Vonitsa, Greece, on the expedition

The Dolphins

Holly Tolledo!!!!  OMG!!!! Today with the dolphins is one for the records, even for my expedition leader.  He said he has not experienced anything like this in a long time.  We were surrounded by 100 dolphins!!!!!!!!  Amazing, awesome, magnificent, breathtaking, exhilerating :>)  We witnessed easily 50 of them in a 50 meter area and the rest anywhere over 300 meters.  They were incredibly frisky today, being very social, playful displays of back flips, breaching (not completly out of the water then slapping down on the water), rolling over,  bow riding, catching sardines by scouping them up with their chest and fins, scouting ( coming out of the water so they can look you over from the side), I'm certain one winked at me! Ha! For 4 hours we were allowed into the home of the dolphins, which we documented all the while. We saw a few sets of mothers with juveniles.  The ages are newborn, calf, juvenile and adult.  We are learning much of course and sadly the serious enviornmental hazards resulting in the decline of all sea life.  Like how much of the water is deoxygenated now.  Today we also witnessed a malformed calf which will more than likely not make it past a week from now.  It was sad to see this beautiful mammal but have a bulbous head and would have to rest on the water.  Literally is would be still and just bobble on top of the water for 30 seconds or so after swimming with its mother for a few minutes :>(  Dolphins mourn and Joan (procnounced John), my expedition leader is writting a paper on this behavior.  He has gathered data that proves a female's first born will not survive due to all the toxins that have been absorbed and held in the fatty tissue from her juvenile years to her first off spring.  They have many tissue samples that support this theory as well.  There are approximately 150 dolphins in the bay here and 100 of them we got to engage with in one way or another.  Thank you universe!  A vida e bella!!

changing of the gaurd, Athens, cruising around the islands, Onasis' island

Athens

Arrived in Athens July 8th.  The weather very hot and humid.  It was very fasinating and would love to have had another day or two to see more museums.  Met many people with staying at the hostel which I highly recommend how to travel no matter what your age. I was told by a young nurse from Australia that they are desperate for nurses so that is an idea for down the road :>)  Took a walking tour which was very informative. Saw most of the changing of the gaurds....until the masses stood in front of me!  I can google it to see the rest, ha!  Met some women on this tour who were from the Iguacu Falls so got to hear some Portuguese which I miss......A vida e bella!  It was great to be able to share with them my experience there and vise versa.  In Greece it is mandatory for a male that you spend one year in the service as a duty, meaning no pay, but you get clothed and feed. But really it is not much of a training...only ten days.  So you know whose butt it would be easy to kick.....a far cry from centuries ago!

Athens