All good things must come to an end

If our life in the lap of luxury had to end, what better place than the island of Mykenos? Jon and I spent our last day getting lost in the whitewashed maze of blue-domed churches, red-painted windmills, windy narrow streets, and layered terraces overflowing with flowers. Although Jon had been there before, I had only seen the enchantment of the island through the cheesy movie lens of “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II” (yes, there was a sequel, and yes, I saw it (on an airplane if that makes it better)). I found myself enchanted by the colors of the sea mirrored back by the colors of the doors, windows, rooftops, and store fronts. The town was clearly eager to impress the hordes of tourists, and painters were constantly whitewashing everything everywhere – paint fumes forcing us to flee the shopping areas for the better views higher up in town. Highlights include the windmill watch-cat; the view overlooking town; and the puppy I found (a Red Dog look alike) to lick my face for a few minutes at the end of the day. Again, I bought nothing. But, Jon bought all his male friends bead bracelets – basically a set of worry beads that men constantly swing as a symbol of their independence and freedom from the domination of women (so said the description). He bargained hard this time: male independence comes at a price of about $5.

Thus, all shopped out, we returned to the boat, I ate one last veggie burger, and we shared a bottle of wine on our private veranda. Then, we started the longer-than-expected process of packing our bags – mine now 2x the original size with stolen booty from the boat and all the goodies Jon brought me from home. While packing, and maybe while slightly inebriated (or was that me?), Jon dropped his phone on his toe and banged a door hook in response to the sharp pain – cutting his hand and replacing my melancholy with some snickering (Jon says his hand still hurts!). Then, packing complete and our bags out the door, we took a moment to revel in our good fortune of having shared such an elegant adventure. Crystal Cruises: see you again when we are 80!

Now, I am back in Lilongwe, Malawi. Jon is back in Duyr, NC. I don’t think that it was just the delirium of travel that made me happy to return here, which is a good sign. I’m back at work, back to house hunting (more on being re-homeless later), and back to trying to find a car to get myself around. Of course, I miss the butler. But I miss Jon more.

Ruins even I could appreciate

After a day on the boat, and a surprisingly nice formal night/award dinner [complete with obligatory couples photos shot by the only jerk on the boat}, we arrived in Kusadasi, Turkey. We spent the morning touring Ephesus – an ancient port and trading center where Cleopatra and Mark Anthony were rumored to walk. My favorite parts were the group latrines for men (reenacted here by me and Jon) and the brothels. The brothels were actually linked to the library through underground tunnels – thus starting the ancient practice of men saying that they were going to “study” or to a “work meeting ” while taking a small detour for a different type of business. Hysterical! Alongside the ornate carvings on the pillars were newer graffiti by not so talented visitors (also photographed). After blocking all other tourists from the major attraction to take the Biogen group photo, we left by way of stalls full of genuine fake watches and fig candy – Turkish Delight! On the way back to town, we were trapped by our sneaky guide and forced into a carpet dealer’s sales pitch (my fault).



We did finally escape with Mindy and Rich to get fantastic lunch at a local place, Avlu. Although I did not need the mid-day gorge, this was my favorite meal of the trip – hot flatbread straight from the oven, grilled veggies dripping with olive oil, spicy fire-roasted tomatoes with fava beans, pickled veggies, and scrumptious yogurt (even the meat eaters liked it!). Before leaving his friends, Jon gave them a stern talk about how to bargain -- paying only half price, being firm, walking away, etc. Jon then left his precious map for the day to be guided through the bazaar by me (so brave!). We wandered cobblestone streets lined by jewelry stores, ceramics, real “fake” watches, tiled mosques, leather shops, and oodles of rug warehouses. We managed to buy pretty much nothing other than some candy. Jon, however, was on a mission for a coffee cup. Once he found it, did he bargain? Did he walk away? Did he counter offer? No! He accepted the first price – 2x what it was worth – and would not even try for better when I noted loudly (but with a smile) that the vendor must have many hungry children to charge so much for the trinket. Seems someone can talk the talk but not walk the walk. Jon: I hope your mom loved the $5000 cup and saucer set…

You asked for it

…or, maybe Jon’s workmates did not know exactly what they were asking for when they inquired about my work and living in Malawi. So, over dinner conversations and 12-piece silverware settings in the Crystal Dining Room, I wound up talking about the details of HIV transmission, the severity of poverty in Malawi, and the inequalities of drug access for people in developing countries. I would argue that I was fairly innocuous, especially given my predilection for exaggeration and the rather-cruel juxtaposition of the cruise lifestyle with my Malawi life (and knowing that 98% of all Malawians do not live as I do in Malawi). In fact, I think that Jon’s big boss and the big boss’ wife actually liked me! Really. Still, over glasses of wine, veal (for cruel people like Jon), and souffles, I am sure the whole dining room heard me talk about HIV risk per sex act, sexually transmitted infections, violence again women, and the gory details of palliative care for late stage AIDS patients in Malawi. I was asked those questions, I promise. In the end, I am not sure if I enlightened anyone, scarred them all, or just sounded like guilt-struck hippie, but the wine blurred those lines well for me anyway. Should I wonder why the same people never sat with us twice? Does syphilis not go well with lobster tail?

The continued adventures of Alice in Wonderland…

The next days were a whirlwind of food, drink, food, drink, food, some hiking, more food, and a volcano. First port of call: Sorrento, Italy. Jon and I pushed through the crowds to get the speed ferry to the Island of the Rich and Famous, Capri! Surviving the seas better than some of the high school kids that joined us on the boat, we took the cable car up the mountain to start our attempt at working off some of the chocolate and wine of the night before. We took a gorgeous hike accompanied by hundreds of green and black lizards to the natural arches and to the some viewpoints of the smaller jagged outcrops that make Capri’s scenery recognizable. We stopped in a stunning café that was carved out of the mountain (one of the first of many times Jon bought espresso to gain me entrance into a bathroom – thanks, again, Jon!). The most amusing story from the day came from Jon’s desire to see the Blue Grotto – a place highlighted in the books as a natural wonder. The wonder for me was why we paid $30 for a 3 minute ride in a dingy into a cave with blue water, but Jon will disagree. We do agree that we had a lovely walk back through town to the ferry ride back to the Mother Ship.

We sailed next to Taromina on Sicily to take a Biogen trip up Mt. Etna – smoldering and steaming away in honor of our visit. It was a gorgeous drive up through fields of blooming pink, orange, white, and yellow flowers flourishing in the black volcanic soil. We took a cable car and then a 4x4 up to the highest access point where we were nearly blown off the mountain while gaping at its glory. The wind was ridiculous – and we were the best prepared in pants and jackets. Some of the group did not get the memo and were in shorts and flip flops (and did not get out of the car for long)! We survived an hour in the cold blasts taking photos with numb fingers. Although we did not get to hike up or around much (a slight drag), it was a definite highlight! Then, we headed back to the boat where our butler had supplied us (okay: me) with a huge plate of veggies with hummus. After another 4-course meal, Jon managed to waste only $50 at the casino where he tried, but failed, to explain craps to me.

Next day: Crete. We spent 4 hours on a bus for an hour of being pelted by a sandstorm at some ruins of the Palace of Nossos. A nice local bus trip through some nice scenery, but the ruins were slightly ruined (sorry about the pun) from being largely recreated/reconstructed. For me, the actual highlight was a sweet, black fuzzy puppy at the bus station shop for lunch. I shared my toast and cheese with her, and she gave me wormy kisses. It was lovely regardless of the hygienic concerns. I think that Jon liked the ruins, but I know that he loved this giro place where we stopped on the way back. We had a chance to explore the cute town where our boat was docked, but as you can see, the best view was obscured by our ride…

More again tomorrow.

Luxury, libations, and lamentations

2 days after arriving in Rome, Jon and I left the quaint comfort of our sewage-smelling youth hostel for the extravagant luxury of a penthouse suite on Crystal Cruise’s 7-day Mediterranean voyage. After being issued my cruise ID photo that made me look like Quasimodo’s ugly stepchild (note: do not let a photo taker hold the digital camera next to your face), we boarded the gangplank and entered the Twilight Zone. We were ushered to our penthouse with a private veranda, stocked bar, Jacuzzi tub, and fancy bottle of champagne already cold on ice. Like country bumpkins transported to Dubai, we took photos of the room, gaped at the multiple buffets on the boat, and sat on the deck gorging on veggie burgers (okay, this was just me). I swear my eyes teared at the waste already piling up on plates, but I pushed through my guilt when I saw individual bottles of Heinz (another waste product I ignored) ready for my sweet potato chips. Already tipsy from champagne at 6pm (can’t blame the boat for lack of balance if you’re still docked), we dressed for our first of the week-long Biogen mixers – the welcome cocktail party! Appetizers of caviar, shrimp, and even a veggie roll marked the beginning of our feel-like foie-gras festival. I even managed more than an hour surrounded by Jon’s work mates without mentioning starving children in Africa or HIV! 4-course dinner (double salad for me!), too much wine, and way too much mingling later, we retired to our turned-down penthouse bed and let the ocean rock us to sleep…tough life, eh?

More photos and details to come!

Rome, sweet Rome!

After more than 30 combined hours of travel, Jon and I made it to Rome. We woke (or Jon woke as I was just arriving) early Sunday morning to wander around the city, stroll through the plazas, marvel at the obelisks, and eat gelato for breakfast. Jon tried his best to read me tidbits from his guide book and tell me about the history of this place or the other; I did my best to pay attention while snapping photos and playing with the occasional passing puppy. In the afternoon, we joined two of Jon’s friends from Biogen (also headed to the luxury cruise) and 80,000 other folks for a Team Roma football match held in the 1960 Olympic stadium. The crowd was crazy – throwing orange and maroon smoke bombs – and their exuberance intoxicating (a fitting statement for the amount of alcohol consumed in a 90 minutes match). We could not help but get into the spirit as evidenced by our team apparel! After winning 2-1, we fled the rowdy crowd for the relative peace of the Vatican, drank a mediocre (but free) bottle of wine, ate pizza (with side salad! Hooray!), and called it a day. A great day!

Home sweet home!

Well, after weeks of looking around, and weeks of being disappointed or appalled, I found a home for me and Jon. Sure hope he likes it!

It’s located in Area 3 – a “downtown” neighborhood –within a 10 minute walk of the central bus station, a few restaurants, the municipal market, and the South African supermarket chain, Shoprite (home of soy milk). The house sits in a compound of 10 similar homes, ostensibly secured by 2 guards but I have yet to see the gate closed. The other residents of the complex are Ethiopian, Malawian, Chinese, Kenyan, and American, so it doesn’t feel too isolated from its surroundings. This area in Lilongwe is less prone to the routine rolling blackouts. You never recognize the value of consistent electricity until it gets repeatedly cut off in the middle of cooking dinner…

The house is nice enough and pretty spacious. It has 3 bedrooms (come visit!), 2.5 bathrooms, tile floors downstairs, shady carpet upstairs (read: no vacuum cleaners in Malawi, so I don’t know how it has ever been cleaned well (it’s fine Jon, really!)). The tarantula in the dining room has been returned to its outdoor home, so it is currently free of visible creepy things. The windows and door are grated so that it is reasonably secure, and the back patio is big enough to foster (NOT adopt) a couple of dogs (Don’t worry, Red: you are the only dog for me!). I’ll be able to set up some semblance of internet access in the house, and I will likely bite the bullet and get satellite TV. It’ll be nice to have BBC news, and Jon will be able to catch a game or two of his beloved Tarheels!

I still need to furnish it, but that will be more of a chore. I would prefer to furnish it with seconds from an old nursing home than buy most of what I see for sale around Lilongwe. Imagine wooden framed sofas and chairs covered in randomly-placed, thin foam pads and then upholstered with garish velveteen in bright colors or with material reminiscent of Motel 6 drapes from 1972.

Ps: The puff adder is back and angry – seems it threatened the Lighthouse guards last night. Eeek! Perfect time to flee to Europe!