Athina!

Yesterday we were once again faced with navigational chaos on the 350km journey from Velos to Athens. It was our longest and toughest test yet trying to navigate our way around Athens and out to the camp site doing battle with the road signs and nose to tail traffic congestion.

We got separated from our first pairing up and travelled 50 kms the wrong way up the
E75 motorway.

After regrouping, we had no trouble driving through the city mayhem. We were an hour behind, all of us in the group having mechanical problems. The Ken Bathurst jeep with Postsy and Zeb on board, was surging, the Sam and Lorraine Cutegar studebaker had a massive fuel blockage in the filter, and then our starter motor collapsed.

Everyone else took a wrong turn, even Lang! We were the only sucessful team! Nigel Ward had had our spare starter repaired and carried it with him as part of his spares, but it was sluggish. Jim Sewell with the Blitz Chevrolet radiovan from Perth was also carrying one which Dale successfully installed.

Full marks again to John Neild on the Harley Davidson. I thought it was difficult riding the clutch for an hour but John said it "was really difficult" keeping the bike upright with the foot clutch.

BOARDING THE ATHENS TO CRETE FERRY

The next day, after a fabulous morning tramping around the Parthenon, Temple of Athena, Temple of Olympian Zeus, the 1896 Modern Olympic Stadium and Hadrian's Gate, we convoyed with the bike and the Cutejars to the Piraeus Port to board the ferry for our overnight journey to Crete.

These ferries are absolute luxury. Two elevators take you upstairs to either 4 berth cabins, or airline seats with TV, games rooms, Internet, lounges, shops, discos, bars and dining rooms. Fantastic, and travels along about 40 kph. Dale saw two dog trailers (truck and dog) reversing up the ramps into the boat with no problem. He would not have thought it possible. Semi-trailers backing in like a string of sausages, not even one semi had to correct. Amazing to watch. A semi could do a U turn once inside the boat.