" consumed 214 caps, and there were heaps of very ill people staggering around.

The next day we walked to the Chimaera (5 1/2 very hot hours) - these were brillant - they are a collection of eternal flames which burn out of vents in the rock. There were about 30-40 fires ranging from a few cm to a large campfire in sýze - the pyro in me loved extingling the flames and then relighting them (I retained most of my eyebrows, but the forearm hairs have receded!). We also went back at night, and that was also awesome. Would have been divine to have some snags to BBQ. That night stayed up to have a few drinks with my 80 or so closest backpacking friends, and Nika reliably assured me it was light when I got back to the Sugar Shack although I have no recollection of that event.

On the way to Antalya met two cool Swiss / Scottish people (Edith / Peter) and went exploring the town. Verdict - town is pretty boring / lives on German tourists who have all stayed away due to the PKK trýal. One bright spot was finding a bar with a band who played some good hard grunge (sick of Turkish wailing and Bob Marley - played everywhere). Once they found out I liked Offspring, they screamed out every one of their songs they knew, first in English and then in Turkisk ("Nitro" in Turkish was way impressive!!

Today we went up to the ruinned city of Termessos - these are the best ruins we have been to so far - really good condition and set highup in the mountains against a breathtaking view. The amphitheater was awe inspiring! 20,000 people used to live up there 2000 years ago. We were also just about the only people up there - a really pretty and definately must see place.

We're bussing tomorrow to Goreme in Cappadocia - 10 hours ugh!

6th June 1999, Sunday
Kas, Turkey

I'm not sure whether to take this in a good or bad way, but a few times now when I sit down in a cafe / pub, the waiters automatically start talking to me in Turkish (of which I know about 15 words). When I look at them blankly, they appologise saying that I look Turkish (??) - I'm putting this down to my ever darkening tan and relaxed maner....

On the way to Kas, we had a 40min bus wait, so I had my first ever cut-throat shave. The guy didn't speak any English, I was rock still (even willed myself not to sweat incase he slipped) - however it was great - almost relaxing (as it can be with a razor at your throat). Post shave, was the head /shoulder / arm massage, the cheap aftershave, "flamýng" (where he dabbed lit meths all over my face quickly) and the Elvis haircream and styling.

Went to Partara beach today - first "real sand" beach we've seen since Sydney. Fantastic beach - about 20km long, with a super cool Roman amphýtheater in the dunes behind it. It had been maýnly burried under sand until the last centery or so, so it's in really good condition (for a 2000 yo building!!). It's starting to get warm (high 30's), and we haven't seen rain for almost a month now (a rainy day at home watching výdeos does have some VAGUE appeal - maybe next year sometime?).

Next stop is Antalya, and then up into the interýor (Cappadocia).

3rd June 1999, Thursday
Oludeniz, Turkey

Wow! The boat trip was k'awesome! This is an absolute must must do! We spent four days cruising around the most amazing isolated bays and coves, swiming, eating, exploring and baking in the sun. The water was so clear that I was really heasitant to dive off the side of the boat thinking it was only 2m deep (actually it was closer to 10m deep!). The water color is a really deep blue crystal and we swam arond 6/7 times per day. Highlights where Cleopatra's baths, a bush walk where we came across ruins of ancient tombs, and lazing around on the boat with a cool drink in hand. The other passengers were really cool - a few Aussies, two Americans (great acents!), a Dutch lady who loved it so much she has done 10 cruises in the same area (I know why!) and some Germans (even they were relaxed!). We had three crew on board looking after every whim - I had to be quick if I wanted to open my own beers! Read "Under The Tuscan Sun" - verdict : "chick book", but made me very hungry and longing for a decent coffee (Turkish coffee is very average - even most of the sub-60yo locals drink Nescafe by choice). We are starting to go into 'steak withdrawal' - fantasizing about a huge BBQ marniated steak with a good full bodied red. I went water skiing one sunset($16 until my arms fell off) and Nika went and fed some wild bunnies which lived on a deserted island - they ate right from her hand (ROLO / HAZEL - you're on notice!).

After getting off the boat we caught a dolmus (mini bus) to Oludeniz which is an awesome long beach (by Turkish standards!). Apart from the beach, it's claim to fame is a 1900m mountain rising directly out of the sea which people paraglide off - I'm severly tempted, but still considering at $160 - ouch! Our accomodation standards are improving - our current "rustic" camp ground cabin is T$4,000,000 per night (around A$15) - expensive, but 20m from the beach. The bars here are really loud & outdoor & funky, so forget about sleeping until at least 3:30am - nobody wakes up before 10am earilest! Still a few too many UK package tourists here, but it's got a great youthful vibe.

We are losing the concept of "week days" and "weekends" / also I haven't had a shave for 6 days - rationalising it due to the cramped bathrooms on the boat / still, I'm starting to feel like Grizzley Adams. Next stops more eastern Turkish coast then inland to Cappadocia (where the desert scenes from the orginal Star Wars were shot)

29th May 1999, Saturday
Marmaris, Turkey

So Thira was really commercial, but Ia on Santorini was just AMAZING - awesome výews, and way cute. We met up wýth Isabelle's sýster Mary and hired a car and drove around the island. Major highlight was walking down to a tiny taverna at the base of some huge cliffs, swimming and then having the freshest fish for lunch (I mean fresh - dehooked, cleaned and cooked ýnfrount of us) - magýc! Going back up the cliffs was a cack - we got some donkeys who wanted to race each other up the 300 or so steps to the top. They were panting, swerving & grunting like crazy (I think they were sayýng "fat barstards" or something like that).

Next stop was Rhodes - awesome castle - ideal desýgn for a deathmatch game of Unreal / Quake, but the town was infested with "cruise ship cattle". Took a day trýp on a cute old boat to Lindos 50km down the coast - voyage and swimming off the boat was fun, but the beach was infested with British package tourists (literally hard to find a spot to put the towels down).

We're now in Turkey, and are just about to depart on a four day saýlýng trip aboard a fantastic looking wooden Turkish sailing boat (21m long with 12 aboard) - the plan is to hit all the deserted bays and snorkle, windsurf and chill (an activity we're way into!!!). It will be great to escape the "hey Aussie", "you from Sydney", "vegemite" calls - the Turks can pick us from 50m! Seriously, the Turks seem a really friendly helpful bunch - next few weeks should be awesome!

21st May 1999, Friday
Thira (Santorini), Greek Isles

Wow - the Greek Islands rock! We're now recovering from four days on Ios, which is is a CRAZY good party island. There was a rumour going around that there was a (one) archilogical site on the island, but everyone goes there to party.

Each day I got in a few hours of fantastic windsurfing - a bit rusty at first, but (most of it) came back. An excellent hangover cure. The equipment was topclass gear - better than the gear I've got at home, and even better it was around 3000 dracs per hour ($15) with more "bonus" free hours thrown in.

Had my birthday with some friends we met (Adrian, Karen & Isabelle) - started birthday-eve with drinks on the hotel balcony watching the sun set (Francesco's - great place / cheap $25 per night for both of us!). Then moved on to dinner (more tzatziki poisoning!), and then went out to all the pubs in the town square - at midnight, I was bought seven shots (including multiple "brain hermorages"), and then into the clubs for "flaming lamboginis" and Amstells (local brews - not bad). Can't remember how the night ended. Next day (the actual birthday) was a recouperative sail, beer at the beach club, then dinner with Nika at an awesome restaurant Lord Byron - just when I was going to explode they bought out the birthday cake..

The island is full of Aussie and English backpackers who came visiting, fell in love with the party scene and beach lifestyle, and stayed to work - normally in the bars. They make around $20-$25 per night in the hand (??!!??), and work from 9pm to 4-8am, existing on free drinks. Still, it would be a cool lifestyle for a while (my liver would last around 2-3 weeks!). It's a really friendly, cheap fun place - it would be crazy in high season (it's still only half full!).

Thira, is really pretty, but covered in donkey shit and crawling with American tourists (sorry to single them out, but we're sure they're on a reconassance mission to take over the world through the eye piece of a video camera). We're out tonight with Isabelle and her sister, and then going to hire a car tomorrow and go to the "black sand" beaches.

My immediate mission is to curb Nika's jewelery addiction - every island has dozens of really good jewelery shops; even I think a lot of the pieces are really cool! We're getting on really well together - the lack of work intensity is agreeing with us imensely. We're getting some good ideas about things that we want to explore at the end of our trip (whenever that will be!). Next stop, Rhodes, then some really small island which I can't remember the name of, but sounds really traditional and authentic (really untouristy).

15th May 1999, Saturday
Paros, Greek Isles

Day 13 of our epic and the first real time we've had to sitdown in a cyber cafe.

We arrived in Athens after relatively good flight - I think we were both so wiped from all the packing up and farewells that we slept for over half the fight. We got into Athens just on sunrise, and then got our first introduction to Greek public transport / Athens traffic chaos / smog / explict billboards with a 45 minute bus ride into the centre of town. Plaka, the area around the Acropolis was interesting, but the rest of Athens looks like a huge polluted sprawl.

Two days later we jumped on a bus and headed down to Nafplio, a really cool coastal town about 2.5 hours south. This place has the coolest fortress on top of an overlooking hill - the 600 steps up well worthwhile - there were actually 8 forts layered inside each other like an onion. We've started to play batgammon, and in a throwback to our past lives we're intensely competitive at it - it's super cool fun at all the outdoor bars, great warm up to outdoor eating. We went for our first swim - the water is amazingly clear - the whole thing looks like a continuous series of postcards - but the temperate is still quite "fresh". After two days, we caught a bus to Olympia - awesome ride through the mountains, gaps where one of the buses mirrors was scraping on the rock wall and the opposite tires struggling not to slide over the edge of the road. With about an hour to go, this peasant woman got on, and she stank - I mean she was ROTTEN! Every second was a dry retch of all the beers / wine & ouzo consumed to date!

Olympia was OK - very symbolic etc - but pretty much just more ruins ("ruins fatigue" setting in already !!??!!). It was fun running the 192.24m stadium pretending we were Olympians who were a little bit late for the race (2500 odd years). The shop keepers here were really in ya face - their livelyhood is farming tourists. Next stop was a night in Sparta. In the next village Mystras is another set of really cool old ruins, some of them still standing. Nika found a small room full of what looks like human leg bones! That afternoon on the bus again to Momenvassa, a super chilled out town on the coast. On an island just off the coast was a really cool old town, which had ruined and restored houses / shops slide by side. Fantastic place for an afternoon beer (after the obligatory swims) and more batgammon. Once after coming back from the beach I flicked my towel out inside the hotel room and a 15cm centipide thrashed out on the floor - nasty critter!! We ate in a great outdoor restaurant - I've got a real kalamaria (squid) / tzatziki (garlic / yoghurt dip) / gorpus (small really tasty fish) addiction going.

After three days in Momenvassa we got on a hell bus ride at 4:10AM (AM!!!!) back to Athens. Nika and I were having a competion as to who was going to hurl first - after being out the night before, and the "gentleness" of Greek roads / driving. Fortunately, everything stayed down - just (on my Guad just!!!).

We've just spent three great days on the Island of Paros - we're constantly reminding ourselves that we're actually here - it is literally like in the postcards. Today we hired a "car" and drove around the island. First stop was a deserted beach, well it was until it progressively filled up with nudist couples. Picture 40-50yo, Germanic, overweight, and extremely shaved - scary!! Next stop lunch of fresh BBQ octapus in a small town followed by a late afternoon swim a remote beach with a few nearby cows for company.

We're off to Ios tomorrow, then Santorini, Crete, one other island Nika's keen on and then Rhodes & Turkey. Cereal Central and Arnotts seems like another lifetime ago. We're both really starting to relax and chill out - amazing!

19th April 1999, Monday

(Nika) The GREEN MACHINE has been sold!! I feel more sad than happy but I think I got a fair price.

(Ian) YAYYYY!!! YAYYYY!!!! YYYYAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!

18th April 1999, Sunday

(Ian) We have decided to pack up and move our stuff down to the garage in small lots - trying to avoid the Friday night packing panic and Saturday "back breaker" move.

Bike trails here are filthy at the moment - the Oxford Falls x-country trail had the depth and consistency of a McD's thick shake today. Leg shredding, energy eating goop - great fun! Need to get fitter (this is extreme optimism, given the upcoming trip!).

15th April 1999, Wednesday

(Ian) This was like sooo totally cool (literally!)

I was in Double Bay when the recent hail storms hit (this was the worst hit area). The larger hail stones were the size of small (warty) lemons (ie bigger than golf balls) - just totally wild! A lot of cars rear windows were smashed and the interiors soaked. I was very lucky that I had left my car at work as I had decided to drink. Yet another positive reason to drink!

Our office was also flooded out - we haven't been able to go to work for the last two days. My office pc was literally underwater! I always mantained that it's true calling was a anchor for a small boat!

There is delicious irony in the office getting trashed the week before I leave.

1st April 1999, Wednesday

(Ian) One day after the resignation and it feels just MAGNIFICENT - like a weight lifted off the shoulders. It's unbelievable how glum people look in the office. Out of here!

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