Finally, this is what I see whenever I close my eyes to have a 'moment'. Ya'll at work ought to be familiar with this ;) Janel and I are in Sougia, one of the best beach-towns in south Crete. Lisa took me here the first year I came to Greece, and it feels so cleansing to be here again. Its a great way to start this trip. I'm getting centered. A little about Sougia....

Sougia is almost directly south of Chania, about a two hour bus ride through the mountianous interior of Crete. The drive itself is rewarding, along the way you pass through little mountian villages where live is so slow that half the inhabitants are outside to see the bus as it drives by.

The town of Sougia develops more and more each year, I've of course heard the stories of how it was 12+ years ago, but I've even noticed the change in the last four years. The internet cafe I'm sitting in came along only two years ago, before that, the only internet connection was at a small taverna where the old propriator (I know, my spelling is awful!) would only let you surf if he was in a good mood. (I fell out of favor when I beat him at computer free-cell)
The beach still remains one of the most gorgeous, clean places I've visited. Janel and I managed to cajol some nice Dutch hippies to let us pitch our tent next to theirs under a big tree. I was suprised by the number of people camping.

Sougia is also remarkable because of the many un-escavated Minoan ruins. People actually pitch tents amid the crumbling walls of the old city. Janel and I were actually considering camping there up the hill, but it was so filthy! People just leave their trash and shit-paper lying everywhere. That kind of behavior is disgusting to begin with, but even more so when you consider the surroundings.

I am taking pictures, I promise, but I'm having some trouble with the interface for my camera. When my parents arrive next week, I'm sure my dad can help me figure this out. So, you will just have to wait for all my beachy pics.

Relaxing with a Mithos in an outdoor internet cafe, view of the night sky-
Kate