Uncle Traveling Matt

Now that I am back on my own Powerbook, I have the time to write more than the cryptic internet cafe posts.

We're back in Serbia now, after spending 10 days on the beach in Greece. Like the previous post mentioned - the traveling was a bit of an adventure. Sort of like Amazing Race, Balkan Edition. We left on a bus to Greece, after being assured that Canadians had no problems with visas for the trip. At 3 am,we were awakened by the Macedonian border police - apparently a visa was of prime importance. So we found ourselves sitting on the side of the highway, stuck in no-man's land between Serbia and Macedonia, feeling like a chameleon of Tom Hanks characters - part lost guy in The Terminal, part lost guy in Castaway and definitely Sleepless (but not in Seattle).

At 5 am, we flagged down a bus headed to Belgrade, and after 6 hours, our trip began back where it started. We figured out a bus heading to Sofia, Bulgaria via Nis. Spent the night asleep on the tables in Sofia, as lying on benches was verboten. At 7 am, we boarded a bus to Thessaloniki, Greece..where we finally parted company with some similarly stranded (and infinitely helpless) Hungarians whom we picked up on the Macedonian highway. After 40 hours of travel, we got to our apartment in Pefkhori Greece - a new town of beautiful beaches with streets made of interlocking brick and enough roast pork to fill the bellies of any meat eating animal (myself not included of course).

First thing I did was find a doctor - as my stomach was having convulsions that were beginning to feel as if I was preparing to give birth. As I had suspected, I had been drinking liters of bad water every morning in Serbia before and after my 5 am runs. I was put on a strict diet of bread and ice tea (I may yet write a diet book - the Adriatic Diet ... how to lose 5 lbs in 5 days), and given some antibiotics and within a few days I was back to normal.

The days and nights at the beach were spectacular - sun, sand and salt by day, World Cup football by night. The town was full of English tourists, and my Lions (despite Michael Owen's accordion knee trick) played through to the quarter finals, so the atmosphere was perfect. There's something about watching soccer in a different language, where the commentary serves to heighten the excitement without distracting from the action - watching the final on home soil will definitely be a shock.

Our trip home was less eventful than the trip there - bus to Thessaloniki, midnight train to Sofia (with some nice north american companions). Relaxing ride, with Jose Gonzalez acoustic guitar juxtaposed against the metal on rails soundtrack of the night. Caught a 1pm train to Serbia, and, despite the dirty Bulgarian women smuggling clothes across the border and 37 degree temperatures, we survived.

Flying to Paris on Saturday - will be there in time to see England vs Portugal. Will fall asleep to Brazil vs France, dreaming of the bread that awaits me for breakfast, along with the newly decimated field of the Tour De France.

1-0

Back at the internet cafe. Just here to get some juice in the iPod and check mail. Was out running the other night and saw some amazing clouds rolling in on sunset at the beach. Ended up being lightning and mad waves - so naturally i kicked off my shoes and used the new Casio to snap some photos. Photos are great. One wave came right up and licked my Shuffle - apparently iPods and water do not mix. Stopped playing, and even though i killed the power, the lights started blinking randomly. GOt really hot too. I think i shorted it out. Letting it dry for a few days, and then I'll see what happens when i plug it in to a USB port. Charging up the 5G iPod now, as the indefinite amount of hours of traveling back to serbia await us on Tuesday.

We seem to have the route all planned. - going to leave Thessaloniki on a midnight train to Sofia, Bulgaria - leaving us timeto find the quickest route to Belgrade/Nis - and once we are there, its all downhill.

If anyone is wondering what my soundtrack is - I have fallen in love with the new "The Long Winters" album. not released til mid July, but for those of you who have access to magical pigs, do it now. the album is fantastic.

Spent today at the beach - walked nearly 5km to Hanioti to find that one stretch of beach where no one goes - the one with the beautiful sand bars 30m offshore - the one where you can see the sandy bottom no matter how far out you go. the one without sea urchins - the one with the fish that nibble your toes like nemo. y'know that one? yeah, thats the one. perfect.

walked back to the apartment in time to shower off all the salt. M walked into town to get the necessities - drinks and grinds for the game. came back with fanta and watermelon. perfect.

England vs Ecuador - scoreless for 60 min. camera zoom on posh in the crowd. Becks bends it like he knows how. England 1, Ecuador 0. after the match, came down to the internet cafe to kill some time before the fresh corn arrives at the market. Cafe full of brits wearing red and white, flags everywhere. Everyone singing God Save the Queen.

Perfect.

The Amazing Race(s)_

has to be a quick post - only 5 minutes left at the internet cafe!

Currently sitting in greece - was in serbia. got thrown off a bus at 3am at the macedonian border, despite what travel agents say, canadians DO need visas to get through. picked up 2 stranded hungarians as well, and flagged down a bus heading back to belgrade. Then bus to Nis, then bus to Sofia (Bulgaria), then spent the night at the bus station. Sleeping with heads on tables, butts in chairs. 7am train to Thessalonikki, then bus to Pefkohori. Home sweet beach.

36C every day. hot sand. warm clear water. beautiful photos coming. wait til i'm back on broadband.

running is good. except for the gastroenteritis picked up from some bad h20 in serbia. Doc gave me drugs. drugs kill bugs. all good now.

England moved on. No more owen. Crouch is my man. out