Santorini, Athens, Plodiv

It's pretty hard to concentrate right about now, considering i'm typing this at my hostel in a general area where about 10 people in various stages of drunkenness are watching an important football (soccer) game and discussing various topics rather loudly, but i'm going to try. Where did we leave off? Oh, yes, on the end of the best day of this vacation.

We all met up and walked to our first bar. While most of the girls started drinking, Cameron and I, and one of them found a great place to get our last chicken swharmas. We eventually made our way to a dance club/bar that was advertised at our hostel called the Full Moon. Things started slowely, but eventaully the music got very good and the seven of use danced the night away. We had so much more fun there than at "one of the worlds great dance clubs" at Mykonos. The music was so good that i think i would have done much better to get that DJ to have played at my wedding reception than the guy i got, who couldn't even play our handpicked music. I thought at least 80% of the music was just great. I can't remember the last time i sweat so much. Even during a sweaty vacation, i sweat an unatural amount. It was so hot, and we were dancing so hard, but i wasn't thinking abou the heat because we were having so much fun. It was just a great and surprising end to a surprisingly great day.

We only got about three hours of sleep that night because we had to wake up early the next day to catch the ferry to Athens. After about five busses passed us by at the top of the mountain, we started getting very nervous, because if we missed the ferry, everything would fall apart. We finally payed a cab to take us to the bottom. The ferry was only supposed to take seven hours and arrive at Athens at 4PM. But, as it turned out, it was terribly late, and didn't get to Athens until 7:25, which meant we missed our opportunity to really tour the ruins, one of the thing i most looled forward to this vacation from the very beginning. We could only take some pictures for afar, which was depressing, but what can you do? We were supposed to spend two more nights in Athens, but we moved up our flight to Sofia a day to save some money. Well, we screwed up. But i wasn't about to write off Athens entirely. As you must know by now if you know me at all, one of my hobbies is visiting as many Hard Rock Cafes around the world as possible and, after much searching and asking for help, we eventually found it. All i really wanted to do was take pictures but, i was so pessimistic about finding it, i promised Cameron that if we did finally find it, i would treat him. So i did. But it was much better than the only in Romania, i took some great pictures of some hard to find bands (bands i love that aren't well represented by HR Cafes in general). Once again, by the time we finally got to our hostel, the only hostel on this entire trip with actual AC, we were only there for a few hours before we had to leave very early once again. Between the two days we stayed there, we were there less than 12 hours. That sucked.

The next morning we found the airport without too much trouble and flew to Bulgaria. Amazingly enough, even though the flight was only 90 minutes, we still got fed. I couldn't believe it. All things considered, even though Sofia is the capital and a major city in every sence of the word, there really isn't anything to do there. Once again, we walked and walked and walked around, taking pictures and walking some more. Even the hostel worker admited there was little to do there. But that's why we were there for only one night.

The next day we slept in a bit, even though it was so hot, found the train station, and took the most miserable train ride of my life to Plodive, where is where i'm at right now. The train must have been at least 95 degrees, lasted about 4 hours, and was very full. I almost got sick. Although we arrived at 4PM, we haven't really done anything of note today. We basically just hung around the hostel, and ate. I'm still way overheated, i'm exhusted although not sleepy, and much to weary to be creative. I'm well aware of the fact that i'm simply providing a general laundry list of the significant events of this journy. If i didn't think it was significant, i failed to mention it. I'm so tired of being uncomfortable and living in unbelivable unsanitory conditions, i really just want to go home. The airport took my soap and i'm still too upset to buy new soap so i'm quite dirty. I'm taking showers without soap and my clothes havent' been washed since, well, Romania. I must smell pretty bad at this point, but so do everyone else, so i don't really stand out. About 12 people in this room are drinking vodka and cheering to something or another, but i'm all out of cheer at the moment. I miss my wife terribly. If i think about the situation i've put myself in too much, i might not easily recover, so i'd better stop thinking about it. I have no idea where Cameron is at the moment, and he has the keys to the room. Not sure what i'm going to do about that. This is supposed to be an absolutey beautiful city, and we're thinking about taking another tour tomorrow. I dearly hope it goes well, because i'm not sure i can easily take too much more going wrong at this point. I'm trying to stay positive, but i'm on the verg of failing. I'm also not doing a very good job of lying. Please pray for me. I wonder what i've gotten myself into, and all i want to do at this point is go home. Once again, i'm sweating as i type this. I miss you all. I think i'm going to be done traveling after this. Please pray for me.