DAY 59

Thursday 8 September 2011

Rudy wouldn't give up. After hearing of our problem with our propane gas system for our refrigerator and stove, he attached and reattached a spare bottle and tried every combination of switches and valves, three times, until finally needing to make their ferry departure he quit. We learned a lot about why it wasn't yet working, and many other good tips about our set-up, from this seasoned road veteran. We waved goodbye, then packed up and took off the opposite way for Olympia, the famed site of the ancient Olympic games.

We all felt this was a very special day. Sometimes a place just reverberates with crucial history. As we trod the ruins and onto the ancient track, through a stone tunnel-like entrance, we could imagine the ancient throngs (50,000 around the running track) and how the athletes must have felt, and even the commoners and slaves privileged to attend this event held every four years, WITHOUT A BREAK, WITHOUT A MISS, despite constant warfare in Greece, FOR MORE THAN A THOUSAND YEARS. 1,169 to be exact. That's just mind-boggling.

We touched columns that may have been touched by Homer, Archimedes, Pindar. It wasn't just an athletic event but a chance for the greatest political leaders, artists, philosophers, traders, musicians, teachers and other leaders from all over the known world to come together in one place, under a flag of truce, to exchange ideas and make deals. It was the catalyst for the creation of great art and traditions that lasted millenia. 


Winners in the few events (5) over the few days (2-5) may have received only an olive branch wreath, but they were often honored for life. When they returned as victors to their home cities they often had a hole knocked in the fortress wall for the athlete to make their triumphant entrance -(a little bigger for the wrestlers).

Athletes had to speak Greek no matter where they were from, and show up a month early for training and constant examination as to their athletic and moral fitness for such elevated competition. Not to mention the tradition of nude competition (makes for some interesting vases). 


And we learned a lot in a few hours about the ancient Olympics, particularly from the two museums. Sometimes we skip the museums, but these two were essential. One was the Ancient Olympics Museum which detailed so many aspects most people are unaware of, and really painted a picture of what it was like in ancient Greece. We figured it was best to see that before going to the actual site. Afterwords we visited the Olympia Archaeological Museum, stunning in particular for it's display of large artifacts from the site.

The most effective way to keep cool in a public place is to discreetly stick
one's head in a sink with running water

Charles sprinted to the finish line in the stadium, and Nicole threw the discus there (Dian's folded hat). But we all felt like champions by the time we left. Charles had now spent five months in Greece on two different trips, and deemed this, along with the Acropolis, a must-see experience of the highest order.

Isabella had told us about sea turtles in the area so we went looking for them but without much detailed info as to where to find them. We picked a side road to look for a place for the night and wound up in Kakovatis, a pleasant little town which was deadsville since the tourist season was over but with a friendly hotel lobby with Internet and a pro basketball game on TV, (Greece beating Slovenia despite the presence of the NBA's Goran Dragic). So Charles got some work done and figured it was probably as close as he would get to an NBA game till the next season, oh well.