Nigel: This is backpackingMaria: This is hell!

One shower, one change of clothes, two overnight ferries, one overnight train, a combination of 5 trains, buses and ferries, 9 hours of sleep and 57 hours later we arrived in Stromboli one of the most active volcanos in the world. It was just in time too since we had booked a guided trek up to the creator of the volcano leaving in 30 minutes time. We had no accommodation booked and took the first guy to approach us who hurried us away in his golf cart with us clinging one hand to the cart and one hand on our bags that were swinging wildly from the back. Once we got to the accommodation we checked in and started running to the trekking outfit that was twenty minutes away. Lucky for us our golf cart driver spotted us running down the street and caught up with us to give us a lift to the office. In no time we had our helmets and were starting our 1000 meter climb to the top of the volcano.

We watched the sun set from two thirds the way up the volcano and with amazing speed dark clouds surrounded us and reduced visibility to a few feet. With the wind howling we continued but got stuck just before the summit because there was too much methane in air all we could do was wait it out as it was too dangerous to go back the way we came in the dark.

Finally after a four hour climb we made it to the top. I was surprised we made it given the lack of sleep over the past few days since we where to cheep to buy couchettes on our overnight ferries and train. Maria was fairing worse than I was and curses were flying every few minutes and at one point there was a guy whistling at the top of the volcano at which she told me “I’m going to kill him! and I’ll listen to him whistle as he falls from the mountain.”

All in all it was definitely worth it. We sat at the top for an hour and waited for the clouds to part where we got to experience the deafening explosions in the cone and watch magma shooting out the top like fireworks while the guides would run up and down the line yelling DON’T LOOK INTO THE SKY! as ash was falling on our heads.

Spec'ing out a segway

I'm soooo tired of walking. We must be doing at least 10km per day and it is driving me nuts. With some better planing I'm sure we would end up walking less as it seems we are always visiting the same spots over and over again because we left our passports at the hotel when we want to book a ferry or just plain have our accommodation very far away. It also doesn't help that we usually eat on the move and there are so many different foods to try plus there are always people telling us to get a specific food when we get to a country and my eyes are usually too big for my stomach. Figs for example, we go to a fruit market in Croatia and we are told we have to get some figs, now I don't what to just buy two figs from the little old lady who looks like it's going to be a life or death sale so I buy a dozen and after six figs for breakfast I'm not moving to fast for the next few hours.

We are now in Athens and have been doing all the usual tourist things. Maria was looking up accommodation before we got here and found a spot close to all the attractions. It wasn't until we were in our room that I picked up the book to read about the area she had chosen which basically said it was a great place to stay if you don't mind the junkies and prostitutes near by..... and I'm the one to get in trouble for wondering around the neighborhood determined to find our hotel without the map. Even the internet cafe we stepped down in is freaky... just guys all watching porn... weird.

Croatian Massage

It's totally painful and absolutely free. It consists of placing your towel down and lying on "the beach" which is made up of large jagged rocks and baking under the sun for hours on end. It's amazing the angles people manage to balance themselves on these rocks with the risk of falling off into the water or worse falling onto bigger and sharper rocks below. Young and old are at the beach day in day out and there are some very old very large people who show amazing dexterity navigating the rocks. One in-particular was lunging between rocks displaying her ghostly white skin between upper thigh and bum next to otherwise deeply tanned leathery skin.....eeeee.

Croatia is a really beautiful place and other than the people in tourism the folks are really great. On the islands the sun never stops shining and I hear if it rains you get a discount on your hotel and if it snows you can stay for free!