On my way to Greece

I am dying from lack of sleep (it's been a hectic few days for many reasons, not all of them good)and was quite looking forward to settling into a lounge chair for a relaxing 21-hour ferry trip. The porter was not happy with my taking my shoes off or doing anything other than sitting up perfectly straight so I had to endure a few hours of diary-writing and Harry Potter reading, but as the sun went down everyone else had a snooze so I did too. Must have slept about 8 hours but it feels like nothing - the same porter came around at 6am and jerked everyone awake. Bastard.

I should get to Patras in Greece early this afternoon then it's a 3 hour bus trip into Athens. I have every intention of seeing the Acropolis, but I may drop to the floor and fall aslee before I get there, so we shall see!

I have arrived!

The image you see above is where I have spent about 5 hours of daylight and about the same amount of time each night, every day so far this week...

Wow, I'm actually here! It feels like I've compeltely left my life in Australia, and stepped into a completely different world, never mind a different country! And it's not the same world from 4 years ago, or at least I'm looking at it with a completely different pair of eyes. Any trouble I ever had then seems so incredibly far away, everything is perfect, nothing can ruin this for me. As I had suspected, the fact of being completely independent for the past few years and having more confidence in myself has meant that I can throw myself into the postive things, and look on at the negatives objectively as experiences that will pass. Apologies for all the philosophical introspection, but I am just amazed how trouble-free everything is now, even though in reality very little has changed.

Let me start from the beginning, before I completely lose track.

Seoul

I had an overnight stopover in Seoul on the way to Rome, and had every intention of getting into the city at night to have a look around. However as it turned out, that would have been a virtually impossible feat on my own, and I was lucky enough to run into a couple from Sydney who desperately wanted to do the same. So we caught a bus from the airport and after an hour and a half arrived in the flashing, colourful chaotic city that is Seoul. It's a massive place and we were torn between several places recommended to us. We passed a few university precincts on the bus and they were absolutely buzzing with activity and western shops, like dominos, pizza hut, starbucks and more of the same. In the end we decided to get off at the Dongdaemun markets, which was a choice I certainly don't regret. The markets themselves were more or less like any markets anywhere around the world - dodgy illegal copies of fashionable (and unfashionable) things. The rest, however, was a first for me. We walked through some thoroughly dodgy looking areas which stank to high heaven and where the rubbish was piled sky-high, but not once did we feel threatened. The people there were mostly sitting around laughing together or playing cards. So peaceful! Then we passed two enormous shopping centres which were mostly closed, but which had big stages and small courtyards out the front, where people were crowding around karaoke competitions and dance-offs. It was fascinating, like a car-wreck that you couldn't look away from. I was amazed just how willing these people were to humiliate themselves, but at the same time it looked like great fun.

The traffic was chaotic and they had suited-up traffic conductors with light sabers and whistles to direct both pedestrians and cars. The ancient city gates are now perched in the middle of the street where they form a massive roundabout. The market food was of about 3 types:

1) Summer fruit on sticks or in huge slices for about a dollar each

2) Fried anything and everything. Hamburgers, hot dogs, and dagwood dogs wrapped in potato chips and held together with masses of batter and then refried.

3) Stuff that made you want to vomit. Cured octopus tentacles that must have come from a horror movie, steamed and dried fish, and worst of all (this is especially for those at Tcard, in particular Yvonne...) huge baskets of cooked bugs!!! I thought about trying one for the sake of a photo but couldn't even breathe anywhere near the stuff, so decided against it.

We managed to cut the expensive taxi ride home down to about $100 AUD, which when split 3 ways was totally worth it.

Rome

Anything and everything they say about Italian beaurocracy is epitomised by Rome airport. The flight was half an hour late. I waited in line for over an hour to get my passport stamped, and I was one of the first off the plane - literally thousands of people were waiting in line to be served by three immigration officers. By the time I got through to luggage collection all 8 carousels were backed up with bags and had stopped completely. I spotted my bag in the middle of the floor between two carousels in a moment of simultaneous revulsion and relief. I carried my many many kilos of luggage to the station, the path to which the Italians have gone to no effort to make easy for anyone, had to wait over half an hour for a train to Rome, and finally arrived at Rome Termini station, exhausted and emotional.

Despite the fact that my hostel was 2 blocks from the station it took me ages to find it, due to lack of street signs and being too proud to ask directions, because my Italian was simply not working for me and I couldn't handle sounding like a foreigner! I bought an apple from the supermarket and fell into bed. Next morning, however, the sun was shining, I found a copy of Harry Potter, called my host mother to let her know when the train would arrive, and everything was once more good in the world.

Civitanova

I was welcomed with arms wide open at my return into the Romagnoli household, and we spent an hour or two catching up on the major details. The minor ones are still trickling out. The only huge news from them was that both Claudia and Giorgia have finished school and are a year of from graduating from psychology at Urbino. Oh and the fact that baby Flavia, who could say 2 words when I last left her, was now a precotiously intelligent 6 year old with tantrums that rivalled those of Giorgia when she was 15!

I went straight to the beach after that, had a nice swim, and have pretty much been there ever since. That night I met some of Giorgia's friends, who are fortunately very different to the friends she had 4 years ago - a much more ecclectic, open minded bunch. I immediately got on well with most of them (especially the guys, for obvious reasons, but also because the girls can be quite difficult to break into here - actually anywhere really). Fortunately the guys tend to be more open-minded, more interested in the world, and better travelled. The next night I caught up with Giorgia's cousin Carlo and a few other friends from school, which was a pleasant surprise. We talked and mucked around at the beach all day and all night (with 3 guitars playing Bob dylan songs to which they knew far more words than I did).

I am slowly morphing into somone that doesn't stick out like a sore thumb over here. My tan is improving slowly (I managed NOT to burn myself, of which I am very proud considering how pale I was), I've been getting around the place on a charming bicycle with a big flower-adorned basket in front, and I have eaten pizza, pasta, rice and bread for virtually every meal. Oh and a few gelatos too - who could leave that out?

This is the first chance I've had to get onto the net, and I'm quite fine with that. No offense to anyone at home but I'm quite enjoying this feeling of floating through space and not needing to be anywhere I don't want to be!! I have once again fallen in love with this country and all the crazy people in it. I'm still awestruck by the local countryside, even if it is man-made, it's incredible. Maybe just because it's so different frm home. And so clicheed also.

There's still plenty of the week here at Civitanova left, but I think this may be my only chance to write anything about it. There is a big family birthday party on Saturday night where I will be able to see all the extended family, including Maria and Nicola who so generously took me on holidays with them. I may also be taking a day trip up to Riccione, but if not I'm more than happy to hang around here and continue to unwind. On sunday afternoon I jump on an overnight ferry for Patras, and from there to Athens to start my greek Island Hopper. I imagine that will be the next time you hear from me!

I am SO happy to be here right now, and still have SO much to look forward to, I feel like I might actually explode. Or cry. Or something.

I love you all! Hope winter is not being too horrible to you!