Ancient Athens

Athens is always a very mystery city to me. It has a long long history, but yet, I don't know much about them.

Day 1 ~~ 27 Sept 2008 (Saturday)



We arrived in the afternoon, worked out a hotel to stay at the Piraeus (next to the Port), a budget hotel, but it has all it has to be a decent hotel and a very good location next to metro station. If anyone would like to have a budget hotel, I would recommend this. Ion Ion Hotel ~ Euro$ 80 per night.

We started touring Athens from Monastiraki station. The moment i stepped out the station, you can see a long walk way full of small tables selling accessories, just like petaling street, and perhaps lower class than petaling street. Further up the path, there are full of coffee shops along the walk-way. I feel like i am walking in somewhere very similar to France, though I have never been there, but you know... you can see all these on the movie. We had a cup of tea, resting and enjoying people walking pass the path. Emmmm, very french feeling. Love it though :). Oh, i tried Greek coffee for the first time... eeeehhhh... never again. A very powdery strong coffee.

Headed down to the so-called night life place, but ended up it was rather a big square with local singing and doing their church services. So, we headed back to Monastiraki and tried our first Greek meal. I ordered a Grill Chicken and Martin had a beef sausage. I had to say, the beef sausage is delicious.

Continue our walking along the Monastiraki and headed to the big rock below the Acropolis. It had a good view on the Acropolis, in fact, you can almost see the Acropolis from a far distance from Monastiraki and Thissio. A very amazing night view and huge temple.

Day 2 ~~ 28 Sept 2008 (Sunday)

Our day to the world famous Acropolis (high city, the "Sacred Rock"). Finally. Amazing trip, and you just wonder how this can be done in 6th millennium BC ago (Gods know how long this is)? How could the people move up all the big giant marbles? The temple is built on top of the rock and ahhh... how do you say it... it is sensational. Next, yet another archeology site, Temple of Olympian Zeus, one of the seven wonder, but I still think Acropolis is more impressive than this. We've walked thru the national garden toward the Monument of the Unknown soldiers. Taking a wy bit of rest and headed to our exciting trip back to Ion Hotel via the very modern look like TRAM. A long journey though, but it was all good. Seeing the creepy, doggy town to the modern classy village.

Day 3 ~~ 29 Sept 2008 (Monday).

Corinth of Canal.

Mobile Alarm set at 5:45am, just to make sure we can catch the 7am train to visit the Corinth of Canal. Beeebeebeee.... my alarm's beeping and buzzz buzz.. Martin's alarm was buzzing (2nd alarm to be safe)... as usual, i woke up had my shower and then waking Martin up who is still on the bed. Martin woke up questioning why the sky out there is still pitch dark!?! there only I realize, it was 3am in Athen time, but 6:30am in Malaysia time.... a big laugh on me... and went straight to bed with my "ready-set" outfit.





We woke up the "Right" time and catched the 8am train. Reached Corinth of Canal at 10:30am.... it is such an amzaing Canal... HUGE... stunning view... awesome. I never had any idea how a canal would look like... and now, I knew...... a picture pain a thousand words...


Day 4 ~~ 30 Sept 2008 (Tuesday).


Heading North today to the island of Rhodes. We reached Rhodes at noon and found out it costs the same to rent a car for the whole trip than to call a taxi to the hotel.. so, we rent a car. But, problem here. The car is a manual car, which is not a big problem to me, butttt... the driver seat is on the left hand! .... We drove "fun"ily towards the road, oppsss.. a couple of cars heading right to us!?!? Ahh... we are driving on the wrong side of the road... mmmm... Left hand side driving and Wrong side of the road... eerrrrr... ! We had a couple of fun as we drove towards the hotel... as my car kept shutting down by himself... hahahah



Day 5 ~ 1 Oct 2008 (Wednesday).



Outting day with Young family. I was a bit dehydrated at end of the day and slept unconciously ...



Day 6 ~ 2 Oct 2008 (Thursday).



Big day for Young family. Chris and Heather is marrying today. It is such a wonderful place to have the wedding. Beautiful church just next to the beach with a stunning view. How i wish ... one day... my wedding will be like that.... (ohhh.. God.. can you hear me? Well, i am not greedy, just let me get married).

Day 7 ~ 3+4 Oct 2008 (Friday).

Had a day rest and heading back home to KL... yet another HAPPY holiday... Cheers.

Merdeka Sailing Competition

It's my first time sailing and I have no idea what to expect. A bit worried about taking too much stuff along with me... all the clothes.. big tower..but nah... mine wasn't the biggest bag. (HA - What was I sweating about? Stupid).

Stepping into the boat, first impression - what am I suppose to do for the next couple of days within this boat? Sleep, eat, shower, sail.. everything on this sailing boat. A simple question, yet i have never thought of it.

Journey to Pangkor wasn't that bad... though i find it a bit hard to shower in a tidy little shower room, hate to feel sticky all the time on the boat, got to sleep in a sort of a store room?!?!? But, i am not feeling disappointed here, cause i really dunno what to expect very beginning. First night dinner was ok. At lease it was on Pangkor Island, a proper land, after almost a 18 hours journey from KL. 2nd day dinner was superb - Pangkor Laut Resort. (Oppss... i sneak out to their toilet during my dinner to have a nice clean shower... and it was Goooodd).

Coming back was a bit of adventurous. We started out journey at 1 at night.. unwinding the anchor up and gosh, caught in a fishing net. Paul and Martin spent 1 hours to cut it off. Thereafter, we powered the engine and start of journey... but a bigger oppsss here... our engine was caught in the fishing net too.... I suppose the fisher man is not too smart spreading the net around us? What did he expect? Fishes around our boat? We did try cutting it, but the current is too strong and we kept swing away by the current and it is pitch dark which made it harder. So, we've decided to postpone the departure till tomorrow morning.

We woke up early, Paul started to dip down and start cutting the net again, ohh.. he spent almost 2 hours cutting it off. Good job Paul, you are our HERO!. There was quite a bit of sailing done on our way back, and I was surprise how slanted the boat can be. It's like being in a 45 degree slanted boat. Everything just go hair wired to me.. I suppose everybody else was feeling normal there and I am sure that's call sailing!

Being lazy, and not have much to do, I slept quite a lot there. And i was told, we have actually de-tour to save another boat on our way back, know that we are running out of petrol and luckily, the save boat save us by giving us the petrol.

Well, a good experience to me, but not sure I will enjoy trying it again. Cheers...