Alright fine. I'll post the least flattering one in her honor. She'd kill me if she knew I put this one up :P
But she doesn't have my blog address... hahaha... (obviously).
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Delphi
I went to Delphi on what was possibly one of the worst tours I have ever taken (and most expensive). Our guide was so amateur; she had me thinking I could do better. The tour was done through the hostel in Athens and after much debate I decided to do it (even though my friends had opted otherwise). Once she started reading from a piece of paper pulled off the net and began handing out similar materials, I knew we were in trouble. She knew jack shit. But that’s just the beginning...
Part of the reason I went on the tour was due to a rather attractive English girl that was urging me to come along. Big mistake. On the two hour bus down, I soon realized that she is possibly one of the stupidest people I’ve ever met- and she was a high school teacher (big surprise, eh?). I tried so hard to find some substance, but all I got was Facebook and social anecdotes. She couldn’t even talk about music, all she listened to was the stuff her friends put on her ipod. Sorry, I’m a little bitter because she would not stop asking me to take pictures of sights, namely with ‘Her’ in them. Jebus H… and here I am being led by my other brain until halfway through the tour we are SO far behind that we get lost for nearly an hour. I had tried to stay calm and prayed we wouldn’t miss the friggin’ bus as she wants to go to the museum instead of waiting around by the entrance for our group… initially I refused, and then conceded. Ultimately, we missed a huge portion of our tour –namely, the Sanctuary of Athena- and I was horribly disillusioned. I will never forget you, stupid English girl.
Delphi was still cool. I loved all the ruins: the temple of Apollo, the theatre of Dionysus and the old gymnasium. The ‘Sacred Way’ leads up to the site of the old oracle and apparently there’s a fault right under the city where they say fumes came up to intoxicate the oracle (among other ingested drugs and chemicals). This beautiful, holy city lies out in the middle of nowhere but dictated so much of the politics and religion during these ancient times.
On a random note- one of the coolest things I saw at Delphi was two house cats getting it on. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve never seen that. Dogs: of course. Animal planet: all kinds of stuff. But plain old ordinary house cats? Never…
Part of the reason I went on the tour was due to a rather attractive English girl that was urging me to come along. Big mistake. On the two hour bus down, I soon realized that she is possibly one of the stupidest people I’ve ever met- and she was a high school teacher (big surprise, eh?). I tried so hard to find some substance, but all I got was Facebook and social anecdotes. She couldn’t even talk about music, all she listened to was the stuff her friends put on her ipod. Sorry, I’m a little bitter because she would not stop asking me to take pictures of sights, namely with ‘Her’ in them. Jebus H… and here I am being led by my other brain until halfway through the tour we are SO far behind that we get lost for nearly an hour. I had tried to stay calm and prayed we wouldn’t miss the friggin’ bus as she wants to go to the museum instead of waiting around by the entrance for our group… initially I refused, and then conceded. Ultimately, we missed a huge portion of our tour –namely, the Sanctuary of Athena- and I was horribly disillusioned. I will never forget you, stupid English girl.
Delphi was still cool. I loved all the ruins: the temple of Apollo, the theatre of Dionysus and the old gymnasium. The ‘Sacred Way’ leads up to the site of the old oracle and apparently there’s a fault right under the city where they say fumes came up to intoxicate the oracle (among other ingested drugs and chemicals). This beautiful, holy city lies out in the middle of nowhere but dictated so much of the politics and religion during these ancient times.
On a random note- one of the coolest things I saw at Delphi was two house cats getting it on. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve never seen that. Dogs: of course. Animal planet: all kinds of stuff. But plain old ordinary house cats? Never…
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Athens
I’m quite a few blogs behind here. Wireless is somewhat scarce, internet is a mite pricey and my funds have been running low so bear with me the next couple days and I'll try to catch up~
Athens is quite charming. I spent a few days in the city, took a tour, ran around and pretty much had a great time. The climate here is so much like San Diego, just a little greener scenery. I stayed in a hostel just beside the Acropolis, which made for a nice view, especially at night. There are more stray dogs in this city than I have ever seen. But the beautiful thing is that the dogs LOVE tourists and hate the Greeks. The Greeks are mean to the dogs whilst the tourists are nice and stop to pet them, etc. Each night, I went out with a group of people and every time 2-3 dogs followed us, nay- escorted us to the restaurant, discotech- wherever. And every time they sat and waited (sometimes hours) to escort us back home to the hostel. They bark at passing cars and Greeks whenever they’re in close proximity. It’s fabulous. My favorite dog was one- Zeus; he had one eye and was burly, but absolutely friendly!
I’d heard a lot of horror stories about Athens in terms of crime, drugs, poverty. But, I think I chose wisely when I decided to stay in the central, more upscale part of the city because my experience was only positive. I did see one heroine junky who kept collapsing on a street corner, but that's about it. Aside from that, I visited the old ruins of the temple of Zeus, the original stadium of the ancient Olympic Games, walked the Agora and the old streets of Socrates and Plato (something that was really significant and important to me). And of course, I went up to the Acropolis and saw the Parthenon, which is under heavy restoration but still so freaking cool!
The food in Athens was divine. I never knew gyros could be so damn good, or so much better than what I’ve had in the States. Upon coming to Greece, I eat at least a gyro a day (that’s y-e-r-o, Mom, not Jiro) partially because they are so cheap- under 2 euros, mang- but also because they are so insanely addictive, healthy, wholesome, Godlike... however you want to describe ‘em. Greek Salads are awesome. They are served without lettuce, only: tomato, cucumber, onion, olive and oh the feta- which is totally different from feta in the states, not crumbly but served solid and somewhat creamier. Greek olives are really tasty too. You were right Dad, when you said that one day I would come to like raw onions. I was so defiant, and I never would’ve believed it, but almost everything here is served with raw onions and I’ll admit I’ve become a fan. How very much alike we are; it scares me.
Athens is quite charming. I spent a few days in the city, took a tour, ran around and pretty much had a great time. The climate here is so much like San Diego, just a little greener scenery. I stayed in a hostel just beside the Acropolis, which made for a nice view, especially at night. There are more stray dogs in this city than I have ever seen. But the beautiful thing is that the dogs LOVE tourists and hate the Greeks. The Greeks are mean to the dogs whilst the tourists are nice and stop to pet them, etc. Each night, I went out with a group of people and every time 2-3 dogs followed us, nay- escorted us to the restaurant, discotech- wherever. And every time they sat and waited (sometimes hours) to escort us back home to the hostel. They bark at passing cars and Greeks whenever they’re in close proximity. It’s fabulous. My favorite dog was one- Zeus; he had one eye and was burly, but absolutely friendly!
I’d heard a lot of horror stories about Athens in terms of crime, drugs, poverty. But, I think I chose wisely when I decided to stay in the central, more upscale part of the city because my experience was only positive. I did see one heroine junky who kept collapsing on a street corner, but that's about it. Aside from that, I visited the old ruins of the temple of Zeus, the original stadium of the ancient Olympic Games, walked the Agora and the old streets of Socrates and Plato (something that was really significant and important to me). And of course, I went up to the Acropolis and saw the Parthenon, which is under heavy restoration but still so freaking cool!
The food in Athens was divine. I never knew gyros could be so damn good, or so much better than what I’ve had in the States. Upon coming to Greece, I eat at least a gyro a day (that’s y-e-r-o, Mom, not Jiro) partially because they are so cheap- under 2 euros, mang- but also because they are so insanely addictive, healthy, wholesome, Godlike... however you want to describe ‘em. Greek Salads are awesome. They are served without lettuce, only: tomato, cucumber, onion, olive and oh the feta- which is totally different from feta in the states, not crumbly but served solid and somewhat creamier. Greek olives are really tasty too. You were right Dad, when you said that one day I would come to like raw onions. I was so defiant, and I never would’ve believed it, but almost everything here is served with raw onions and I’ll admit I’ve become a fan. How very much alike we are; it scares me.
Nice view of Athens.
Changing of the guard. And I thought the English had funny outfits...
Olympic stadium, fixed up of course.
The 'Original' Greek salad.
Some random dog, not Zeus but they are all over the place just like this, laying like they're dead.
Some night life.
That's my good friend Ariel and me. He's from SD, Del Mar area and we really hit it off but more on him later..
A little surrealist coke advertisement I saw on the streets and, well, I kinda dig it. 
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A Few Words for Russ
I just want to make a quick post on behalf of my friend Russell. He recently passed and I am devastated here on the other side of the world. Russ was wholly supportive of my trip here to Europe and inspired me countless ways. We were childhood friends and he died so young. Why, he posted here not long ago- always positive and enthusiastic. So, I’ve been carrying this Cuban cigar around with me for a while waiting for the right time… well tonight I smoked it and then I poured out a lil’ liquor for my friend- remembering the triangle. My heart goes out to Russ, his spirit or whatever. I love you and we'll miss you, man. RIP bro.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Alexandria
I spent a few days in Alexandria with a couple of friends that I met at the hostel back in Cairo. It was the German owner of the hostel named Mathias, an Egyptian named Ali and myself. We stayed in Ali’s flat just a few blocks from the beach. Although Alexandria is far cleaner than Cairo, this was by far the gnarliest place I’ve stayed. Ali’s flat was huge, but had that abandoned feel and was just the rattiest place ever. I slept on the floor, didn’t shower for days and had to go buy tissues for the uhmm, bathroom…
It’s not socially acceptable to wear shorts in Egypt, but it was okay at the resort in Sharm, so it kind of sucked to have to go back to wearing pants and shirts- especially at the beach which is oh so beautiful! Alex is where much of the Muslim world goes for vacation, so I was truly a minority there. I hardly saw any other white foreigners, but there sure were a lot of Saudi’s- you can always tell them by the women as they’re the one’s completely covered except for a tiny slit at the eyes (Muslim Ninja’s).
I saw a lot of non-existent ancient stuff in Alex. I saw where the Great Lighthouse would’ve been. I saw the new Great Library, which is apparently the biggest library in Europe but no sign of the old one that burnt down. There is also a really cool castle called Qaitbey Fort, which was used to defend against the Christians during the Crusades- never defeated!
Ali took us to a seafood place where I had possibly the best Calamari I have ever had- possibly the best seafood period: massive shrimp, fish, mussels and this amazing fish bouillon broth. During the day, I watched the fishermen pull in all the fish using a massive net in the sea (picture below), so cool! I also tried some new juices: strawberry juice that was just pure strawberry’s mulched up, palm (tree) juice, and fantabulous date juice mixed with milk.
I managed to meet a cute Egyptian girl named Amany and convinced her to come to dinner with us. She brought a friend as chaperone, and all I really got in the end was a kiss on the cheek, but hey it’s fun to try!
That’s it for now~
It’s not socially acceptable to wear shorts in Egypt, but it was okay at the resort in Sharm, so it kind of sucked to have to go back to wearing pants and shirts- especially at the beach which is oh so beautiful! Alex is where much of the Muslim world goes for vacation, so I was truly a minority there. I hardly saw any other white foreigners, but there sure were a lot of Saudi’s- you can always tell them by the women as they’re the one’s completely covered except for a tiny slit at the eyes (Muslim Ninja’s).
I saw a lot of non-existent ancient stuff in Alex. I saw where the Great Lighthouse would’ve been. I saw the new Great Library, which is apparently the biggest library in Europe but no sign of the old one that burnt down. There is also a really cool castle called Qaitbey Fort, which was used to defend against the Christians during the Crusades- never defeated!
Ali took us to a seafood place where I had possibly the best Calamari I have ever had- possibly the best seafood period: massive shrimp, fish, mussels and this amazing fish bouillon broth. During the day, I watched the fishermen pull in all the fish using a massive net in the sea (picture below), so cool! I also tried some new juices: strawberry juice that was just pure strawberry’s mulched up, palm (tree) juice, and fantabulous date juice mixed with milk.
I managed to meet a cute Egyptian girl named Amany and convinced her to come to dinner with us. She brought a friend as chaperone, and all I really got in the end was a kiss on the cheek, but hey it’s fun to try!
That’s it for now~
The Back Alleys of Alex
Showing off my Arabic skillz and drinking some 10 % top-notch Camel Piss. Ali is a good guy, very friendly with a good heart.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Back in Cairo
Back in Cairo now and things are oh so different from before. For starters, I’m staying a hostel which is way different from The Hilton or Dreams Beach Resort! It’s a little more my style, but I’m not knocking the lavish, no sir! Still, I’ve met some really cool people so far and definitely gotten to know another side of Cairo. There is a mosque around the corner, so I’m just starting to get used to the daily prayer moans that echo from the loudspeaker 4-5 times a day; it’s going off right now, actually.
Today, I got me an Egyptian haircut and shave, all combined for a total of 25 Egyptian Pounds, which is like 6 dollars. The craziest thing was the shave, which for the most part was normal until the end. The guy whips out a thin piece of thread and proceeds to slide it along my cheek, forehead and ears pulling all the tiny miniscule hairs with a sharp ‘Twang’ that was oh so painful. Believe me when I say that my face TRULY feels ‘As smooth as a baby’s bottom!!’
I tried pigeon for the first time. The meat was scarce and it was difficult to get a good bite, but I will say that it was savory whilst ‘just like chicken.’ I also tried cow brain in a sandwich, definitely not my style and I was unable to finish it. Still, it was an experience aye? Egyptian food can be tasty, but I am definitely looking forward to getting out of here and on to newer foods.
The people here at the hostel are great, so friendly. I was very worried about my safety after leaving the J’s and returning here to Cairo alone, but I couldn’t have picked a better hostel- there is a tourist police station right out front and just about everything I need in this area, which is close to the center of Cairo so there’s plenty to do. All the same, I haven’t done much except read Plato’s Republic (in preparation for Greece) and Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot.’ Good stuff.
Today, I got me an Egyptian haircut and shave, all combined for a total of 25 Egyptian Pounds, which is like 6 dollars. The craziest thing was the shave, which for the most part was normal until the end. The guy whips out a thin piece of thread and proceeds to slide it along my cheek, forehead and ears pulling all the tiny miniscule hairs with a sharp ‘Twang’ that was oh so painful. Believe me when I say that my face TRULY feels ‘As smooth as a baby’s bottom!!’
I tried pigeon for the first time. The meat was scarce and it was difficult to get a good bite, but I will say that it was savory whilst ‘just like chicken.’ I also tried cow brain in a sandwich, definitely not my style and I was unable to finish it. Still, it was an experience aye? Egyptian food can be tasty, but I am definitely looking forward to getting out of here and on to newer foods.
The people here at the hostel are great, so friendly. I was very worried about my safety after leaving the J’s and returning here to Cairo alone, but I couldn’t have picked a better hostel- there is a tourist police station right out front and just about everything I need in this area, which is close to the center of Cairo so there’s plenty to do. All the same, I haven’t done much except read Plato’s Republic (in preparation for Greece) and Stephen King’s ‘Salem’s Lot.’ Good stuff.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Dreams Beach Resort at Sharm el-Sheikh
The J’s and I left Cairo and flew to Sharm el-Sheikh for the duration of our stay together. We stayed at the Dreams Beach Resort, which was by far nicest and possibly the first resort I’ve ever stayed in- thanks Jim btw, how nice it is to have a HS friend that’s a professional poker player (you kick ass)! Our room was right off the Red Sea, complete with miniscule jelly fish to sting us all! Needless to say, our view was amazing!
A very different experience from Cairo, we spent most of our time in Sharm lounging under sun, eating crappy buffet food, drinking camel piss (Egyptian alcohol) and playing Race for the Galaxies- good times. It was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of Cairo. There are some very memorable experiences which I’ll never forget, and I don’t suspect Jonny & Jimmy will either. But, as they say: whatever happens (in Sharm), shall stay (in Sharm) mwahahaha. Aye boyz?
Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to visit Mt. Sinai. Trying to organize anything through the resort was unwise and wasn’t happening, but at the same time we had a great experience lounging around doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
The only drawback to my experience in Sharm el-Sheikh was that I caught ‘The Pharaoh’s Revenge.’ I figured that the vegetables at a resort would safe, but I learned (now that I’m back in Cairo) that the water in Sharm is even dirtier than Cairo. Something I must’ve eaten made things most unpleasant for me in that last stretch. Luckily, the owner here at my hostel had some crazy herb of the Bedouin (Egyptian Nomads) that cures the shit (pun intended). Jim caught it too, just before his flight (hope he made it through alright)! Overall, the malady lasted about 5 days, not something I would wish on anyone, except maybe one....
Ultimately, I had a fantabulous time hanging with the J’s. Remember the pastries, sockball, frogger and all the obvious…You guys are the best and thanks for coming out to meet me- Amsterdam and on. We really had some unforgettable times. My Dad called us ‘The Three Amigos’ and I think that is fitting.
A very different experience from Cairo, we spent most of our time in Sharm lounging under sun, eating crappy buffet food, drinking camel piss (Egyptian alcohol) and playing Race for the Galaxies- good times. It was nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of Cairo. There are some very memorable experiences which I’ll never forget, and I don’t suspect Jonny & Jimmy will either. But, as they say: whatever happens (in Sharm), shall stay (in Sharm) mwahahaha. Aye boyz?
Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to visit Mt. Sinai. Trying to organize anything through the resort was unwise and wasn’t happening, but at the same time we had a great experience lounging around doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
The only drawback to my experience in Sharm el-Sheikh was that I caught ‘The Pharaoh’s Revenge.’ I figured that the vegetables at a resort would safe, but I learned (now that I’m back in Cairo) that the water in Sharm is even dirtier than Cairo. Something I must’ve eaten made things most unpleasant for me in that last stretch. Luckily, the owner here at my hostel had some crazy herb of the Bedouin (Egyptian Nomads) that cures the shit (pun intended). Jim caught it too, just before his flight (hope he made it through alright)! Overall, the malady lasted about 5 days, not something I would wish on anyone, except maybe one....
Ultimately, I had a fantabulous time hanging with the J’s. Remember the pastries, sockball, frogger and all the obvious…You guys are the best and thanks for coming out to meet me- Amsterdam and on. We really had some unforgettable times. My Dad called us ‘The Three Amigos’ and I think that is fitting.
Looks like sunset, but this is actually sunrise on The Red Sea. How I want to part thee..
The J's playing giant chess like back in Amsterdam.
R for the G...
All you Jim. The poor pole-man, enslaved to a life forever holding up a sign.
Ahhh Jemes..... yet another name for yah. Too many names...
This was the pool bar, where you could order drinks from the middle of the pool. There's a pretty cool water slide which you can see in the background. Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Day Two At The Pyramids.
We decided to go again just to witness the awesome majesty that is Giza, with a little more focus on the Sphinx this time. Yesterday, I ran out of batteries just as we were rolling up to the Sphinx and Jonny had flat-out forgotten to bring his camera. So, we left the area to get batteries and couldn’t get back in because the place starts closing at 4, which the stupid guides hadn’t told us.
Anyway, so this time we didn’t hire any guides. We bought our tickets and walked all over the place. We went down inside one of the greater tombs and saw the sarcophagus of Khufu’s son, Khafre. We strolled over to the Sphinx and got up-close and personal. Jonny brought his camera. I had extra batteries. We took lots of videos this time which are uploaded below. Even on the 2nd day I can’t get over how incredible this place is, it just blows my mind.
Later on we went back to the Bazaar to experience the market at night, always with the shopping… We had some gnarly food at a restaurant recommended to us by a Saudi man from the hookah place. When we got back to our hotel, Jimmy and I created a drinking game called sockball (with Jonny’s used sock), which we played in the living room and Jonny recorded. I was horrible at the game, and so got incredibly drunk (which only made it worse), but I’ll never forget sockball. Jimmy won 16-1, which was the worst beating anyone had ever received in the history of sockball..
Pictures and video clips below. Enjoy~
Anyway, so this time we didn’t hire any guides. We bought our tickets and walked all over the place. We went down inside one of the greater tombs and saw the sarcophagus of Khufu’s son, Khafre. We strolled over to the Sphinx and got up-close and personal. Jonny brought his camera. I had extra batteries. We took lots of videos this time which are uploaded below. Even on the 2nd day I can’t get over how incredible this place is, it just blows my mind.
Later on we went back to the Bazaar to experience the market at night, always with the shopping… We had some gnarly food at a restaurant recommended to us by a Saudi man from the hookah place. When we got back to our hotel, Jimmy and I created a drinking game called sockball (with Jonny’s used sock), which we played in the living room and Jonny recorded. I was horrible at the game, and so got incredibly drunk (which only made it worse), but I’ll never forget sockball. Jimmy won 16-1, which was the worst beating anyone had ever received in the history of sockball..
Pictures and video clips below. Enjoy~
Making out with The Sphinx. Nice shot Jonny.
This little girl worked so hard at harassing us and was just so damn cute that we had to buy some of her postcards. She kind of reminds me of your little girl, Russ.
This is the insanely delicious sugar cane drink and one of our guides. 
Khafre's pyramid. He is the son of Khufu. These two shots give you perspective as to just HOW BIG these things actually are.
Khufu's Pyramid- The Great Pyramid.
These last shots are taken inside the tunnel leading to Khafre's Tomb.
Jim kind of looks like Golem here..
Khafre's Tomb.
Khafre's Sarcophogus.
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