Well, its been a busy time for us over here. After we left Mt. Olympus, we took the train toAthens. That was good times...the train was over sold, so we were not assigned seats, instead, they gave us blank tickets, which let us sit in the no mans land by the WC between cars where everyone comes to smoke on the non-smoking train. I mean, jesus, putting a bylaw officer on a train to issue tickets would solve things nicely. After a few hours, this girl who got on in Lamia offered me the seat beside her. I had a great talk with her for the next 2 hours. She is Greek, but is a PHD student in England. It was interesting getting a Greek opinion on what the state of the nation is. She lamented the lack of drive in Greece, how plans go slowly, and nothing is ever done on time, etc., but she loves it all the same, and would not live anywhere else (after school, obviously). She was also critical of the growing divide between the rich and poor-since the adoption of the euro, prices have soared, but saleries have not risen to match them, so there is a great deal of poverty, which we had seen already.
Anyhow, after we arrived in Athens, she was off to meet her boyfriend for a vacation on the Ionian Islands, and we had to find a hostel that actually had bed space. Hostels in Athens are in 2 main areas of the city, the Plaka (the old, pituresque original town) and Omonia, a central sector with lots of junkies and whores. We chose the Plaka, the area of Athens it is easy to fall in love with...you can pretend that the sprawl, the stink, the poverty, the filth, does not exist. Of course, Plaka has its own indesirable side in all the rampent tourism, but at least it is pleasing to the eye, the only part of town where that can be said and meant!
We lucked out, and the Student Traveller Inn had 2 beds left (the last 2). It was the same place Brad and I stayed 3 years ago. It is expensive (all hostels in Plaka are), but it is very clean, and is very popular with backpackers. After cleaning up, we went down to the central courtyard (a really cool little feature where all the people congregate) and met 3 Canucks (Jeff and Nick From Van., and Kristin from TO) and an Aussie girl named Shelly. We swapped tales and advise for hours, all the while drinking cheap Greek wine. At midnight, the courtyard closed, and we walked around Plaka in search of a bar with cheap drinks. We found one, and the party continued. Finally, at 4 am, our way lit by the Acropolis (one of lifes more stirring sights at night), we made it back to the hostel.
The next day, Jer had a head full of beer, so we took it easy until 1 pm, when he felt he could take on the city. All that history, really very surreal (refer to last post).

That night we met a whole new group, as Nick and Geoff were off to Ios, and Shelly and Jristin were going to Santorini. Cory, an Aussie, and Greg, another from down under, two English sisters named Alana and Emma, and a Frenchman named Francois. We went for food to a very good Taverna, and then beers at the same cheap bar. Another great time with like minded travellers! It was refreshing being there. Backpackers form their own little community, and Athens is one of the Nerve centres for them, a cross roads. I love that atmosphere, all that optimism. After all, just as Paul Theroux said, travel itself is really the physical enactment of optimism...you just assume that it will be worthwhile, that it will go well, that memories will be made forever. That is the unspoken (unrealized?) attitude that pervades the backpacking community.

The next day, we bused up to Delphi. On route, we met an American named Mike. He was an intersting guy, very left wing, anti-American policy. He had hippie parents who raised him to disagree with American Imperialism, and we had a great talk for the 3 hour ride. The 3 of us stayed in the same campground, and later that day, climbed up the ridge beside the camp (a beautiful camp, perched on the slopes of Mt. Parnassus). We could see a cave from the camp and were eager to climb up to investigate. The slope was steep, and covered with thorns. Quite the climb ensued, one of the more difficult I have ever done, only to discover that the cave must shelter sheep, as there was an eons worth of dried out shit up there. That was how, 3 foreigners conquered the imposing shit mountain in Delphi!
The next day, we went to the ruins. They are beyond description. They are the very first UNESCO World Heritage Site, and deservingly so. They cling to the slope, and like Athens, give you a subtle hint of the majesty they one day held when they were the most important religious site in the world. No matter what race or nationality, they sent offering to the shrine (Egyptian, Assyrian, Hittite, Phoenician, etc). Much of the grandeur is faded, but the ruins hold you spell bound. The complex was huge, with many treasuries from all of the Greek City states, as well as a theatre, a massive temple to Apollo (to whom the shrine had been built), and a stadium which hosted the Pythian Games (one of the Ancient worlds big 4 games, Pythian, Olympics, Nemean, and Isthmian, all of equal religious importance). The most impressive thing is that the stone of the Sybil is still there. The Sybil was a preistess who gave propechy on any matter a pilgrim wished to hear, and she was the reason that the temple was erected there. She would be gased, and then speak in tongues as she tripped out, and a priest would interprite the words of Apollo, the god of prophecy. That was very surreal, especially since the rock of the Sybil was uncut, unworked stone sitting in the midst of all that manmade grandeur. Mike and I then sprinted on the stade, just as they had done in ancient times. The museum was small by British museum standards, but was filled with important pieces from the site. There was a lot of information packed into it.
Anyhow, after that very stirring cultural/religious experience (and yes, there are places in the world that still bear the presence of the old gods, where you can feel their presence unlike you could ever feel the presence of the stern Hebrew god, a god who does not celebrate life and beauty as the ancients did) we returned to camp to drink some very good wine, just as we had the night before. Mike proved to be excellent company for it, and is now my New York City connection...a very good guy.
The next day we parted ways, and Jer and I made our way to Olympia. We arrived late and went to bed hungry...ahh life on the road.
Today we went into Olympia to see the site. It was in much better shape than it was 3 years ago when Schwy and I saw it. Then they were working around the clock to ready it for the 2004 games (they held discus, javelin and shotput here), but now all the work is done, and the site is amazing. Wondering amongst the ruins thinking of Milo of Kroton, the greatest athlete of all time, undefeated in 6 Olympics in wrestling. The story even has it that he fought and killed a lion with his hands...who knows if its true. Anyway, the ruins are filled with the memory of men just like him, the athletes who were the pride of their world. The games were intense, and the winners were immortalized in statuary, poems, given wealth, etc. Really not at all the "ideal" they think it was, really, but a great tradition that brought the entire Greek worled togther for a massive festival to celebrate the beauty of the human form, an athlete the ultimate expression of the human body (witch to the ancients was beautiful and without shame).

I think our next step will take us to Sparta, the home of warriors that shook the Hellenistic world to its core at one time! (Although not during the sacred 3 month truce in an Olympic year)
Thinking of you all!!!