Balos and Falasarna

So my course is halfway over and I can't believe it. There's so much going on right now it can be a little overwhelming but then I realize where I am, a huge smile creeps across my face, and I remember how fortunate and happy I am to be here right now. Anyways, I had an incredible trip across western Crete last Saturday. First, my classmate Gardiner and I wanted to rent mopeds and go exploring. However, after trying two different rental places, we found out you have to have a class B liscense to rent mopeds and neither of us had that. So, we decided to rent a car. Naturally, we went with the cheapest option, and you definitely get what you pay for. The tires weren't much more than spares and it left a little to be desired in terms of power but it got the job done (First pic, obviously). So we headed west along the coast where there is pretty conitnuous development until the Rodhopou peninsula. That's where the drive got really fun. I love driving on winding, mountain roads and these roads certainly fit that description. Plenty of hairpin turns as we made our way through countless olive groves and up the mountains. After one seemingly insignificant turn, the road opened up to a stunning view. We pulled off the road to a lookout and it gave me chills. Mountains to the left, sea to the right, the plain below us and the Gramvousa peninsula in the distance. It really was spectacular (4th pic, too bad my camera sucks). After soaking this in, we continued down the mountain and on to the Gramvousa peninsula. The Gramvousa peninsula is an uninhabited (except by goats) peninsula jutting out of the northwest corner of Crete. The only road is a rocky, dirt path and we started out on said road. However, as I said before, our car wasn't exactly a 4-wheeler and after awhile I was pretty nervous that I would bust a tire, or worse, and they had my credit card at the car rental place, so we pulled off, parked the car, and headed out on foot. This really wasn't so bad as the road was relatively flat and the scenery was breath-taking (3rd pic). Walking with the goats was also an enjoyable experience. After about an hour hike, we reached the top of Balos bay. When the view of Balos opened up before us, Gardiner and I were left speechless as the landscape is unlike anything I've ever seen (2nd pic). Words and pictures don't do it justice but check my Facebook page for some more pics. It was another 15 minute hike down to the bay and we were in paradise. We stopped at the one taverna for a beer and then spent an hour or so swimming, sunning, and taking in this magnificent locale. Yet there was more exploring to do so we started the hike back up the mountain which wasn't terribly fun. Although I was sweating profusely, cussing occasionally, and had to stop a couple times, the scenery definitely made up for any frustration with the steep ascent. We eventaully got back to the car and continued west to Falsarna, another beautiful beach at the base of the peninsula. More sweeping views were had and we explored Ancient Falasarna, founded in the 6th century BC. Gardiner is really into archaeology so he explored the site while I just enjoyed the views. We had to get the car back by 9 pm so unfortunately we had to head back to Hania. And if driving the mountain roads was exciting during the day, it was a little scary at night. Fortunately there weren't many other cars on the road s and we made it back without incident at 8:50. Truly an incredible day and it certainly didn't change my belief that Crete is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I suppose that's enough for now but I look for another post on Greek culture (it definitely deserves its own post) soon. Yasou!

Georgioupoli

So our class had big plans to go to Elafonisi this past weekend which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Crete. However, the people who were gonna drive backed out and nobody wanted to get up early for the bus so those plans fell through. I'm definitely still making it a point to get there sometime while I'm here. Anyways, I still wanted to get out of Hania for a day-trip so I proceeded to scan my trusty guidebook like a good tourist and found an interesting little fishing village east of Hania called Georgioupoli. So I convinced two of my classmates to join me and we caught the bus there Sunday afternoon. First of all, the countryside in Crete is absolutely stunning. Valleys covered in olive groves are surrounded by rocky mountains. It's just beautiful. And then you turn a corner and there is the sea, various shades of blue in the sunlight. I love being in the mountains and I love being by the ocean and this island has both so it really is like paradise for me. But I digress. After a 40 minute bus ride we made it to Georgioupoli, a small fishing village where the Almiros River flows into the sea. We made our way through the town square to the sea where we found a small chapel on a rocky outcropping in the bay that was connected to land by a narrow rock walkway. So of course we had to make our way out there. Sunday was quite windy so the waves crashed onto us as we clambered over the rocks. So we were soaked by the time we made it to the chapel but it was well worth the journey. After taking in the scenery we saw a hill to the west that needed to be climbed, we were in an adventurous mood. We made our way to the hill and followed a little path above the sea. We found what looked to be an old bunker and a cave that were quite interesting. But the highlight of the trip for me was when we reached the end of the path. It was very rocky but it looked like we could climb around the point and get an awesome view of the rocky cliff beyond this point. So we started climbing over these rocks which were fairly precipitous and there were some scketchy moments. I couldn't help but think that my mother would be terrified to see what I was doing and I must admit, that made me smile. But Mom, you would be happy, there were some rocks that looked like I could jump off but I wasn't positive about the depth of the water so I didn't do it. Anyways, we made our way over these rocks and the view around the point was definitely worth it. Unfortunately my camera was giving me issues so I didn't get in pictures but its probably just as good because a photo would not do it justice. For probably 2-3 miles the coastline was massive mountains of jagged rock that plunged directly into the sea. You couldn't build on it if you wanted to so there was literally no sign of human existence other than some towers on top of the distant mountains. Truly spectacular. After soaking in the sights for some time, we made our way back into town and had a wonderful meal at a taverna right on the river. Olives, grilled octupus, pork souvlaki, and spaghetti carbonara, an eclectic meal indeed. And of course, the house wine which was rather strong and unfiletered, you could see the particles floating in every glass, but it was very good. And then a beautiful drive back to Hania. It was a marvelous day. My memory card wouldn't let me take any pictures, i'm still trying to figure that out, but my buddy Dave took some so they're on my facebook page now, check 'em out. So now its back to school and teaching, but I am loving every day. I wrote someone earlier that the smile has not left my face since I came her so life is good indeed. And then there is the nightlife but that will be for another entry. Until then, Yasas!

First Impressions of the TEFL Course

Right now I'm sitting on my balcony, drinking an excellent Greek wine that was only 3 euros for a bottle, looking at the stars, listening to the waves...life on Crete is good. Anyways, my first week of classes is almost complete and I figured I should write on my impressions of the course so far. First of all, my classmates are a diverse group. There are four Americans (one from Minnesota, one from Maine, one from NYC, and this Georgia boy), two Canadians, two Greeks, and one South African. Needless to say, we have very different life experiences and worldviews which makes for lively discussions. My apartment is outside of town so we have a 40 minute walk to class every morning. But the first part of the walk is along the beach and the scenery makes it very pleasant. Class starts at 10, which is great because I'm not a morning person, and there is about 3 hours of instruction on teaching English. We will cover everything from methodolgy to classroom management to grammar and lots in between. Then an hour for lunch, so far lunch is either a gyro or a greek salad, and I think it will take a long time to get tired of either one of those. Then the afternoon is spent planning our lessons for the teaching lesson at night. I had my first student teaching lesson last night and it went really well. Its very different because you have to speak slowly and explain everything but I think the students got the point and my observer had mostly good feedback. I was definitely nervous but it felt good to get started and realize that I can definitely do this. I think this course will be very helpful when I start teaching on my own because while it is my native language, I certainly did not know about writing lesson plans, using visuals, creating handouts, etc. And after teaching, which ends around 9, we return to the apartment, drink some wine and hang out together. The good thing is we only teach two or three times a week and the other days, I am done around 1:30. So then I have the afternoon to explore Hania, relax on the beach, and generally enjoy island life. And the weekends are the time to go out and explore the island. This weekend we are going to Elafonisi, which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful beaches on the island so I will let you all know how that goes. Hania is also a very fun town for nightlife. We went out last Sunday night and had a blast. The island is known for raki, a liquor distilled from grape leaves with no additives that is very pure. The bartender at Zepos, the bar we went to right on the harbor, is friends with the director of our school so he welcomed us to Crete with plenty of free raki. So the night involved dancing and singing and an incredibly fun time. So things are off to a great start and I am so incredibly happy right now. I know this was the right decision for me to come here and I can't wait to see where this odyssey will lead. I hope all is well in the States and please keep in touch. Yamas!

Welcome to Crete

I feel so truly blessed to be here right now, this place is incredible. And while it is Sunday morning and I'm not at church, it is a very spiritual experience to look out at the sea and mountains and feel a constant breeze in your face. But enough preaching, I don't work at a church anymore. So I arrived yesterday morning and got to my apartment around 7:30 in the morning. My roommate Dave (he's taking the course with me) and I quickly realized we were just off the coast so we dropped off our bags and found our way to the sea. The combination of early morning sun, ocean, and spectacular mountains was a great welcome to the island. We walked up and down the beach for awhile, taking pictures and soaking up the scenery, and figured while we were out we might as well make our way into town. Our place is actually outside of town, maybe a 25 minute walk to the city center. So we zig-zagged our way into town and eventually made it to the old city. And the old city of Hania is incredible. Most of the buildings are from the Venetian era, 500-600 years old. And the "streets" are mostly narrow alleys, clearly built before cars were even a thought. It was such a unique experience to wander through the town with no map, just turning whichever way looked interesting and eventually coming out into the harbor. The harbor is magnificent as well. Remants of Venetian fortifications still stand along with an old lighthouse. After thouroughly exploring the old city, we made our way back to our apartment, stopping for a lunch of tasty Greek pizza and local wine. The walking, eating, and drinking made us pretty tired so in true Greek fashion, we spent the afternoon napping and taking it easy. We awoke to meet two of our classmates that had arrived next door, a young Canadian couple. They offered to cook us dinner and the evening was spent eating and talking. We discussed everything from travelling to politics to crazy work experiences and everything in between. We didn't even make it out but still a wonderfult first evening in Hania. Our program orientation is this evening. We meet the head of the school at 7 and she will take us into town, show us where the school is and go over the program. So until then it looks like I will spend the day on the beach and by the pool (I don't know if I mentioned, our aprtment has a pool as well). So the odyssey has begun in fine fashion. I am excited to begin classes tomorrow and continue exploring the city of Hania and the island of Crete. This is a magical place and the combination of clear blue seas and rocky mountains creates one of the most inspiring settings I have ever seen. I'll eventually post pictures on the blog but for now, check out my facebook page for the first photos. Let the odyssey continue!

From Atl to Crete

Wow! I'm sitting here on my balcony looking out on the Aegean Sea with the breeze blowing in my face and I must admit, if this isn't paradise, I don't know what is. Crete is such an awe-inspiring, beautiful place, words don't do it justice, but i'll try. But first, an update on my travels. So the last time I wrote I was sitting in the Atlanta airport, waiting to get on the plane. The flight to Frankfurt was long and bumpy, lots of turbulence, so I probably only slept an hour and was exhausted when I landed. But I went into the city anyway and Frankfurt, while not the best place I've ever been, is pretty cool. It's got a nice skyline and is right on the river Main, which is nice. The old part of town has some pretty old buildings and churches and I enjoyed walking around there for awhile. But I was so tired I just wanted to get back to airport and rest. On my way back to the train station, I found street vendors selling bratwurst and that made a nice lunch. After several hours in the Frankfurt airport, I finally caught my flight to Athens. And I must admit, it got me excited to get to Greece because I had the most attractive group of stewardesses I've ever seen (thanks Aegean Air). Anyways, I didn't get to my hotel until about 11:30 and was so tired I just crashed and it felt great to be in a real bed. Then I had Friday to get reaquainted with Athens. First, I met up with the woman who was in charge of my study abroad program when I was over there in college. It was great to catch up with her and things seem to be going along quite well at U of I. After a strong Greek coffee, I headed to the Acropolis. And although I've been there before, it truly is stunning to see such a famous site in person. So I wondered around and checked out the brand new Acropolis museum, which was awesome. The rest of the day was spent walking through central Athens, remembering my time there and being thankful that I was not staying. While the monuments in Athens are cool, the city is so huge and the development so sprawling, its just not very appealing. It's dirty, the traffic is nuts, etc. So I happily caught the overnight ferry to Crete and arrived yesterday morning. And what a fantastic day I had. In fact, since this post is getting rather long already, I will put this up and post another entry on my first day in Crete. Talk to you soon.

Here We Go

So I'm sitting here in the airport waiting to get on my flight and figured this would be as good a time as any to do my first post. Let me start by saying that I've never done a blog before so stick with me as I figure out. Second, I know Jeremys Odyssey sounds pretty cheesy but I am going to Greece so what the hell. And, I honestly donot know where all I might end up before this trip is over so while I know it's corny, I think it's appropriate. Anyways, I'm getting kind of nervous but mostly I'm just very excited. To be honest, this first part of the trip is gonna suck as I have a long flight ahead of me. First, an overnight flight to Frankfurt, nine hours long. Then, a nine-hour layover there which should be enough time to walk around, check out downtown, have a meal and a good German beer (or two) and then back to the airport. I don't get into Athens until 10 pm so I'll spend Thursday night there. Then a day in Athens and an overnight ferry to Crete Friday night. And then a couple days to get acclimated and then classes start on Monday. So I probably won't post again until I get to Crete but we'll see. Basically, this blog is for anyone who wants to know what I'm up to as I travel and teach and whatever else I get into. I think blogs can be a little pretentious sometimes so I'll try not to be preachy but just let you all know what I'm doing and a few thoughts about my experience. Feel free to comment or e-mail anytime, I will definitely miss all my friends and family. Here we go!