Deeper Life

Our Last Supper… In Greece

2009-07-25T23:32:00.000-07:00

Our last few days in Greece we’re a little slower pace than how we began out time here. Maybe we should be better about pacing ourselves as we travel, but we wouldn’t change anything about our experiences here. The benefit of finishing things this way though is that we have been able to enjoy the company of Merkuris, Sophia and their children: Eva and Anestis. We are deeply indebted to them for putting us up during our time in Athens and for taking such great care of us. We wouldn’t have been able to experience as much as we did if it had not been for their wise counsel. A big “THANK YOU” for all your help from navigating the metro to teaching us home to make some authentic Greek dishes.

On Wednesday(July 15th) evening Sophia (with Merk’s help) demonstrated their culinary skill and prepared us the Greek interpretation of Chinese food for dinner. Of course, it was very good and Eva was able to join us for the evening as well. It was nice to connect with her and get the perspective of someone from the younger generation. During our time here we’ve become more accustomed to eating dinner at 9 or 10 pm and then sitting on the patio talking until 1 am or so.

On Thursday night (our last evening in Athens) Merkuris and Sophia took us to the center of the city for dinner. It was a great treat and we enjoyed some traditional dishes as well as a big mixed plated of meat (lamb, sausage, seasoned hamburger called “beef steak” and a few others). We returned “home” and had a pastry type dessert (kind of like baklava but filled with fresh cream) and enjoyed some time talking with Anestis.

We both felt like our time In Greece has ended much too quickly but as we look towards home in the next couple days we are excited to re-connect with friends and family. We’ve learned a lot about Greek culture and are excited to try our hand at preparing some of Sophia’s culinary delights in the months ahead.

Big Rocks and Monks

2009-07-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

Keith and I are feeling the effects of travelling. In other words we are tired. So, we decided to blog about our time in Meteora with a poem; a haiku to be precise. Here it goes and please forgive us if we mess up the form:

Big rocks in the sky
Pious monks seeking the Why
Long beards and black robes

Tour groups take the bus
Keith and Laura in the brush
Ow, those thorns do hurt!

Watch out on the road

Buses take the corners wide
Faster than the trails

Climbing rocks with guide
Keith and Laura in the air
Enjoying the view

Enjoy the pictures.

Ahh, Milos

2009-07-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

We can’t say enough good things about this island. We spent four nights in Adamas (the main port of Milos) at the Hotel Eleni (http://www.hotel-eleni.com/). Our hostess, Eleni, offered us a great deal for a room at 30 Euros per night, but warned us it was a little small. We decided to make it work and enjoyed the added bonus of being able to shower while sitting on the toilet. Just kidding, but we could have. Despite the close quarters we had a great stay. Our hostess was very accommodating and went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable. When we asked for coffee in the morning she generously added pastries free of charge.

There were plenty of things to keep us busy on Milos, which is said to have the most beaches of any Cycladic island. We realized quickly that we’re not very good at just sitting on a beach and tanning. However, we were able to find plenty of beautiful places to swim and play along the coast. It was great to be in the crystal clear water and swim around some awesome cliffs and rock formations.

On Wednesday we were fortunate to book an all day sea kayaking trip along the south coast of the island. We had a great time with our guide Rod (native Australian), another couple from Canada and a family from the UK. It was nice to see the coast line up-close and also enjoy some more secluded spots on the island. The beach where we had lunch was beautiful and we had it all to ourselves.

In the evenings we enjoyed a simple dinner of Greek gyros from what became our favorite souvlaki grill followed by homemade ice cream. It was so good, especially with the 95 degree heat we had the last couple days on the island. It definitely was one of our favorite spots and we would not hesitate to come back. Now it is back to the mainland for more adventures and time with family.

Santorini- Sunsets and ATVs

2009-07-09T00:11:00.000-07:00

After leaving Crete we headed for the island of Santorini, famous for its caldera, sunset views and crowds of people. We were fortunate and arrived before the rush; high season in Greece is July 15th to August 15th. We did have to do some jockeying to find a good view for the sunsets when people tend to mass in the towns of Oia and Fira. Fortunately, Laura found us a “short cut” around the masses to our own private hill side. We may have trespassed a little, but who can tell.

During our stay we had to arrange for some transportation around the island. We know most people think of scooters for getting around quickly in Europe, however, Greece has also adopted the Quad as an acceptable form of transit. ATVs drive right alongside cars so it was an obvious choice (plus they require a special license to even rent a scooter). It was great to have the freedom to go where (and when) we wanted to on the island and had a wonderful time exploring on our gutless wonder of an ATV (topping out at 60 KPH on the downhill).

Other highlights of our Santorini experience included:

Exploring Oia (pronounced ee-ah) and watching the sunset from a rocky hilltop
Diverse beaches (from a red beach to black sandy ones)
Our friendly host at Artemis Village and their refreshing pool (http://www.artemisvillage.com/)
Avoiding getting trampled by mules that are used to help tourists up the steep stairs in Oia
Winding roads through the island’s countryside
Not getting run over by the huge tour buses that dominate the island’s roads
An amazing dinner in Oia overlooking the caldera

Adventures in Crete – Part 3

2009-07-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

From the south coast we headed to the 3rd largest city on Crete, Rethymno. It reminded us a little bit of Hania (Venetian influence and harbor) but it didn’t capture our interest in the same way. I think we were a little tired from the bus travel over the course of the day.

We stayed at a cozy little place in the center of town called Pension Olga. It had some pretty funky décor that gave it an interesting ambiance. Stella and her husband George run the pension and the adjoining café that served up our breakfast the next morning. It was a great meal and we were so thankful for free refills on coffee!

We were only in Rethymno for one night and part of the next day. Stella directed us to the open air market adjacent to the beach by the harbor. It was a bustling Thursday morning and we were surprised to see a variety of fresh fruit, seafood and rabbits for sale. We took advantage of getting some apricots and mandarins (which were so good) but passed on the live animals.

On a whim, we decided to take a bus up into the mountains to visit a traditional Cretan village called Anogia. Our bus left around 2 pm and we were definitely the only tourist types on it. We weren’t sure what we were getting in for but felt confident the bus ride would at least be an adventure. At one point the driver apparently almost left some one behind, but fortunately the elderly lady on the side of the road could yell loud enough to stop a herd of goats. She and the driver got into a verbal shouting match for a bit and the other passengers seemed to be voicing their own opinions as well. Another moment when we would like to have known more Greek.

We arrived at Anogia without further incident, enjoyed the view of the surrounding area, had a quick lunch/dinner and then caught a bus for Iraklio, the largest city in Crete. That evening we enjoyed walking down the sea wall as the sun set over the busy city. Just another day in Crete.

Tomorrow, Santorini!

Adventures in Crete – Part 2

2009-07-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

Another early morning. Traveling is fun, but after awhile you start to get a little tired of waking up before dawn and packing your bag. However, we were planning on hiking a few miles (~10) through the Samaria Gorge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaria_Gorge) and wanted to get an early start before the day got too hot.

The bus ride from Hania up into the mountains was just a precursor of the adventures that lay in store for us. You see, the roads on Crete are pretty much carved into the hills and switch back all the way up. Now, imagine you are in a big charter bus taking hair pin corners with a steep cliffs, oncoming traffic and goats running in the road. It a little exhilarating!

We arrived at the trailhead before 8 am and got hiking. We weren’t sure what to expect and frankly were a little surprised that the first 6 kilometers were down hill. And we’re not talking just a little down… It was like someone slapped a mountain goat (or in our case, a wild Kri Kri - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kri_kri) on the butt and followed it down the mountain. Our legs were shaking after the first couple kilometers, especially since we decided to carry our backpacks with us.

All in all it was a great hike through the gorge filled with pine trees, an old village (like BC old), a small river and some pretty dramatic scenery. We were both glad for the opportunity to be out and active in God’s creation.

After about 5 hours of trekking we made it to the coast and the village of Agia Roumeli. The beach was a little crowded from all the people trekking the gorge, but after 5:30 when the last ferry leaves we had the place to ourselves. The village was very peaceful and we couldn’t get over how clear and blue the sea was. We definitely enjoyed our stay there.

The next morning we were able to take it a little slower before catching our ferry out. Along the way we were impressed by some of the villages along the rocky shore. We would have been happy staying at any of them a little longer.

Adventures in Crete – Part 1

2009-07-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday night we hopped on an overnight ferry from Athens to Crete. Let’s just say our accommodations weren’t like the love boat and it was a long night trying to sleep upright in a chair. At least we had plenty of company on the ship.

We arrived in the city of Hania early on Monday morning (before 6am) and were unexpectedly blessed with an amazing sunrise over the old harbor as the city woke up around us. By the time we got to our hotel (http://www.mmebassia.gr/index.html) around 10 am we both crashed hard. Having a nice bed to crawl into was like a little piece of heaven after a night on the ferry.

In the afternoon we wandered around the city, enjoyed the Venetian buildings and relaxed on the beach. The evening brought with it some additional treats: an amazing sunset over the sea and our first Greek gyros for dinner. We really enjoyed the feel of the city and its quaint charm.

"Do you feel Greek?"

2009-06-28T05:39:00.000-07:00

Last Friday morning we left Athens for my great grandfather’s village called Prosimna, a two hour drive from the city. I’ve been looking forward to this part of the trip since we landed in Greece and our time with Merkurious and Sophia has only heighted this feeling. The night before we left, I was a little nervous about what I would find in the village. Would I meet some of my great-grandfather’s relatives? Would they welcome us? Would I represent my US family well and convey the sense of honor I felt to just be in this place? Only a few miles of open road and I would find out.

We arrived in the village on Friday at about 6 pm after making a couple stops along the way. We were warmly welcomed by Sophia’s father Cristsos (son of my great-grandfather’s sister, Sophia) and his wife Maurina. Cristos’ brother John lives next door and we found that he has a warm sense of humor as he made us laugh heartily. Both only spoke a few words of English, but they made us feel right at home. That evening we dined in Nafplio, a nearby city, with Sophia’s brother, his family as well as John’s son and his wife. We had a great time but were pretty tired when we returned to the village at almost 2 in the morning.

The next day we met George (grandson of George Karamanous, my great grandfather’s brother) who gave us a tour of the old Karamanous home. George has been working the last 4 years to restore the home. After this we enjoyed swimming at the beach and a wonderful lunch with more family. It was great to sit and visit as we shared a meal with a great view of the Aegean Sea.

In the evening we toured the elementary school and high school that my great grandfather helped build some 45 years ago that are still in use. It was awesome to see physical evidence of the impact he had on the village community. From talking to other family members I learned that he helped with a water system for the village as well.

We rounded out our time in the village with a big dinner at the Berboti Taverina. I was expected a few family members, but was absolutely blow away when we had 20 plus people show up. There were folks from all over the area who came to honor our trip to the village. It was a pretty special night as we sat in the village square talking, eating sheep and just being together. Definitely the highlights of the trip and a memory I will keep for a long time to come.

As I sit back in Athens now, I am impressed by my Greek family’s generosity and sense of community. They welcomed us into their lives and took amazing care of Laura and I. I was repeatedly asked over the course of the weekend if I “felt Greek?” There were some jokes about this, but I am proud of this heritage and these people.

So long Kenya… Hello Greece!

2009-06-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we bid goodbye to Kenya as we boarded an early flight from Nairobi to London via Amsterdam. We were a little sad to leave, especially some of our new found friends. After about 16 hours of travel we made it to our hotel in London where we enjoyed a brief overnight stay before boarding another plane bound for Athens. We were both anxious to get there especially since our flight the day before allowed us good views of Crete and parts of the Peloponnese.

At the airport we were warmly greeted by Merkouris (whose wife Sophia is the granddaughter of my, Keith, great-grandfather’s sister). Merkouris and Sophia welcomed us into their home and have made us feel like royalty the last few days. We have spent our evenings on their balcony talking, laughing and enjoying some of their amazing home cooked Greek meals. They even took us out walking in the evenings for some fresh air and to see some of the sights in Athens.

Our days have been filled with tourist activities, but hey, it is what you do when there is so much to see. Our first day exploring Athens included traipsing around different ancient sites and eating lunch at an outdoor café. Once again, did we say the food is great in Greece! We enjoyed another wonderful dinner with Merk and Sophia that evening, and then we all went in to the center of the city to see the Acropolis at night. The Parthenon is pretty impressive when it is lit up at night. Day two exploring Athens included the brand new (open for 2 days) Acropolis Museum, the Acropolis itself as well as the Ancient Agora (or commercial area). Today, our 3rd day touring the city, we spent at the National Archeological Museum and looking around an ancient burial site.

It is hard for us to describe how much we have seen and the degree to which these have impressed us. It makes you feel very small in the grand scope of history when you are in the presence of antiquities that are over 3000 years old. It makes our 28-30 years of life seem like nothing.

We are looking forward to tomorrow when we leave the city for Keith’s great grandfather’s village. More to come.

Welcome to Diani Beach – White sand, dolphins and sun

2009-06-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

We have just returned from a 4 day stay at the Kenya Coast. It was an experience to say the least. To start we took an overnight bus from Nairobi to Mombasa, 8 hours of some of the bumpiest roads and only one stop for the toilet (dehydration was key). We were also impressed with our driver’s ability to pass despite oncoming traffic.

We arrived at our final destination, Diani Beach at 0630 and after looking at the beautiful beach passed out under our mosquito net. Our accommodations were somewhat less than ideal, so we spent the first day looking for a new cottage and getting our bearings. Fortunately, God was looking out for us and provided another place nearby… Let’s just say the one night we did spend was pretty much hell and we are still trying to repress the memory. Needless to say we were out of that place by 0800 the next morning, hoofing it down the road to cottage #2. It was a great relief to settle in and relax especially with the heavy rain that rolled in. It was reminiscent of the Oregon coast, just with the addition of palm trees and several monkeys.

The rest of our stay was great. We spent one day on a dhow (small boat) swimming with dolphins, snorkeling and enjoying fresh seafood. We also got a great sunburn that we are still enjoying (ouch!). Our last full day we spent walking on the beach and relaxing poolside at one of the larger resorts. It was a really nice place and now we know how the rich and famous feel.

Our trip ended with an early morning to get to Mombasa for another 8 hour bus ride that was just as bumpy and felt twice as long. Before we left we did enjoy a tuk-tuk ride around downtown Mombasa in search of coffee. It was fun to feel the wind in our hair and smell the diesel as we zoom in our three wheeled chariot.

Other highlights included fighting with mosquitoes, loud monkeys in the middle of the night, persistent beach boys and wondering when the power would come back on. Hakuna matata, just another day in Kenya right? All in all, it was a great week and were blessed to have a few days to take life at a slower pace.

Nairobi Wanderings

2009-06-14T04:21:00.000-07:00

We have spent the last 5 days in the Nairobi taking it easy and preparing for our trip to the coast. It has been a great time to recoup and hang out with people. Highlights have included: Coffee and lunch at the Java House, a trip downtown to purchase bus tickets (sounds pretty simple, but you never know when it comes to matatus), a trip to the salon for some henna, dinner at Anghitis for excellent Indian food, a picnic with friends (exploring caves and feeding a very sad looking ostrich), a tour of the Nairobi National Museum and Laura's home made flour tortillas (so good).

Masai Mara Safari

2009-06-11T05:08:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday morning (June 6th) we were picked up by George, our driver from Basecamp Masai Mara. George is the same driver / guide that took our friends John, Erin and Kim out to Masai Mara for their safari, so we knew we were in good hands. (He told us to give you guys his regards!)

Anyway, George drove us about 5 hours southwest of Nairobi to the Masai Mara National Reserve where we stayed for the next three days at a place called Basecamp. We weren’t sure what to expect on arrival, but lets just say it blew everything out of the water. They called our cabin the “Obama” and we were told that it is where our current commander and chief stayed when he visited a few years back. Maybe they tell this to all the wazungu (white folks) but we were certainly impressed with the digs. Looking off the front porch of our cabin we could several different kinds of antelope as well as a crocodile 50 yards away in the river below.

Over the next three days we were well taken care of by the staff at Basecamp. The food was by far some of the best we’ve had and we took full advantage of the coffee that was provided.

However, as awesome as staying at Basecamp was, the real highlight was the game drives which we made in the morning at 6:30 am and in the afternoon around 4:00 pm. It is like our friend Kim says, “Safari is magical.” Our list of highlight experiences includes:
· A family of giraffes running across the road on the way to Masai Mara
· A huge crocodile behind our cabin
· Herds of gazelle, buffalo, antelope and other grazing animals
· Several different birds of prey
· Juvenile elephants trunk wrestling
· Sunsets and sunrises over the rolling plains
· Hippos thrashing through the brush near our cabin late at night
· Male and female lion on their week long honey-moon
· Cheetahs… hunting, eating a gazelle and cheetah cubs playing.

Mt. Kenya and back again

2009-06-05T04:54:00.000-07:00

Day 1 – June 1st: So, we were expecting a 2 to 3 hour bus trip to meet up with our guide and porter, but instead were rewarded with a long matatu ride filled with rap and reggae. The speaker next to Laura’s ear blasted hits from Snoop Dog and classics such as “Get Your Freak On.” It was almost enough of a distraction that we did not notice our driver playing chicken with on coming traffic while trying to pass other vehicles on the road. After 3 hours we arrived safely in Nanyuki and met our guide (Paul), cook and two porters.

Another matatu ride took us to the gate, where we enjoyed lunch and prepped for the journey ahead, which ended up being a little wet! Paul informed us that the thunder we heard actually meant it would not rain (unfortunately thunder in Kenya means the same thing that it does in Oregon, you are going to get wet). After a few hours hiking we made it to our first camp at 11,000 feet just as the rain subsided. We ended the day with some great views and a peek at the mountain ahead.

Day 2 – June 2nd: We hiked approximately 8 hours, the morning rewarded us with clear skies and wonderful views of the area. We kept our eye out for jaguars, but all we saw were tracks. We passed through valleys filled with birds and lobelia (a plant that looks like it is straight out of a Dr. Seuss book and can be several hundreds of years old). We ended our day at camp Shipton (13,800 ft). As we rolled into camp we were both beginning to feel the effects of the altitude. Keith had a miserable night, partially due to the guides force feeding us massive amounts of food. Lucky he enjoyed the meal twice; once going down and the other coming up.

Day 3- June 3rd: The day started at 2 am as we prepped for our summit attempt. We were only allowed hot water or tea to start our day… We would later learn exactly why. The sky was huge and filled with stars as we were led out of camp. The next few hours were a blur as we just tried to put one foot in front of the other and not get sick… We were only successful with the first goal (Even one of our guides was feeling the effects of the altitude). It was all worth it when we reached the summit and enjoyed the sunrise.

However, the day was not over yet. We still had to descend several thousand feet before we were able to rest for the day. It was another 12 hours later before we could unpack our bags and rest.

Day 4 – June 4th: Our last day on the trail allowed us a gradual downhill to the Naro Muro gate. We enjoyed the last few kilometers through the forest and appreciated the chance to take our boots off!

We would like to say the rest of the ride back to Nairobi was uneventful, but where is the fun in that. Let’s just say at one point we ended up chasing our bags across a parking lot of matatus… Everyone else seemed to know what was going on but we were a little nervous. In the end, it all worked out and we made it back to Kim’s place for some well deserved rest before our next adventure.

The Adventures of Mt. Suswa

2009-05-31T05:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we had the opportuniy to head out to the Rift Valley with some of Kim’s friends to hike Mt. Suswa. As we drove North from Nairobi we were greated with some spectacular views from the road as the whole valley opened up before us.

The rest of the drive to the “trailhead” was pretty intense as we had to off road in a mini van through some wild back roads. It was a little bumpy and we had to employ two Masai women to help us find the right track through the bush. It felt like we were riding a bull at times but our driver Scott did a great job getting us to where we needed to go. In the end, the condition of the roads were so bad that we had to stop well short of where we needed, but we decided to give it a go anyway.

The rest of the day we spent hiking through the bush enjoying some wonderful scenary, the company of new friends, the occasional exotic animal (at least for us Oregonians) and several Masai who thought the wazungu (white people) were a little crazy and needed a guide. Overall it was a great experience even though we were well short of the summit of Mt. Suswa. It gave us the opportunity to be out, enjoy the country side and as Kim called it, have a truly Kenyan experience.

JAMBO!

2009-05-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Nairobi on Wednesday morning and have now been in Kenya for 3 days. Highlights so far: men with machetes on the side of the road (just weed whacking if you will), traffic with intense matatu drivers, visiting a halfway house (called The Nest) that is a home for orphaned infants and also women who are being reintroduced into society from prison, having our car checked for bombs (security at an upscale mall), homemade Kenyan chai tea (ala Kim) and bartering at Masai market for different goods (Kim did most of the work).

We are staying with our friend Kim who works at a missionary school outside of Nairobi called Rosslyn Academy. It has been great to see some of her world in Kenya. She has been a wonderful hostess and has been helping us plan our time here. We are very grateful!

We are going outside of Nairobi tomorrow for a hike with some friends of Kim’s. Keith and I are very excited to see some more of this beautiful country. After that we are going to church on Sunday in one of the slums around Nairobi.

It’s been challenging to see the dichotomy between the rich and poor here. There is a lot of need and we got to see this first hand at The Nest. Our hearts went out to the many kids we met there… but it was awesome to see them smile and play with one another.

On our way!

2009-05-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

We are finally on our way... almost. We are currently waiting in the PDX airport for our flight to board. This may not sound like much progress to some, but after the last several busy month of planning and the last week of packing it feels like a holiday already just sitting here at the gate.

However, we still have something like 30 hours before we touch down in Nairobi, Kenya on the morning of May 27th.

Thanks so much to friends and family who have given us advice, let us borrow numerous travel items and who have been willing to help us out while we are away. We couldn't be here without ya all!

Six days to take off

2009-05-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Whew, six days to pack our bags and put our house in order before we board the plane for who knows what kind of adventure. We're both a little nervous at this point. Nervous about the unknown and how this crazy adventure will all work out. Thinking about traveling for 2 months is a little daunting at this point. Sure, we have friends who have traveled for 8 months and had a blast, but it's a little more personal when you think about kissing goodbye the familiar for the unexpected. It's letting go of control, and as hard as it may be, it's exactly what we need right now.
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Enter stage right Keith and Laura. We're pretty average and have grown pretty comfortable in the last couple of years. We like our adventures and love the outdoors when we can get out. Life has gotten busy for us in the last couple years and taken us away from some of these pursuits. This is why we've decided to blast off for the unknown on May 25th for a 2 month adventure to refocus, revision and pursue a deeper life. Deeper with one another, deeper with Christ and hopefully deeper with others to help us refocus our perspective on life.

We'll be heading to Kenya and Greece to connect with friends and family as well as doing some exploring along the way. Stay tuned...