Sunday in Athens was wonderful but very hot -- temperature of 104. To visit the Acropols you have to walk up a steep hill and once there there is very little shade. We met up with one of our fellows/mentors, Lendyll and he joined us on our journey. It is an amazing site. Thousands of years old and still standing. We were smart and hired a guide to explain to us what we were seeing. By the time we got back to the hotel it was late afternoon and we all took a nap. Had a great dinner sitting outside across the street from ruins. Everywhere you look in Athens there are ancient ruins.
Went to bed about 2am and at 2:45 am the phone rang it was Beth from the office telling me to get to Allan to see how he was because a great friend of his, Ross Smith, debate coach at Wake, died that evening. Beth had called Allan and wanted me to make sure he was ok. Needless to say neither of us got any sleep that evening. It was horrible news and we are still trying to absorb it and deal with it.
We had to leave for the airport at 6:30am so there were no sleeping that evening. Got to the airport, got checked in for our flight to Sofia on Bulgaria Air. 5 minues after the flight closed they came and told us Mia's ticket had been cancelled. So we spent 20 minutes running around the airport getting a new ticket for her, which we did and made the flight. Finally got to Sophia and was met by Iva. Thank god for her as few in the airport and almost no one in the bus station spoke English. Got the bus to the University and it was a 90 minute plus ride.
Once here we met up with Nadia, the summer coordinator and we had dinner with her. Then tried to collapse and sleep. But the phone rang at 2:30, people seem to forget that there is a 7 hour time difference between Bulgaria and North Carolina. Met with Nadia Wednesday morning and took a tour of the facilities. We will be holding our meetings in the Library and it is a great facility that is airconditioned. The dorm is not. When I first moved into the room and saw a wool blanket I was surprised. But during the night I woke up freezing and was glad for the blanket. It is not humid here but hot and the nights are wonderful.
Our biggest frustration on Tuesday was that we could not get the internet working, either in the labs or using wireless. As a result we were up working until about 2:15 trying to get things done. Again the phone rang in the middle of the night and woke me up just as I had gotten to sleep.
More later a bus full of students have just arrived.
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