http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Zpet/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Zpet en-us Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:57:13 BST Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:57:13 BST After a couple days of rest and meeting family we went to watch a bullfight in San Lucar de Barrameda near Chipiona. I had never been to one so I was anxious to see what it was like. Tickets were a bit more expensive than we expected at 35 Euros each... for almost the cheapest seats. After a brief wait during which we watched the horses and bull out back and move further from the band that http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/Chipiona/blog-280389.html Everything worked out today. We woke up by 5am and were ready for the taxi 12 Euros when it arrived at 530am. Got to the airport ontime and they didnt even weigh our luggage much less our backpacks. Phew... since we were surely over the 20 kilos per bag andor 6 kilos per carry on. The young man in front of us had two bags so the lady weighed them and at 34 kilos he was told he owed 138 Eur http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/Chipiona/blog-279583.html We got up early to catch an early bus to Knossos. We caught the bus at Liberty Square Plata Venizelou at about 8am. It was a city bus cost 1.15 Euros each and became quite crowded. Knossos is right on the outskirts of Iraklio so you don't realize you're there until the driver yells Knossos. The entry fee was 6 Euros each. Knossos is quite extensive fairly well excavated and partially rest http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Crete/Knossos/blog-279059.html Mr. Tountas took us up to the bus stop on the National Road to catch our bus to Iraklio Heraklion. We thought the bus would come before 10am so when a bus showing Iraklio stopped we started to board but the driver's assistant saw our tickets and told us No wrong bus line. Next one in 10 minutes. I was under the impression there was only one bus line on Crete KTEL but we waited and sure http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Crete/Heraklion/blog-278729.html We arrived at the town square to wait for our minibus for the tour at 930am to be safe. When they finally showed up at 1035 we'd been worried for a while. Along with us the driver and the guide there were 7 other people all from Australia and all apparently... well heeled as one couple told us they came from Australia on their yacht We rode up into the White Mountains above Kalives a bi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Crete/Chania/blog-278684.html Being our 34th anniversary we wanted things to go well. I'd kept Manoli from knowing about my special Taste of Crete cooking class until today just telling her that we were going to be busy Tuesday. While we waited for the 715am bus to Hania I filled her in. More on that tomorrow. We needed to catch this bus to Hania and hope it wasn't too late to catch the 830 bus from Hania to Omalos and th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Crete/Chania/blog-278347.html We woke up in plenty of time for the bus at 715am but again the bus was a noshow. We decided instead to rent a vespa scooter for the day and try to find the U.S. Navy base near Souda with the hope of sending some excess weight home. We did find the base hidden away on the other side of the Chania airport but unfortunately they wouldn't let us on since we weren't on the access list. We cont http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Crete/Chania/blog-278329.html After capuccinos not very good but we'll have our own coffee tomorrow we got the lowdown from Philia Tountas and paid the bill 130 Euros for 5 nights... what a bargain We decided to take the bus into Chania for the day but after strolling thru Kalives a very quaint seaside village with a nice beach we waited for the bus but it didn't come. Instead we finished browsing the stores in Kal http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Crete/Chania/blog-277565.html After packing and leaving our luggage in the office we walked up to Fira for our last chance to shop and see the view. We ate lunch at Restaurant The Greeks having a Santorini Special Plate consisting of mashed fava beans feta cheese fried tomato balls potato omelet and a tomato and cheese spread. It was getting close to our 230pm trip to the new port to catch our catamarn to Crete so we h http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/South-Aegean/Santorini/blog-277243.html We walked down to the old port to board our boat for the tour. What a climb down I was dreading climbing back up after the tour. The boat was like a small tow0master schooner but they used engines instead. We sailed out to the volcano's island cone. Apparently the cone has changed at least two or three times since the initial eruption in 15000BC with the last eruption in 1950. We hiked up and http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/South-Aegean/Santorini/blog-277234.html We were going to take the boat tour today out to the cone hot springs and Thirassia Island but the day seemed a bit cool so we ended up taking another down day if you can call hiking 6 or 8 miles a down day. We walked down from the hotel to Karterados Beach basically a short strip of black sand with two cafestaverns and few people. By the time we'd walked to Monolithos it had warmed up http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/South-Aegean/Santorini/blog-276839.html Today was a down day. We walked up into Fira and strolled around shopping and sightseeing the sites churches overviews and myriads of up and down walkways. There are only two main streets in Fira with a few connecting ones. The rest are dozens and dozens of narrow walkways up down and across mostly crowded with shops taverns and people. There were two major cruise ships in port today so http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/South-Aegean/Santorini/blog-276835.html After walking about a mile to get 2 capuccinos for breakfast I asked Poppy to call for the 4wheeler. About 10 minutes later I was getting the low down on 4wheelers then went back to pick up Manoli. We headed out about 930am... two old folks on a 4wheeler Along the way we stopped at the Santos Winery just outside Pyrgos and took the tour. Very interesting and only 3 Euros for both of us. W http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/South-Aegean/Santorini/blog-275818.html Woke up pretty much on time and headed for the port. Arriving early we had capuccinos at a cafe across from the port and decided to buy lunch there too. A couple of pies greek sandwiches at 1.70 and 1.90 each. We'd been told food was expensive on the ferry but it turned out we could have bought the same sort of food onboard for just a bit more and they would have been still warm. Oh well l http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/South-Aegean/Santorini/blog-275699.html After a long restless night we went downstairs to wait for our walking tour. At 9am the lady told us the guide had called and wasn't coming so she refunded our money gave us a map and some information to take the tour ourselves. So off we went to see the Acropolis. We decided to check out Hadrian's Library and buy a combo ticket for 6 Euros to see the Acropolis and other sights. Lo and behol http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Attica/Athens/blog-275282.html We left Pensacola on time after a near catastrophe.. I left my backpack in the Jeep. After failing to contact Tanya to return Monica got her on her cell phone. She was already returning because she forgot to give us our anniversary card. The flight from Philadelphia was long 9 hours but smooth. We slept very little on the plane arriving in Athens at 9am Friday. Upon arrival we discovered that http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Attica/Athens/blog-274656.html Just a quick note to let all know we made it to Athens. The Athens International HI hostel is pretty typical. More later this evening when we've seen something to write about http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Attica/Athens/blog-274410.html Kali Mera My wife Manoli and I J.C. are on our way to Greece and the Greek Islands. Taking the 6am flight out of Pensacola for Atlanta then Philadelphia and finally Athens. I'll try to make an entry every day with some interesting photos. Feel free to communicate. See ya in a month...almost http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Pensacola/blog-274028.html For Nickie Campbell et alI tried to reply via email but it was returned. We booked our tour of Central America thru Tucan Travel.J.C. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Antigua/Antigua/blog-270551.html Since I didn't convince Manoli to do another tour the ruins of Uxmal today was pretty much a chill and do nothing day. First we went further downtown to the main market where they had dozens and dozens of booths selling meat fruit vegetables handicrafts and anything else you can imagine. Next we decided to head uptown to the ritzy district and check out the local WalMart. Very different i http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Yucat%E1n/Merida/blog-176082.html