Ins and outs of the Ancients.

Greece in all of its glory rests beneath my slipper protected heels.
We have found home in many ways since entering this place. Presently we are staying with a little community, called the Karaloitas, (http://www.users.otenet.gr/~kar1125/) a wonderful clan of humans, one of whom, Estella, is blind and obviously the head of this home in many forms. She has even relocated the group in South Africa as her work is dedicated to the Greek blind, across borders. They are living such simple, loving and warm lives here; to all of which I have such gratitude. We found these folks through couchsurfers (http://www.couchsurfing.com), which I recommend to anyone who is interested in connecting with travelers, as difined in any context.

We connected as well with an orginization called help exchange (http://www.helpxchange.net) through chance that sent us to camp out a thunderstorm in a bus station insted of autostopping with which we have fallen in love. There we found a fellow Seattle-ite woman who invited us to stay through this orginization on a horse farm in the northeast of Greece, where the population was surely 100 horses and sheep to each person. The days are passed by caring for the land and horses as winter quickly approaches. It is very much like World-wide Workers On Organic Farms (www.WOOF.org) but cheaper and without borders.

Along the journey we have camped amoungst the pinnacles and caves of Metéora (Μετέωρα: "suspended rocks" or "in the heavens above") is one of the largest complexes of monasteries in Greece which are built on natural sandstone rock pillars, in central Greece. There we met many characters; young and old, Greek and otherwise, for it has been the greatest concentration of people we have experienced in some time... Old men inviting us in for tea at the tavernas, Dutch alcoholics into their caravans to traverse the country, Little women serving us Irish pancakes, Shepards and their bawlking dogs along deserted trails of the autumn colored mountains, Albanians driving us around the town in their stolen Marcedes... to name a few.

Montenegro and Albanian rains

The ruins and brilliant coastlines of Montenegro offered insight into the nature of a former Yogoslovian nation that took precise measures to milk their independance as much as possible. It is now a part of the EU, pristine and friendly. We connected with some inspiring local artists under the full moon nights at the foot of ancient fortresses in Kotor and Bar. We stayed in Stari Bar (old Bar), a half rouined ancient city which is being restored by the community and lived in by artists, scientists, and philosophers who are dedicated since the 80's to creating a cultural hub in the context of growing and evolving collectively. Even through the construction, the spirit and sights are remarkable there... but I cannot find any web connected site for their efforts.

We entered Albania along with the Autumn Adriatic storms. The drastic difference noticable immmediately upon crossing the border was unreal. The roads turned to dirt after the last big town in Montenegro, because until the mid-ninties, there was no way to enter or exit the country, borders were staunchly closed under the socialist-communist period. There were bunkers and rubbish everywhere, and the faces of the people were a bit dazed. Here I see that it is impossible for a community to survive once it becomes completely exclusive.
Those who were assigned, were allowed to drive horse buggies during the dictatorship, but cars were unthought of. It is a country of new, and insane drivers, as well as the place where old Mercedes go to die (mostly stolen from abroad). The country is inundated with missionaries and Peace Corps type do-gooders... yet we did find an inspiring group of women called TWIG who we met with and obtained some context (http://www.TWIG.org).

The art and culture of Albania is outstanding! They have been preserved as a culture and social expression distinctly their own, undescribable via comparison. Increadibly open, hospitable (gorging ourselves out of respect), and peaceful despite their repressed past. Here we spent days praying and meditating in mosques, Mother Theresas monument- home church, Stunned by gold streaked Cathedrials, and introduced to Orthodox worship centers... all in the same square.

Underneath the vail of commodity and capitalism that now covers Albania I can feel a deep saddness for what could have been, if perhaps in a slightly different shade, in Albania flourishing still today. A cooperative society working hard and respecting the earth and the value of equality I pray will still come to these people in a way that liberates.