Ancient Athens

I believe I have found a city that I prefer over Rome. Athens has a similar vibe as that Italian capital, but not quite so chaotic and perhaps even better looking. The city is full of history and activities. I feel rewarded to finally be here.

I arrived Wednesday night and went to dinner with an Austrailian guy I met on the bus from Kalambaka. As we were eatting dinner a Canadian walked by and we invited him to join us. Then a group of three American girls, whom the Canadian had previously met, randomly passed by and the Canadain invited them to sit with us. It surprises me how easy it is sometimes to meet people.

My first full day in town I visited the Acropolis, the walled hill you see behind me in the photo above. On the Acropolis rest the ruins of the Parthenon, a temple to the Goddess Athenia, patron god of Athens, built from 447 - 432 BC. While walking up the rough marble steps of the Acropolis I again could not believe I was about to view the Parthenon, a site I have wanted to see for years now.

After the Acropolis I visited the National Archealogical Museum, supposedly one of the finest in the world.

During the day there were a series of student riots and protests in the downtown area of the city. I stayed clear of the action when I saw police in full riot gear marching down the street. That Australian I might later told me that he unknowingly ran into the path of tear gas fumes and suffered for a bit of time because of it.

The other sites I've taken in are the ancient Agora, the Greek Parliament building, the changing of the guard in front of the , and many more.

Yesterday I visited the stadium that held the first games of the modern Olympiad in 1897. Then I rode the subway out to the complex which hosted the 2004 Games. Aside from a handful of hours early fans for an evening soccer game, most of the complex was empty. I would like to go to the Olympics someday, I only missed this series by about two and half years. Maybe I can time it better for the 2008 Games.

My hostel is located in the Plaka neighborhood, which lies on the northeast side of the Acropolis. The Plaka is also one of the nicest sides of the city. The narrow streets lack cars, are lined with outdoor resturant and cafe seating, and some are even paved with slats of marble.

The food is fantastic and it must be fattening. Most street vendor food includes fried filo dough and cheese in some fashion.

Actually, I did have one bad food tasting with a local dish: tripe soup. The main ingredient is cow intestines. It never occurred to me what it would taste like until the bowl of soup arrived at my table and I smelled the first whiffs of steam rising up from it. Think of it like this, what goes in the toilet is the same thing that sits in intestines. After an entire animal's life it does not matter how well one cleans the intestines, they will still smell and taste of feces. I took a spoonful of the brothy liqued with floating chuncks of intestines and prepared for the worst. I was only able to finish two-thirds of the bowl before I left the cafe. I had no feelings of disgrace walking away from that table.

On a brighter note, I couldn't ask for better weather Athens. I didn't bring any shorts because I didn't think I would need them, but I could use them in this city. I would guess the temperature has been between 60 and 70 degrees during the day. From here though, the themometer will go down as I continue my travels.

Tonight I leave this wonderful city for Bucharest, Romania. The train ride to get there will take 23 hours, then my stay in the city will last only a day or two before I head deeper into the country and to Transylvania.