It's a Cyprus Halloween this year!

Happy Halloween!

So on Friday the school put on a Halloween event for all the study abroad kids, both US and Europe. They had a pre-party event at the school with costume contests and events. There weren’t too many people at this part but it was still fun. Then we all got on the bus and they took us to Nuovo, the venue for the Halloween party. It was a great time and everyone was grateful for a Halloween party across the world! “The scarier the better”



Today we're making all kinds of Halloween treats, and a few girls found a pumpkin out in the mountains, I didn't have the time to make it out there, kind of sad. Grandma can you email me how to make caramel corn please?




Trick or treat....


These are the little cookies guys I made for our get together (1 of 2 plates)! Everyone is making something and we ordered pizza.... so exciting and fun! Treats and movies all night long! YEY! Happy Halloweeeeeeeen! :)

Updates & the 411 on "The North Side"

Hello everyone! I just thought I'd give you a general update as I'm already half way done with this program, sniffle sniffle.

I absolutely love my classes. The education systems are quite different over here and there is a real emphasis on learning (weird, right?) and not just covering check points of what must be said whether students are understanding or not.

One of my favorite classes is my cultural anthropology class (m/w nights). Anthropology is really interesting to me and hearing an anthropologist's theory on major discussion topics such as race is quite interesting and rather eye-opening to say the least.

I'm also really enjoying my figure drawing class. My teacher is from the US (grew up in Philly) and she is incredible. She doesn't care if you are the best or worst artist but rather she teaches you from where you're at and all she cares about is you improving. She, unlike all other foundation art teachers I've ever had, teaches you different ways to approach the art of drawing. It may sound silly but when other teachers just set up a still life and say draw and you've never drawn in your life it is quite daunting. So every class we draw for 3 hours straight, typically about 100 faster drawings and one long drawing.

By far my favorite "class", yes a class for one elective credit, is my yoga class. It is a small class with about 6 students and the teacher is so well rounded and knowledgeable about the philosophy of yoga. She wants us to learn and understand everything about yoga, not just the asanas (the positions you hold and what most people think of when they hear the world yoga). We also do relaxation and meditation and I know it makes a difference in my day to day life, both physically and mentally. I bought my own yoga mat and I've been practicing, I plan to practice yoga for quite some time!

My photography class is daunting. I'm pretty overwhelmed but I know I can do it. It's a premaster’s class (400 level Comm class) that incorporates both photography history/theory and a practical assignment as well. For our assignment it is a documentary project that addresses a particular cultural or social issue with a final portfolio of 25 prints. I'm wanting to address the Cyprus problem as it would be an relevant topic back in the states, more so than any other smaller scale issue that Americans would have no background context. However the language and access barriers are proving to be rather difficult to overcome. I have another work of research before I go out into the field, so regardless wish me luck, I'll need it.

Art history and Pilates are good too, helps when you only have a Monday-Wednesday class week! (haha technically have one Friday class but we only have 3 students in that class so it’s not held all the time)

Other than that I finally went to the North side this past weekend, that’s actually where I went paragliding. It was a really interesting experience for me. The politics of the Cyprus problem actually remind me a lot of many of the world views of America. For example, when I say I'm from the US many people instantly reference our politics and what our government is doing. That’s how I felt when I went to the North, I looked at all the Turkish people living there, living in the old homes of Greek families working at their old shops and living their old lives. At times I looked at them like they were the ones who took over but they weren't, it was their government and army that invaded in 1974, much like I don't tell our army where to go and what to do. It's sad too because there were Turkish families in the south that made to move to the north because of the invasion as well... the fact of the matter everyone was affected.

Also, since all the lectures I listened to I've gained a more rounded opinion of the situation and found that the Greeks actually somewhat blame the US. The US supports Turkey and funds a lot of what they do because of their geopolitical situation and therefore many think the US supported the invasion of 1974, whether that can be proven or not, I don't think I'll ever know. It was definitely interesting though and that’s one of the main reasons I'd like to make a body of work about the situation to share with my peers and the communities back at home in the states.

So if you're wondering how you get to the North and all the details about that, let me fill you in because it is odd! So basically you have the city of Nicosia and I live about ten minutes out of the city. So you drive into the city and first you see the south city fill with Greeks and normal shops and such. Then you enter the old walled city where the old moats are now parks and ball fields. Just inside the walled city you get a strong sense of old city life, small walk ways, shop after shop, gyro stands, etc. If you walk far enough north you get to the buffer zone and eventually the green line. What happens at the border crossing (acknowledged only by the Turkish) you hand over your passport, they take your details, stamp an external piece of paper with your details that you hand write just before and then you can enter the Turkish occupied north. So you continue to walk past flower bucket after flower bucket next to destroyed and tarped buildings. I wish I could photograph or video how odd this process is but there is no photography what so ever. So just like that you're in the North using Turkish Lira, listening to Turkish music, eating (delicious) Turkish food and hearing their language.

Also worth noting, the Turkish only opened up this footpath crossing and a few others over the island in 2003. They started by only letting Greeks cross for the day but then later that year they allowed them a longer time frame to visit which allowed them to return to their old homes, which were sometimes still abandoned while others had large Turkish families living in their old quarters. The boarder is highly protected and you can sense it as soon as you reach the buffer zone.

So anyways, once I got across I really started to enjoy this new culture. We took a "bus", well the closest thing they have to bus - aka a van, to Kyrenia. Kyrenia is a beautiful harbor town on the north coast of the island. We drove over the mountain range and the road winded right down into the heart of the city passing many old castles and monuments on the way. One castle sits right next to the harbor and it’s beautiful.

So that’s when we were walked along the (small) harbor to the hostel when I saw the paragliding stand, so you know where I was for the next 3 hours! After paragliding Kate and I got lunch on the water and met up with the group. We ended up climbing onto a ledge overlooking the harbor and just watched the sunset and enjoyed good company. After that is was time for dinner, chatting and watching live Turkish music.

The next day we had take away breakfast (cheap and SO good!) and ate along the water. We then took taxis up to an old Temple turned monastery overlooking the sea. The views were stunning and the old ruins themselves were stunning... we need stuff like this in the US! But anyways, there was a really neat shop with hand crafted bowls that were hand painted ceramic... I really wanted some but I'm going to wait until my next trip and to check my budget, I could have bought them all if I was rich! Just beautiful and reminded me of miss Hannah Rasker :)

It was warm and I was roasting in my conservative clothing (ha) so a friend and I went swimming just below Kyrenia Castle. Never thought I'd be able to say I was swimming in beautiful teal water just below a gorgeous castle, but I guess I've had a lot of those moments lately! It was such a good trip with a great group of friends, 7 in total.

slideshow | Viewer

(Another slide show! Easier this way, click viewer to view one at a time. All pictures are from this weekend in Kyrenia)

Other updates, I’m really enjoying both Greek and Turkish food! I think I will actually miss it when I leave. Gyros, doners, greek salads, etc etc, mhmmm! The weather is still amazing, and I must say I have a lovely tan! Still low to mid 80's during the day and lows at night are around 62-65. The men here still drive me nuts sometimes. I really don’t think it’s necessary for them to stop or slow their cars to get a better look of me walking down the street but I have no control over that, so I deal… sometimes better than others. The people in my GLS group are awesome, everyone is so different yet we all have something in common, after all out of the hundreds of study abroad programs we did seek out this Cyprus one with many travel opportunities in a very alternative location. Everyone loves to travel and experience as much as possible, never a dull moment over here. However, some sad news. My returning flight from Jordan got cancelled so I had to cancel that flight all together. Like anyother situation though, that just meant something else good would come of it... I think I'll be traveling to Turkey first weekend of December for a lower cost! Yey!

At times it isn’t too rewarding just writing and not hearing from all my friends and family, so if you get a chance write me! kihrig@email.arizona.edu or snail mail is always adored (My name - c/o GLI Global Learning Institute - PO Box 24842 - CY 1304 Nicosia). Also I’ll use this as an opportunity to thank all my friends and family who have taken the opportunity to keep in touch. Every time we talk I get a little piece of home when I’m on the other side of the world and it’s really nice; after all, “For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.” Thank you to everyone who is supporting me, I hope that one day I can do the same for you. The other day a friend told me I inspired him to sign up for a summer program helping families in Africa… I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Time to do some laundry (for 8 euro, aka 12 usd! Grossss, sink laundry most of the time though) Gotta get everything together before miss Tiffany Brown gets here tonight! Cheers and an early happy halloween!

XOXO,
Kayla

A few good quotes to share

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

“You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result”

"People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates."

"Never mind searching for who you are. Search for the person you aspire to be."

"If you don't get lost, there's a chance you may never be found."

"Judge me all you want, but keep the verdict to yourself."

"whoever said nothing is impossible, never tried slamming a revolving door...."

"life isnt a garden ........ so stop being a hoe."

"Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you."

"A good traveler has no fixed plan, and is not intent on arriving."



:)

You'll never guess what I just did...

Here goes the story!!! So basically when I was kicked back on Friday reading on the beach, I read that a couple from New Zealand had a paragliding stand in Kyrenia... the city I was going to visit Sat-Sun. So we finally got to the harbor Saturday afternoon around 12:30pm and walking to the hostel I just happened to see their stand (it was destiny I tell you) and I couldn't help but to walk in...

An hour later I had my tennis shoes on and I was on my way to run off the mountain side in style.



I asked the group I was with, 6 others, if anyone was game to go and sure enough one other friend was up for it. So, we hopped in the little van that could barely make it up the mountains, drove by the a Turkish army camp, past a huge castle built into the cliff side, around a few bends and we found our cliff side, I mean our runway!
It was hilarious, we went to the back of the van, put on his suit/gear in a matter of 1.5mins, came out and gave me my suit, said “I see you’re not nervous!”, told me to run until he said stop on the count of three….. 1, 2, 3! And that was it! 2500ft above the water and I was flying… from parking to take off it was probably 8-10 minutes. I love it.


So if you didn’t know my first trip paragliding was when I turned 18 and I fell in love and since then I’ve wanted to go again. I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to go and I knew I had found it; I’m 21, on the north side of an island in the Mediterranean on a beautiful sunny day with a group of wonderful friends… Perfection

: )

slideshow | Viewer

Enjoy the slide show, let me know if you have any troubles viewing it. Also you can click the "Viewer" link and click through the pictures.

Rhodes, Greece

So Wednesday to Sunday I was in Rhodes! I couldn't justify living in the Mediterranean and not exploring some more of the islands, so a friend and I booked tickets to Rhodes the night before we left for our ten day trip and left it at that. We arrived (after late taxis and delayed airplanes) late Wednesday night with no place to stay. We take a taxi to the city next to the ferry port, so he drops us off next to one of the entrances to the old city. Literally two huge, round pillars with the castle looking tops and a walk through gate, the ground made of rocks stuck into cement basically… even more intense than Italy! Baby Louie and I did not like the old city grounds but we managed.


(Neighbors)

We walked in, “ thud thud thud thud!” with baby Louie, but we get to the little square and our jaws just drop; the old city was incredible and our first view of the place was at night with everything lit up. One of my favorite memories comes from this night. We had nowhere to stay and one guy points us to a place but it was full. When then ask a guy closing up at his restaurant to point us in the right direction but being a typical Greek from Rhodes that just wouldn’t do, he had a sit down while he finished up so he could personally show us. It grabbed his bicycle, put my bag on it and off we went down the rocky little alley ways. We had no luck at about 3 places, then he asked a guy just getting home from directions but he insisted and joined out group. No luck turned into more people…. We had restaurant guy in full dress and bike, neighbor guy, two guys drinking beer and the bartender all helping us find a place to stay for the night. Long story shorter, bartender ensures us they will work it out because everyone knows everyone and they all help each other, so beer guy calls friend, we sit and have a beer and ten minutes later an older Greek lady comes to pick us up and take us to her hotel tucked into the old city. It was pretty incredible.



So next day we woke up early to check into ferries to Santorini but it was 13 hours each way = so not happening. No big, but my cold was killing me so I napped with the shutters open and the rain pouring down. That night we went out, found a travel agent and got the hook up. Friday = day trip via city bus to Lindos. Sat = ferry trip to Symi, a small island about 2 hrs away. Sun = bus trip to Valley of the Butterflies. She also suggested the old palace which was incredible and quite creepy on that dark, rainy & windy night. I took some great videos I’ll have to share later.


(Palace at night)


(Boat shop)

Lindos was incredible, sandy beach cove with white houses built into the hillside and Lindos’s acropolis overlooking the entire city. I swam, napped and chilled on the beach, then took an EPIC donkey ride up to the top of the acropolis, walked around there and saw some of the most stunning views and then headed back down into the city to catch a bus. The donkey ride was hilarious, for the first few minutes I couldn’t stop laughing. The streets were so small I was so concerned he was going to slam my knee into the walls but sure enough he knew what to do and it was awesome… One of my favorite days for sure.


(do I even have to say I was excited? on my donkey!)


(Bahahaha, aren't they cute!)


(Beach with the acropolis behind me)


(One of the many kitty cats!)


(Mom would have killed me if she knew what was to my right)


Symi was beautiful. So much of the small island was untouched. Wild goats everywhere! First port I saw a man “gut” an octopus for a lack of better word. It was CRAZY!!! I couldn’t pick up my jaw. He grabbed it and the octopus tried grabbing back, quickly cut out his eyes, sliced the head skin back and cut it off exposing just the white underneath and then threw the octopus as hard as possible against a rock. He kept hurling the octopus at the rock, over and over and over. 10 times was not enough, more like 40-50 with all his might. I was stunned and couldn’t move. It went from a curled up feisty little thing to a stretched out, dead limp dangly thing. I will not forget watching that!


(Awesome fisherman)


(Wild goat!)

At our second port it was typical Greece; white houses built into the hillside, boats of all shapes and sizes docked and restaurants playing typical Greek music. We basically walked around the entire city that consisted of one cove, ate lunch, walked, I almost stole a kitten! They were SO tiny, I’ve seen some of the cutest kittens ever on my trips and back in Cyprus. Then we had dessert, two bugs included! I was not going to be “that American” so I took them out, set them aside and enjoyed my banana split. Had a lot of those moments, which reminds me, I totally forgot to buy anti-itch medicine today! I’m covered in bug bits!




That night we went to a “fast food” gyro stand and it ended up being the best choice. We ordered, sat at their little bar that fits about 6 people in total and watched (America’s) Top Model, Greece with a local Greek! He was so cute, Josh and I were trying to figure out what was going on and he’s try to fill us in as we kept making comments about the show. We ended up coming back to this same place the next day before we flew out, I loved the couple working there and the food was great. I only ordered fries and Josh got a chicken gyros and then all of a sudden I saw the guy cutting pork… he had remembered us and he gave me a small plate a pork to eat while we waited for our food. The gesture was SO sweet and the pork was the best I’ve ever had.


(View from our place, our shutters to the left)

The last morning we checked out of our hostel and left our bags for the day. As we walked away a/their dog decided to join us on our walk to the bus stop, he even hung out as we got our morning sandwich. He just sat outside waiting for his buds. We crossed 5 lanes of traffic; he saw, yielded to oncoming traffic and then crossed to meet up with us. It was adorable. We then took a bus up into the mountains to hike around in the trees and along the stream running down the hillside. The best part was when we got to the top though. We got to the monastery and there were rolling hills covered in tall trees, then a valley with little white houses, the beach, the sea with ships and small islands a ways out. It was honestly breathtaking and I didn’t want to leave.


(Our puppy!)


(Hiking around)


(So beautiful)

I had such a great trip; this blog really doesn’t cover it. For me this trip wasn’t as much about the things I did and the places I saw but rather about the people, their way of living and connecting on a much smaller scale. For example, Sunday afternoon we were leaving with our bags in tow along the same walk way and all the restaurant workers were saying goodbye and waving and beyond that even the guests eating were waving saying bye. It was just incredible, every night we got the same treatment too. We went to Romeo’s the first night at midnight and shared a plate of tradition Greek food and from then on we were friends passing bye, always saying hello and goodnight. Rhodes and the old city of Rodos in particular were so delightful.

What a girl will do for a package...

So I was just going to email my mom this story but I think its kind of hilarious and hopefully not a "you had to be there" moment....

So mom couldn't help but tell me she sent me a package and I got home from Rhodes late last night, got 4 hours of sleep, went to pilates and then it was time to get stuff done. I walked over to the GLS office where my package was sent to find out I had to go to the post office (main one) near downtown to pick it up. He said it was about a 45-50 min walk. Being my stubborn self and wanting my package SOOOO bag, I went straight home, put my running shoes one, made a terrible map with the Greek street names (as if they ever have street signs!) and set out for a midday trek with my id and papers in hand.

So I start running down one of our main roads in the dead of the desert heat... first guy I see tries talking to me as I pass making a jogging motion speaking to me in Greek, couldn't hear him because of my ipod but it was cute. Kept running, TOTALLY almost got hit by a car, but I saved myself. So I keep running, dodging crazy Cypriot drivers, low cut trees and dripping sweat. There was soooo much construction, which caused me to have to cross more streets without crossing signs to streets that had no street signs. I finally got to where I thought I was supposed to turn and asked a lady, showing her my paper in full Greek and she goes I'm sorry I don't read Greek (what!) but she knew where the post office was and I ran right there. By that time I had been running for thrity mins and I was dripping sweat, no one said a word one english to me in the post office until "passport number & sign" with a motion to my papers. Totally didn't have my passport but the other guy pointed at my drivers license and so I put that down and crossed my fingers.

Package was in my hands! Being stubborn and testing myself I chose not to get a taxi and run home. Like I hope you can picture this, white girl, bright pink running shorts, ipod, package in hand running through the streets of Nicosia sprinting to dodge cars.... any idea how much I value a package from home?

I totally felt like forest gump by the way. It cracked me up and gave me the power to keep running. Ran one hour and three mins in the heat; 85 degrees plus there wasn't a cloud in the sky to shade me... my papers were soaked from sweat and the package was relayed home like a precious little baby and finally I got to open my package! Thank you mom for everything! I will treat everything like gold and I'm so not sharing lol made johnny's fried potatoes tonight and they were SO good! I'm going to try to make it last until December. Oh and my Grayson drawings, which I got from you and directly from "him" are already on my walls! LOVE THEM!

Love you all!
XOXO
Kayla

Ayia Napa for the weekend!

So have you ever had a moment where you stop and question if a particular moment in life is actually real? This weekend I stood on top of a ridge overlooking miles of sandy beaches, listening to the waves smash into the rocky cliff sides below me and swam in the most beautiful teal colored water I’ve ever seen in my life. My weekend in Ayia Napa was truly unreal.



We left Friday early morning and we stopped by some holy sites. First we stopped at a famous mosque which was very interesting to me. It was my first time inside one and this one in particular was extremely famous. Next we went to a church where the tomb of St. Lazarus was located.

After these stops we went to a lookout point with a view of Famagouste. This part really had an impact on me. Famagouste used to be one of Cyprus’s most thriving cities with new hotels and the most beautiful beaches on the entire island. However, during the Turkish invasion in 1974 they invaded Famagouste and to this day the Turkish won’t give back the city to the Greek Cypriots. The city is completely empty, dinner plates still on the tables, drawers opened, later homes looted; but after the invasion it’s been a ghost town. No one is allowed to enter the city; it’s completely blocked off to everyone. So you meet people, such as the kind lady who lectured us, that stands at the buffer zone and looks into her empty, ransacked home but she’s isn’t allowed to go into her old home and every day she sees the devastated and empty city that she once called home.

I met a lot of people in Ayia Napa that were in the same situation. Ayia Napa was a small village south of Famagouste that housed farms and agriculture with a few locals living happily together. After the invasion all the cities in the south were affected and all the refugees from the north had to completely start over. So, for example, my waiter/owner of the restaurant we went to Friday night had lived in Ayia Napa all his life. He knew the location before the invasion and before the transformation of the city. Today Ayia Napa is known as a prime destination spot with beautiful white sand beaches, stunning weather, sports and activities, and of course the best night life around. People come from all over the world to vacation there, yet back in 1973 no one even knew of Ayia Napa. Cyprus is such a young country, yet throughout history it’s always been of value to Europe, the Middle East, & Africa for its strategic location on the Mediterranean.




By afternoon time we arrived in paradise. Our hotel was gorgeous and of course somehow I lucked out getting a corner room with a view of the beach and the pool resort area and the sunset every night from our balcony. We hit the beach right away. The water was perfect and it was awesome to be swimming around with a huge group of friends.






My favorite adventure though was to Cape Greko. Our taxi driver dropped us off at the base of the cliff and we climbed up to the top. The wind was so strong it almost blew me over and it definitely blew my skirt all the way up. We were all cracking up. Mom and Boyd it reminded me of the badlands or wherever we were! Basically from top of the cliffs you could turn right and left and see beaches, completely surrounded by water. Then straight down were a bunch of cliffs and the water was banging into the cliffs. It was truly breathtaking.






We made our way down the cliffs to a location that was behind part of a small peninsula where the waves were breaking (not to mention accidentally going through an old Greek Army training center). We finally got to this cove and it’s honestly one of my favorite places so far. We walked along the rocks out to a spot of jump into the water. The water is so incredible salty you could just lay there and float forever. Of course the water was teal, clear and so warm. We had about 14 friends there and it was such a great afternoon.



We headed back for a huge meal and more beach time, this time at our sandy beaches next to the hotel. Of course it was followed by the pool and the hot tub. Both nights we went out in big groups and enjoyed the night life. Everywhere we went was so much fun and I really really enjoyed myself. It was a great weekend with a great group of friends.

Hope you enjoyed the updates :)

So immature sometimes :)

Mom & TIffany I’ve been forgetting to tell you these stories and anyone else that understands my sense of humor; keep reading! So the other day in cultural anthropology I almost lost it. Background info: professor is a Greek Cypriot and he also he some studies in the UK. He’s a shorter guy and when he speaks… uh he speaks very intensely and almost waits for us to question what he is saying and puts his eyebrows up real high (think of Jeff Dunham’s terrorist doll lol) while spitting at times. So anyways! The other day he was talking about particular factors during the lecture, however “factors” sounded more like FUCK-tors! I almost lost it in class, I was trying so hard not to laugh but then 2 minutes later he’d say something else and emphasis the word by saying it louder with raised eyes, fucktors!!!

The other story is from Barcelona. Our city tour guy was talking about a religion because we were at a church. With his accent he kept saying Jesus’s sheit. I instantly cracked up and had to turn away. Jesus’s shit! (honestly could not figure out what he was saying!) and I look back at a friend and of course she was trying not to laugh either. So I should probably look into the fucktors that indicated the tour guy was talking about Jesus’s sheet, not his sheit.

I hope you can picture these situations with a light sense of humor and no judgment! :)

Greece

So, I finally found some time to transfer some journal stories onto my blog about my trip. It’s in a way depressing to me because I know there is no way I could ever replay my trip well enough to ever explain how life changing it was but I’ll give you some insight to my trip.



So first stop was Greece! Athens to be exact. My very first view of Athens was breathtaking, we were in our huge bus (20 students plus 2 directors) and all of a sudden we came out of a tunnel and we could see the entire city. It was little white building after little white building, just like I’ve always pictured it. I didn’t realize how big the city was though, nor did I realize the acropolis was smack-dab in the middle of the city, above everything.



We checked into the hotel and it was a free day. So with about 6 friends we set out to adventure and walk the city. We walked to the plata, basically a flee market type place below the acropolis. If fact, it was funny when we were walking around we finally cleared some taller buildings and came to this beautiful square with fruit stands and entry ways to the markets and a perfect view of the acropolis. It was kind of a shock because we were wondering city streets like any other street and then we were met with some of the most well-known assets of Athens. I loved it! Not to mention the nectarine I bought, best one ever!



After we ate and shopped we met up with more of the group and left for the Temple of Poseidon , which was all too funny in itself. We trek across Athens with twenty people, navigating the metro (underground) and get to the bus station to find we missed the last but there by 10 minutes. I couldn’t help but laugh and say of course that would happen to us. But like anything else on my trip it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to us. The next day after visiting the acropolis we decided to retry this trip, this time I didn’t just sit back and go along for the ride, I made sure we timed it correctly and didn’t plan to take the last bus, but rather the second to last bus. So we get everyone together and make it to the bus just fine. The guy friend, Josh who was coordinating this little trip thought it was an hour long drive, correction is was 2 hours!!! However, it was worth every minute on the smelly nasty bus. We get there just before sunset (note the last bus we considered taking gets there just after sunset in order to pick everyone up- and please note the guys thanked me after for my wonderful timing and persistence with a huge group hehe).



Basically we followed the water forever and it took us to the most secluded little peninsula with cliffs straight down to the water. You walk up to the ruins and like any of the history in Athens it is just incredible. So you have ancient ruins, your own little island type space with water all around you and the sun is setting over the water and scattered islands. I was in heaven and the pictures there were to die for. It’s amazing how everything keeps working out for the better, even if at first it seems everything had gone wrong.



Also worth noting at the Temple of Poseidon our friend Ravi met a guy from the US that lives in Barcelona. He was a super friendly guy, grabbed a beer with everyone after the bus ride back and invited us to come out with him in Barcelona to show us around.





So back to when we were left sitting curb side at the bus station. We ended up walking around the north side of Athens because we didn’t see that part yet. It wasn’t the best part of the city but we did get exposure to the protests going on there and all the graffiti. Oh and one other thing, this is the night we all dressed up since we WERE going to go to the temple so I’m out wondering around in my little black dress and that’s when the “mama mia!!” story comes in. It was in an older blog but basically this very Italian guy came right into my face as I was leading our group and yells, “mama miaaa!” with the hand gesture and everything. My friends and I laughed so hard. And from now on we have Kayla Moments. We all had dinner out together and we even got free dessert : )




So the next day we had so much exposure to the acropolis. First of all we go to the tenth floor of our hotel for breakfast and the acropolis is staring right at us! Then we meet our tour guide and she takes us to the National Archeological Museum and then to the Acropolis! I loved walking up there, it was completely unreal. Every three steps I felt like I had to stop and take pictures, it just kept getting better and better. It also kind of goes back to the “holy crap, I really here” feeling; I’ve studied the Parthenon since day one in art school but I never had a visual context or a real grasp for a sense of scale. Nor did I realize the importance of all of the other great works all around the acropolis. If Greece has one thing going for it (especially Athens) it is the history there. It’s inconceivable.



Heading back down into the city (which we got to see so well from above) a small group of us walked over to the new Acropolis Museum. We didn’t have time to go in but outside they made a huge glass floor section overlooking the old city that they recently excavated. I really enjoyed this part, it’s crazy to think that is what’s below most of the city… a whole other city that once was everything to the people of that time. The museum also had a section open from glass and completely exposed.



That evening was the Temple of Poseidon and drinks out with everyone plus Kirby (guy Ravi met). So the next day was one of my favorites of the entire trip. It was one of those humbling, “everything works out for the best” type of days. First of all everyone was a mess in the morning and only me and my roommate, two other girls and one guy got up and made the most of our free day in Athens. We were planning to go to Hydra, a close and beautiful island that everyone recommended for day travel out of Athens. So we take the metro (underground train) to the ferry terminal – totally met a guy who grew up in Enumclaw and now works in Greece by the way. So we get there and get to the right terminal area for Hydra and so I say, “Hydra?” to the nice ticket man in the booth and he quickly points at a huge ferry undocking, I didn’t understand his Greek but his gestures were enough to tell us to run!!! It’s undocking, as it clearly was at they were throwing the ropes over. So we start sprinting and BARELY make it. Everyone was huffing and puffing trying to catch our breath. Finally we can breathe again and so we say, this is going to Hydra right? The ferry guy and all the Greeks around us looked concerned with big eyes and say no, no… Poros! Our eyes must have gotten bigger than theirs because instantly they started trying to comfort us by saying in broken English, beautiful island! Beautiful beaches! Some of the girls were like can we jump off! I wanna get off, I give them a crazy look and we go on with life. Buy our cheap ticket for a three hour ferry to Poros Island and we even stopped at a few other island ports… soooo our ‘whoopsies ferry ride’ turned into a first class island cruise in my eyes.



After standing in the sea breeze for a few hours, we came up to our port and it was everything I’ve ever imaged Greece should be. Little white house stacked one after another on a hill side overlooking the water. It was beautiful. We got off the boat and it was mini coopers and mopeds everywhere. Small streets, tiny shops and very Greek people. We walked to the closest beach and of course the first thing we saw was some old ladies nude chest. We kept walking along the cove and picked a spot to lay our stuff down and we went right into the water. The Mediterranean is warm, very salty, clear and the beaches are very shallow for a long time. We “picked” the best island and beach. Everyone was local except maybe 6-8 other people and this area was very authentic. The little beach shack we ate at had a Greek mom, and two sons (about 20 & 9 yrs) working the place. The kids spoke really good English and basically served us the entire time. Just like everywhere else in Greece there were cats everywhere meowing for food and attention. After we ate, it was back to tanning, napping and swimming; pretty incredible day. We packed up our stuff to get back onto our multi-island sunset cruise.



It was hilarious the sun would set and we’d take a bunch of pictures and enjoy it and then off of a sudden we’d pass that island and the sun was back! This happened three times, three sunsets! I couldn’t be more grateful for how that day worked out.



If anything these trips always leave me feeling so blessed. I know I can’t even comprehend how lucky I am to be where I’m at in life… I’m quite literally traveling the world, making new international friends while I have the comfort and support from friends and family back at home. Ευχαριστούμε everyone!

Edge of the Outback... Video!

here so you can just watch it! No tricky business for those wonderful family members that aren't so talented with the computer ;)

LOVE YOU!

A real look into my Australia trip

So exciting! La Trobe University finally finished the video they were working on during our trip. They wanted to make a video for promotion purposes and they just happened to pick our group this past July.

Just to refresh your memory I took a 3 week photography course in Mildura, Australia with La Trobe University and absolutely loved it. Here is the link to the video.... copy/paste and enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/user/latrobemarketing?ref=nf

I'm even the first to talk, hehe! Oh how I miss Australia.....

Sunday afternoon at the beach

Limassol, Cyprus Maggie, Me & Rose Maggie, Me, Rose & Josh Who wouldn't want to spend their sunday afternoon like this? Excited about everything! Rose and I being goofy and excited :)
I tried putting a video on here but I don't think it worked? Anyways, traveled to Limassol today. It's a beach about an hour away (service taxi there, bus/taxi back) and it's an awesome little hangout. Like Larnaca the beach was wonderful... lots of warm sunshine, clear water and of course a good nap waiting for me. There was also a fundraiser for autism today so we bought lunch from their tents and took part in the events they had. (thats what the video was) I really enjoyed going to the fundraiser and being a part of it. All six of us headed back to Nicosia around 6pm, I went for a run and made such a good dinner! Garlic shrimp, broccoli & rice with a cold soda... mhmmmm so perfect! Overall, it was such a wonderful day and I'm so ready for bed. Class in the morning... you know pilates followed by cultural anthropolgy in the evening, no big deal. haha. Love you all, Kayla