Gateway to Olympieion...Chills pervade me even writing those words.
The Temple of the Olympian Zeus. It felt as though the ground was
pulsating with energy, representing an utmost respect for the best of
the best athletes.

Layers of Life...
What I found most intriguing in Athens, Greece was the dichotomy of
the ancient and modern living harmoniously. The ancient structures
stand among modern apartments and hustle and bustle. Seeing through
the history...to give us the present-literally and figuratively.
Although many people travel to these parts, I felt the need to share
for those who have not seen some of the oldest, most beautiful and
meaningful pieces of architecture in the history of well, the world!

The underground discoveries were particularly fascinating... the
baths beneath the Acropolis Museum!

I was stunned when I caught a glimpse of the Acropolis from afar.
When I could move, I hiked my way up the steps to the theaters and of
course to the Parthenon and Temple of Athena. Marvelous. Majestic.
Breathtaking. Modern buildings are crumbling, and even warfare
couldn't fully take down the Acropolis. Brilliant!

So...this is where it all began. The marathon craze...490 BC, the
ancient site of the Battle of Marathon, where the Greeks defeated the
Persians, giving us the democratic societies of new. I ran the
Athens Classic Marathon October 31, 2010. I have done a lot of
memorable things in my life and I must say this is on the list of the
most amazing sporting events. Will I remember that the course is
uphill for the middle 20 miles? Probably. Will I remember the crowd
cheering? Probably. Will I forget the deep feeling of amazement when
I ran into the ancient Olympic Stadium with the ancient Olympic Rings
staring me in the face? Couldn't if I tried. That feeling is going
with me into several lives to come! I cried tears of joy, alongside
every other person beside me at the finish line. One man was
bowing. It was the 2500th anniversary of the original running.
Chills pervade every ounce of my body just thinking about it! A
truly momentous race with 13,000 people joining the locals on the
streets from Marathon to Athens on a glorious day of honor...

I really really had to pee...

About two hours after a breakfast with copious amount of water to rehydrate after an eight mile jog and a cup of hot Vietnamese tea, I really really had to pee.  The problem was, I was on a small wooden boat motoring on a small tributary of the Mekong Delta. I was accompanied by a darling of a man who was taking me mountain biking along the delta, a trip I arranged through Phat Tire Ventures. Under normal circumstances, a 'pit stop' would have seemed ludicrous.  However, at this point I was thinking with my bladder versus my brain.  I politely asked if there was anywhere to stop and to my surprise, indeed there was! We pulled up to a dock in front of a bright blue house along the tributary, and parked under a gorgeous array of fruit trees.  A young girl promptly waved us hello under her pink sun umbrella and was soon joined by her most accommodating mother--accommodating me to the use of a bathroom (in the blue house)!  Relief at last!  To my further delight, the young girl and her mother shared their fruit and gave me a tour of a local home.  Warmth exuded from every corner of the yard and home...reminded me of the time I was running with x-country teammates in high school, had to pee, stopped at a woman's home and asked to her use her facilities.  We were all treated to apple pie before leaving...

More on Madagascar...my second time through, I treated myself to the Colbert Hotel, pricey, but worth every penny due to finally feeling safe! Then I met a man named Bruno who showed me several of the inhabitants of Madagascar.  Bruno was quite the gentleman, and transformed my trip into a pleasant holiday!  He was a guide for one of the parks, with a nominal fee.  I tipped him triple his fee and he almost fainted.  I told him he saved my holiday :)

Only in Madagascar...some wonderful creatures. The lemurs and
lizards, and "upside down"
trees left me bedazzled!!
Difficult to travel alone as a woman it was in Madagascar. I came
through twice. My plane nearly crashed, as we were descending nose
down at mach speed, and that was not the worst part. I was hassled
and haggled, disrespected...until I started swatting! Yes, physically
swatting people away. Then, and only then, did the police/security
guards take me seriously. No one touched me after that!!!