CYBER CAFES

I must thank the boys at the little "Au Bon Cafe" at Karpathou and Stoarolkou [tel. 22.41.03.60.75] in Rhodes Town, especially Stamatios, because for the cost of a cappacino you can sit for as long as you want at the cafe's two laptops. It is here that I write my blog posts. Very nice.

Most of the other Internet Cafes on the island of Rodos that are listed in the travel guides have closed down, gone belly-up for various reasons. Some hotels have the coin-operated computers but not many. Seems to be the way of Greece and the world, many closures.

There are demonstrations in Syntagma Square in Athens, although the news is in Greek, of course. The sound of Vespa scooters still resonates in the airwaves, so people can still afford to buy gasoline! The pretty Greek boys still smile at you when you pass their shop; nice for us older gals of a certain age, eh. Make fond memories even in the downturn times! Hey, we're tourists on holiday having fun and spending our hard-earned money, supporting the country's economy, right? So here I go, leaving the cyber cafes behind going out into the sunshine.

[Photo copyright by M. J. Milne 2011]

LOVE IN LINDOS

LINDOS, RHODES -- Beautiful Lindos, the tiny village with white-washed homes, an Acropolis, a wonderful beach, turquoise water, and lots of donkey shit for the tourists to slip on. Ride a donkey to the top of the Acropolis and save your feet for shopping in the tiny shops.

I took The Discovery boat from Mandraki Harbour in Rhodes/Rodos, about a two hour trip with 180 other tourists. Once we arrived in Lindos it started to rain. I was going to be on the beach, but instead walked the little streets---very slippery in the rain because of the little stone walkways. Luckily, being a westcoaster used to living in a rainforest (Vancouver, Canada), to me rain is "liquid sunshine."

I enjoyed a fabulous lunch at Stefano's out of the rain and met a Romanian couple who were obviously on their honeymoon. He was a big guy who was very attentive to his young lover. Very nice to converse with a timeline of centuries passing by in moments and glimpses of past lives together.

On the return journey, I sat with three ladies from Poland who were on an aerobics tour. There were about twenty of them who do aerobics together in Poland. How odd that I never thought that aerobics would be anywhere else but North America, but then I never thought about it before. Everything known to us is everywhere. I forget that the only boundaries between us are in our own minds.

Lindos is a special place and definitely worth a visit. For great views of Lindos, watch the older movie entitled "High Season" starring Jacqueline Bisset.

[Photo copyrights by M. J. Milne 2011]

STOP X STOP

For those of you brave enough to rent a car or scooter in Europe, but particularly  in regard to driving in Greece and Italy, please remember that they DO NOT STOP AT STOP SIGNS. Hear me now. When approaching an intersection that has a STOP sign for the other driver, know that the driver will probably NOT STOP. Instead, YOU be the defensive driver and slow down. Do you hear me now? Good. I learned that lesson on Crete, Greece, and also in a tiny village in Provence, France. Blessings to all intersections!

[Photo copyright by M. J. Milne 2011]

MOSQUITOS & CHICKEN BREASTS

Here on the Greek island of Rhodes the crush of the cruise ship crowds are annoying, sorry but it's true. They swarm the medieval Old Town of Rhodes giving you no chance to hear the ghosts of the Knights of Rhodes, the horse hooves on the cobblestone streets, the flash of a door opening and seeing into a past life, dressed in a knight's armour. Wonderful memories of being here in quieter times. But I will return at night or early morning when the ghosts speak to me.


Now I am immersed in present moments, very present, because I have been eaten alive by mosquitos!!!! My face and eyes swollen up, I resemble Quasimodo the hunchbacked face of Rhodestown. I spent my first night sitting up in the white marble tiled bathroom with a frozen chicken breast on my face! It helped with the swelling and was the only thing in the fridge. So what to do?

My friend Perry whose apartment I am staying at, had to go to Kalymnos Island to get his boat out of drydock and ferry it to Rhodes and then to Lindos for the summer tourist season---I was supposed to go with him but not with swollen eyes.

BTW, if you go to Rhodes, visit Perry at his boats along Mandraki Harbour or moored in Lindos. His two boats are the Free Spirit and the Discovery.

Desperate, I called his mobile. Perry told me to go to the supermarket and buy a little mosquito machine. Huh? I asked his friend Irini about it and she agreed. So I went and the shop owner knew immediately what I meant. For those also suffering with the scourge of European travel in Springtime = mosquitoes, it's a little plug-in thingy with a liquid bottle and it puts the bugs "to sleep" and keeps them away 100%. What it does to your own lungs I have no idea, but I figure it's not for long. Springtime in Rhodes (May) is beautiful only if you use this little machine like all the Greeks do, every household. The next night I slept like a baby all night, and even ate the defrosted chicken breast for dinner!

Here is a restful contemplation to do from my friend back home that helped me to sleep (soulflow.ca):

"Time to take another deep breath and relax. Come into yourself letting everything else go and say, 'Just me'. Sit quietly. Just be with yourself for a few precious seconds letting everything else go. Be there long enough to feel what's going on inside. Are there emotions bubbling up that need to be addressed or is there an emptiness that gives way to a sense of feeling grounded? Just let it be. It is perfect the way it is so just let it be. When you're ready intend to let inner healing carry on inside and come back to the space you're in."

Yasou!

[Photo copyright by M. J. Milne 2011: Free Spirit Boat; Perry Painting His Boat.]

Emergency Articles

BTW, the emergency articles I chose to keep with me and not check with my small wheelie suitcase in case of the ash cloud disruptions consisted of a change of underwear (one to wear, one to wash), simple sleepwear, toiletries (under 100 ml), a change of clothes, vitamins or medicines, and ALL VALUABLES: your camera, iPOD, and chargers; jewelry, etc.. And of course your "primary" which should consist of your wallet with driver's license, medical card, credit card, bank card, and some currency; and your money belt with passport, extra currency, one extra credit card and extra bank card in case of the cards getting ruined in the ATM machines, lost or stolen. And keep this "primary" with you at all times while traveling place to place, and lock it up in the hotel safe, or hide it in your hotel room. The locks of most European hotel rooms are easily picked open. I once lost a camera in Amsterdam. I went out for dinner, leaving my camera in my hotel room, only to return and find it had disappeared. The lock had been picked. Luckily the camera was insured and I replaced it immediately.

I've heard many stories of professional pickpockets quickly fingering a wallet out of your purse or back pocket as quick as a wink. They usually work in pairs and tourists are easy targets. Also beware when getting onto and off trains or buses. A friend told me she allowed a stranger to help her with her bag while getting onto a train and he stole it instead. A helping hand might just help themselves to your belongings.

Yasou!

[Photo copyright by M. J. Milne 2011]

ARRIVAL OKAY

Monday May 23-24 was a very long day and night. The flight Vancouver to Amsterdam was nine grueling hours stuffed into a window seat. Ugh. And then another flight to Athens, and then to the island of Rhodes. Now I remember why I book 4-6 weeks in Europe cause it takes so friggin long to get here.

Sitting next to me was a retired couple returning to Finland after 43 years living and working in Vancouver. They retired and wanted to move back to be with the rest of their family. The husband buildt houses in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver and still spoke with a strnge Finnish accent. The woman was reading a book entitled "Disappearance of the Universe" by Gary Reanrd, it had been translated. I know this book, written by A Course in Miracles follower. It shifted my travel woes and I took it as a sign---sitting beside a spiritually based couple.

Another sign was a flash of blue light on the small TV screen in front of me, and the brilliant blue blankets the cabin stewards handed out. Why did I need these signs to comfort me? Well, I'd been worried about the flight and travelling, what with the Icelandic ash cloud, half thek world under either flood waters, fire, or hurricanes, or war. I was picking up all these negative vibrations of energy circulating the planet. I even took the precaustion of packing a packsack with all the esstentials needed for overnight stays just in case I got stuck anywhere.

You no doubt wonder why the colour blue is important to me? It's always been a special colour and means to pay attention.

Yasou! from Rhodes!

[Photo copyright M. J. Milne 2011: "Arrival in Rhodes"]

All Roads to Rhodes

Rhodes, Greece is my first stop, other than landing in Amsterdam and Athens to get there. It will take an entire day's journey to finally smell the Aegean ocean surrounding this amazing Greek island. I'm hoping my checked suitcase lands with me!

"Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands and one of the largest in the Aegean sea. It is situated approximately 17,7 km from the coasts of Turkey. The population is about 130.000 persons , of which approximately 60-70.000 reside in the city of Rhodes. Rhodes called from its local people the Rose of the Aegean and deserves its name because is one of the most beautiful Greek islands." Info from www.rhodestravels.com

Hi,

This 'What To Pack' list is a guideline only, but it is a list that has been methodically thought out after all my years of traveling. But you will have to personalize it. It also may include articles for hotter climates like Greece. So with that in mind, here we go!

WHAT TO PACK

RULE 1: TRAVEL LIGHT!
If you cannot carry your suitcase one city block, you are in trouble! Try it before you go.
- Basically, it's one small pull-along suitcase and one/day bag (or briefcase).
- Try to pack not more than 20-25 pounds in a 9"-by-22"-by-14" bag on wheels or packsack
- Then accessorize, accessorize, accessorize with a few bobbles, scarves or ties. [For business trips, take one all-weather day suit, one dress-up evening suit or dress, and one casual outfit, with two pairs of shoes (a casual pair, and a business pair).

RULE 2: EXPECT EVERYTHING TO GO WRONG, AND LET GO! ENJOY THE JOURNEY!

RULE 3: WEAR & USE A MONEY BELT OR POUCH!

TRAVEL TIPS:
Travel Tip #1: If you know all your arrival dates, a tip for you would be to schedule all your shuttle pickups from the airports to your hotel rooms. It makes it so much easier and smoother. You don't have to worry about how to get to your hotel because you haven't a clue where it is. Unless you have a large expense account and can travel by taxi. But personally, I hate taxi cab drivers in every large city throughout the world (other than London's legalized cabbies who have to pass a two-year test in order to get their license and it includes a customer service test). Taxi cab drivers will rip you off sooner than look at you.

Travel Tip #2: Pack light & wear a money belt underneath your clothes!!! Finito.

Travel Tip #3: Do not take anything you will miss if it's stolen. That includes jewelry. Leave the $500 watch at home and get a fake one that looks like it cost you $500. If you have an expensive camera, get it insured.

Travel Tip #4: When you take less stuff, it means you have to wash your undies more, etc. So bring a round flat Sink Stopper, suds for washing clothes, and a large Ziploc bag. The large Ziploc bag acts as a washing machine: dump in clothes, pour in water & liquid laundry detergent and shake-shake-shake! Take an extra Ziploc. Or use the sink in your room and the rubber sink stopper and soak clothes.

Travel Tip #5: My Favorite Travel Things I always take with me (optional):
- Adaptor plugs for all the countries I'm traveling to.
- Postcards from my hometown to give or show to people; or a Small Talking Book of photos of my home, family, friends, of my art, or activities, etc. Locals in faraway lands love looking at it.
- Pocketknife (in checked baggage only!) e.g. Swiss Knife, great for picnics & eating in your room. Check with your airline first.
- A little water heater prong (220volt), with a metal camp cup, and my favorite tea bags. I always travel with it & make tea in my hotel room. (From your local travel shop; get the correct voltage and follow the directions; in other words, unplug it before you pull it out of the water)
- A small Maglight flashlight & batteries.
- A sarong (basically a large piece of rayon or cotton cloth that the Hawaiians use) which acts as a bathing suit cover-up, dressing gown, shawl, skirt, beach blanket, a curtain, an emergency towel, a sheet on top of the over-bleached and starched bed linen (that I'm allergic to).

Travel Tip #6: Anti-Jetlag Tips:
- Drink lots of bottled/purified water on the flight (bring it with you).
- Consider drinking carrot juice before the flight: carrots offer the best resistance to the oxygen deficiency which can occur at 10,000 feet and above.
- Avoid carbonated drinks, cabbage, beans and cauliflower: these cause gas, which expands with altitude.
- Drink lots of uncarbonated liquids, eat lightly, don't drink coffee or alcohol, eat little or no sugar, and try to cop a two-or three-hour in-flight nap.
- Sounds like a recipe for right living, eh? But maybe that blows your idea of fun.
- There is also an Anti-Jetlag Homeopathic, and Melatonin.

Travel Tip #7: Have fun at a Cybercafe!
- In other words, it's fun to go into an Internet café and receive or send mail home to friends and family while you travel. For those of you with iPod Phones, download the Skype App and use it. However, leave your phone's SIM Card at home and buy one in the country you're visiting at a telephone kiosk. It's cheaper.
- If you don't have an Internet address you can access while traveling, log on to Hotmail.com, Gmail.com, or Yahoo.com and sign-up for a FREE e-mail account. And remember your email address and its password.

SHORT PACKING LIST:
- 9 x 22 x 14" wheelie suitcase
- A small daypack
- Pack no more than 20 or 25 pounds! That's a hard one. Try it!
- Look forward to running out of Toiletries
- Nylon bags for toiletries (in small bottles), shoes, medical & miscellaneous, underwear, camera/film & an extra camera battery
- Color co-ordinate most clothes
- Take clothes that dry quickly
- Take clothes that don't wrinkle or that look good wrinkled
- Wash as you go
- Summer is casual in Europe but do not look like a slob! If you wear blue jeans, look like a student, not a slob.
- Winter is dress up time in Europe but dress warm. Take only one jacket! Layer for warmth.
- Wear a Money Belt!

The Packing Elephant

Who wants to learn how to pack? I began a week ago tossing travel items clothes lotions etc., into an open suitcase. So now I have way too much and it will take an elephant to move it!!! Now I will "unpack"!!! See next post coming soon as the last minute panic subsides. Cheers. I can almost taste the Greek ouzo. --m.j.