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21 October - 3 November : We're Cruising Now

12- day Mediterranean cruise

Trippin'.
After a week of trekking on our own from Milan to the Riviera to Athens, we were more than ready to settle into our balcony suite for the next 12- days without the worry of having to pack up and lug around our 40lbs suitcases.

The idea of people waiting on you hand and foot, beds made every morning and turned down every night, all- you- can- eat buffets, cafes and restaurants at whenever you wish to dine, Vegas- like shows and musicals to the nine, a parade of activities for every personalities, all the while waking up every morning in a new and fabulous city along the Mediterranean-- sounds like heaven doesn't it?! Our schedule was set for the next 12- days in terms of activities on shore-- camel riding in Cairo, scenic drive in Santorini and much more. But of the 12- days, we did have 2 days at sea allowing us to take full advantage of sunbathing at the pool, eating as much as our stomachs can handle and, of course, attempting to work it all off at the gym on board.

A typical day on the Jade
7am: Wake up and head down for breakfast. We started out dining at the grand dining room but gradually converted to the buffet style dining for convenience and time. Eggs benedict, waffles, sausages, hash browns, pancakes and the list goes on and on. You name it, we ate it.

8am: Everyday we port in a new city so to make the most of our days we were up bright and early. Packed our daypack with the daily essentials-- cameras, water, light sweater, sunglasses, etc. The other 2 days at sea gave us the chance to sleep in and go about the day at a much slower, lazier pace.

The day: Most of the day was spent on shore excursions. The 2 days at sea was all about the pool and the food-- BBQ's, Asian, Indian and everything in between. mMmm..



4 or 5pm: Return to the ship and head straight to the cafe for a light bite-- tomato soup, burger and fries, etc.-- before heading back to our stateroom to rest for dinner and night activities on board.

7pm: It's nice to have the luxury to go out onto the balcony and just relax. We spent a good portion of early evenings doing just that. Also watched a lot of movies on the television before washing up and heading down for dinner and show. I took this time and opportunity to do laundry in our sink. We weren't about to pay $5 per garment, any garment, to have it done on the ship. Having a balcony came in handy when we needed to dry all of our clothes.

9pm: Dinner for most nights was in the main dining room. Everyday is a different menu. We opted a few nights to dine at the specialty restaurants which had an additional surcharge but was a great change of scenery and food; tapas one night and Asian fusion another.

10pm: I was usually beat by this time after a long day of constant walking and sight seeing so for most nights, we retreated to our room. On the few nights where we weren't exhausted, we managed to catch the shows which were amazing. NCL Jade has great line ups and acts from musicals to magic shows to comedian acts.

More Photos.

View full gallery here.

20 - 21 October : Taxi From Hell

Parthenon, Prostitutes & Paranoia

Trippin'.
We've been looking forward to Athens for quite some time, but Athens took us both by surprise in more ways than one-- neither of which were good. Expensive, polluted and overcrowded, time certainly have taken its toll on this great city. Today, it's overrun with rebellious teenagers, street beggars, prostitutes, dealers, users and abusers. Somewhere hidden behind the graffiti plastered walls and underneath the trash covered streets is the ancient city Greeks love to hate, which leads me to wonder what Athens was like pre- Olympics "renovation" in 2004.

But through it all, what Athens lacks in instant beauty, it redeems itself in preserved history. It's probably one of the few ancient cities where the modern and classical can coexist. For this, we managed to look past all the negatives and made the most of our stay soaking in the history, food and shopping.

Taxi cab rip off
After a long day of train and plane transfers, we arrived extremely late to Athens and were not prepared to deal with cab issues getting to our hotel. But you know our luck, we managed to land a newbie driver with no sense of direction! After a quick pull over on the freeway for a pit stop (the driver, not us-- we were still in the car), he proceeded to drive us in circles asking for directions along the way, and all the while on our running meter. But alas, after a few detours, we made it. But of course we had a dispute when it came to our bill. On top of our 20 Euro bill, we were completely blindsided by a hidden "luggage fee" of 3 Euro per person. Whether it was legit or scam, I was not going out without a fight. But I failed to reason with the non- English speaking pompous jerk and managed to only save us 2 Euros for getting us lost. G is not one to be confrontational, and looking back, it's was probably pointless to get all wild up for just a couple of bucks. It only makes us better taxi travelers for next time. Tips-- we should have had him call our hotel for directions. Most if not all taxi drivers have cell phones so why not. We did just that later in the trip when we arrived in Istanbul.

Sleeping: Art Hotel. 27, Marni Str, tel: 210 524 0501. Staff will make you feel right at home. Best of all-- free access to internet! Our latest hotel's "must have" amenities when traveling abroad.
Eating: O Thanasis. Don't be fooled by other neighboring restaurants attempting to forge the signature name that is Thanasis.
A Must: Frappe- Order up! It's like instant coffee from a can but so much better.

More Photos.

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18 October : Still Leaning

Day Trip to Pisa

Trippin'.
We originally planned a half day for Pisa, but when we had to transfer trains 3 different times, getting there was no easy task. Why thousands still flock here each year is beyond me. It's a shame we only spent an entire 30 minutes there, but that's all you really need. You'll probably have better results if you photoshop yourselves in. Nevertheless, we can now check it off our list.

More Photos.

View full gallery here.