Delphi, Greece

Greece has thus far surpassed my every expectation. Yes, going into it, nearly everybody who has traveled here said that Athens isn't worth it; its sketchy, not much to see, and in general, not that fun of a city. Well, sometimes it is best to go out, and do it your own way. Athens, and Greece so far, haven't disappointed and have far surpassed everyone else's evaluations.

In a civilization that is the cradle of humanity and academic learning (seems fitting that I travel there right? Well, okay, that might be a stretch), they must know how to do something right. Although Greece is a PIGS country, Athenians have been living and carrying on their culture over 2500 years and 6 empires. So, in actuality, yes, the ruins may be more ruin than temple -- but that is why they are called ruins. Yes, you may have a grandiose vision of what the ancient Greece looked like, but it would be rather short-sided to assume the architects 2500 years ago were planning on how the ruins looked in 2010 for your benefit.

It is often the case tourists forget -- it isn't all about you. People once lived there (which is why you visited in the first place), but life goes on, and yes, people still live there. See the sights, but experience the culture that has lived on.

Yesterday, I took a day-trip to the ancient site of Delphi. Where oracles "foresaw" future events -- written through the interpretations of priests. In essence, it is now known, that the oracle would be placed in a room above a vent of hallucinogenic gas, would speak, and her discombobulated words would be interpreted into a dubious poem by 5 priests. This poem would depend not on your situation, but would depend on how you read the poem or emphasized punctuation. The oracle was always right.

More than anything, it was just cool old stuff. 2500 years later, this stuff remains. In America, you see a house that is from the 1800's or early 1900's and it is an "old house." Well, in Greece, a "new church" is a Byzantine church from the 1000's. Its a big world, and there are old cultures.