So I waited very anxiously at my hostel this morning for the walking tour to come and pick me up. I was certain the shifty guy at the front desk would take my money and not book the tour!! I kept looking at the clock until finally he said dont worry I booked you in and five minutes later my guide danielle (a man not a woman!) came and got me =) There were 14 of u with 7 aussies. Suprisingly they were the most unfriendly! b****y sydney type girls. So I stuck with Stefan and his friend whose name I cant remember. They were from Russia and Vienna and were so nice! We talked all day, Stefan said I am always welcome at his flat in Vienna which he shares with his sister and two other people! Unfortunately we got seperated by the end of the tour o I have no idea how to reach him, but it was a welcomed offer that put a smile on my face. The boys bought me a necklace that represents strength and protection because they thought it was amazing that I am doing this trip on my own. Made my day!

So after meeting everyone we started out at Syntagma sqaure with the amazing parliament building and the tomb of the unknown soldier. It was nice to have a guide so I didnt get lost at all finding these sites! He also did a good job explaining things. After that we visited the temple of Zeus, well what remains of it! The columns were massive. I just kept thinking how the hell did they build those!! Dan explained that the temple was never completed in the 700 years it was worked on because the Greeks never use slave labour. So they didnt ever have enough money to pay people to finish it! Quite amazing. After that we went to Hadrian's arch which is this big gate looking thing in the middle of nowhere really!! It looks so strange this huge imposing arch right next to a busy road!! I cant get over all these amazing ancient ruins being smack bang in the middle of this filthy town!!!

Along the way to the presidents house and the national gardens, we stopped to look at ruin in the ground where the metro was supposed to be built. All along the roads, in shops, in many places you go you will see these ruins in the ground covered by glass where they have been going to build something and discovered ancient sites. Crazy!!!

The national gardens were really really beautiful. Full of luscious trees and flowers and fountains and statues. A welcomed relief from the city! We got to see the first Olympic stadium, like where the first olympic games ever were held. Pretty spectacular and felt like good timing with the olympics starting now! I was impressed. I also liked the tid bits of information dan gave us along the way. Like when I saw a statue Im like whose that? And it was a famous general who fought in the war against the turks. Dan told us that the horse standing on two legs means they won the war and lived for many year after. If the horse is on all fours it means that they lost the battle and died. If it has one leg raised it means they won but died. Yeah bet you wouldnt find that out in your lonely planet!! He then took us to the presidential house where we watched the changing of the guard. I was so happy because I knew I would have never found this place on my own! Even if I did I would have no idea what these stupidly dressed men were doing there! Dan told us these were guards. But he made a joke and thought he was real funny!! He's like these arent guards, they dont move, they dont speak, they dont even blink and tarted laughing ridiculouly loud. I laughed at how stupid he was!!! He explained that these men spend an hour a day getting dressed, work for an hour, get undressed for an hour, have six hours off and then do it all again. They dont get paid, and its terrible to watch them sweat in the heat in these stupid outfits! But apparently they are extremely proud and in six month time they become paid members of the army. Their whole uniform represents the turk war. Red hat for the bloodshed, 400 pleats in their skirts for the 400 year of turk occupation, pom poms of their shoes for the tears that were shed and the stamping represents the strength of the horse. Well worth the money to get this tour just to know this stuff!!! Thanks mumma =)

After a tour of the city we went to the ancient theatre of dionysos, the actual very first theatre in the world where epidarvus had his plays. Amazing. I was in awe of these little pebbles on the ground!! After that we went to the anicent agora, the centre of social, politcal and civic life. There was so much to see there!! I got in trouble because apparently we were only meant to be there for half an hour and I kept everyone waiting. But I wasnt going to rush for anyone, not even 13 other people lol! I saw EVERYTHING including the museum and the temples and the churches and even stopped to sit on a bench amongst some trees and take it all in. Spectacular. After this was the big one... THE ACROPOLIS!!!!!!!! After spending all day being able to see it up on the mountain it was so exciting to finally be able to climb up the hill and see it!!! The climb in the 34 degree heat was not so exciting!!! I spent most of my money today buying ice cold water from the homeless people walking around. Well worth the .50 euro if anyone of you come to athens!!!! The acropolis just amazed me. I dont know how else to put it. There I was actually standing at the temple of athena and the panthenon, places I literally thought I would only ever see in history book. I walked around just in awe of the place. Even when I went to go I kept looking back over my shoulder and just stopping to stare. Could not believe I was really there. Its all a bit surreal.

Dan left us at the acropolis and said ok you can all make your way back to the hostel. I was like ok thats cool I have my map.. then realised I had left it at the presidents house!!!!!!!! I was a little freaked out but I just thought hey ok you walked there at 4 in the morning you can make it there at four in the afternoon I'm sure. I ended up in Plaka at the flea market!!! I was so excited!! I hadnt planned on going till tommorow but it found me!! I just wandered round there for hours and hours. Im over the souvenier thing so I didnt buy anything sorry guys! Except a bracelet for me but this is my dream so :P I had THE most amazing ice cream ever. A chocolate waffle cone with a masive scoop of mint icecream.. for 1.50 euro!!!!! I would consider the trek back just to have it again. Your right mum, way more satisfying then grog!! I also had lunch at Plaka. A place that was surrounded by people looked like a good sign and the menu looked cheap so I order a giro and a coke. Never been so satisfied with the price of a meal in my life. For three euro I got a bottle of coke and a baked pita bread filled with roast chicken, salad, fresh tomato, yoghurt and spices. SO YUMMY! may also live on this for the next few days!!

While in Plaka I stumbled across some old churches and hadrians library and all sorts of things. Incredible. Didnt even need my map to have an amazing adventure. I even saw a turtle which was so random and exciting. I dont know why but I loved it!! All in all I had a pretty super day! The tour was great because I didnt get lost, I had company, and I had things explained to me. Def recommend them =) My feet are aching from over 10 hour walking though! I have developed some weird allergic reaction, Im suffering from some mild dermatitis, I feel like I have arthritis in my hips, I am sunburnt (despite reapplying sunscreen FOUR times today!) but I am alive and happy!!! I dont know what I am doing with my life but I am happy. And you would all be so proud of me. On the way down to use the computer I walked passed a room and saw a girl sitting alone and just walked right in and said Hey Im Jess from Australia, are you here on your own? And the girl i from NZ i here on her own and i in the same boat as me! She got to athen yesterday from Italy and said she immediately wanted to leave she thought it was disgusting and full of filthy men and feral dogs but today she has loved it. So we had a chat for a while and we might go out for dinner or icecream tomoro =) I really really want to go to Santorini, my guide told me its the most beautiful island in Greece! But he also said its a hard place to be on your own because all the accomodation is designed for couples (a I have discovered). He asked me where my lover was, and I said at home in Australia. He said well if you have no lover and no bed either find a lover with a bed or stay in athens when you get back from olympia and do some tours to other places. It might be a good idea because its much easier to get accomodation in athens, and I would get to see some more historical places. He said the beaches near athens are only an hour away, mostly free, easily reached by the coastal tram and will give me a feeling on being on a beach. Not exactly the island holiday I was hoping for, but I know that will come eventually and at least I am getting a tan!!! So I'm going to look into accomodation in athens for the rest of my journey and some day trips to these historical places. After todays brilliant tour Im actually thinking it might be a good idea. Im only really annoyed about the price of my flight back to my praha. Peak season sucks. Matty we are not coming to Greece in August EVER.

So thats it that's my day. A big one I know. I love you and miss you all so much and cant wait to show you all these pictures and explain it all. I hope you guys are ok, sorry mum for sending you grey. Let me know how your going with getting me out of here!!!!!!!! xoxoxo