Sorry for the blogging lull. I'll have to do better.
If you know my family you know that we're from Texas. People from Texas seem to have one thing in common, an instaciable desire for trucks. If you know me, you know that I LOVE trucks. I've wanted a full sized truck since I was a little boy. We have two family vehicles, 2006 Kia Rio5 and a 2000 Chrysler Town and Country minivan.
The minivan was a gift to us from the in-laws. Its been a trooper of a family vehicle. It also has held many-a-youth over the last 3 years. When we got it, it had 88,000 miles. Here recently, its been a bit of a concern. We sank $500 into the minivan at thanksgiving and another $200 into it 2 weeks ago. We were sort of ready to be done with it. We've raised the miles since we've had it...its now over 114,000. The last time it broke down, we decided that it was time to do something about it. We got it fixed and rather than trading it in (it was only worth about 1000-1500 trade), we decided to give it to a family in need. This was one of the coolest things we've done during any holiday season. They had NO vehicle, so an older one is better than none.
Anywho...we've been scoping out vehicles for about a month. I REALLY wanted a truck, but it had to be extended cab to work (with the kids...the Kia is REALLY small)... Trying to fit 2 carseats and 2 adults in the Kia leaves virtually NO room. We went to Arlington for the holidays and had to pack ALL of our stuff in 2 small suitcases and 2 small bags.
Our main concern was trying to do something responsible. Money is tight, and we've recently been challenged by Bro. David to live a life of simplicity. Did I really need a newer vehicle? Did we need a car loan? Could I live with a clunker? (afterall, getting a vehicle fixed every few months is still way cheaper than a new vehicle). Well, we shopped around and made our decision. We found a big truck. It was an 09 Chevy Silverado 1500. Extended Cab, V6, only 25k miles. The price was decent.
Its pretty plain...its a work truck, the transmission is automatic, but everything else is manual (windows, doors, mirrors...). My dad and I put on some nerf bars today. Its only a V6 (I say only, because in Texas, people like to go big or go home...V8s are the norm), but its a 4.6L V6...its got some power. Also, being a V6, it gets a little better gas mileage. I feel like we were smart with our money and made a God honoring decision.
I'm 26 now, so I haven't been waiting THAT long for a big truck, but I'm finally a good Stapleton man (just a joke), and a good Texan (another joke). I absolutley LOVE It, and so does Colin :)
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Today was another beautiful day in Greece. We received our wake-up call at 6:30. We got dressed in our finest tourist clothes and prepared to go out the door. An adult couple in our group were unpleasantly surprised to wake up to a hotel security guard standing over their bed. They had earplugs in and had set their own alarm. When they didn't wake up for the wake-up call, they sent security up. There was lots of yelling and stuff. Great start :).
We made it down for breakfast. It was a lovely bacon and eggs, and the most amazing fresh grape-cranberry juice. It was delicious. We boarded the bus and headed outside of athens to Delphi. The ride to Delphi was wonderful. It was a three hour trip, but the view was amazing.
Delphi is up in the mountains. It was one of the most important religious centers in Greece. People would come from all over the world to consult the "Oracle at Delphi" who was located in the bottom (basement) of the Temple of Apollo.
One of the first things we saw when we got there (besides the beautiful view) was the Treasury of Athens. This is the place where most of the gifts to The Oracle and to the city were stored.
Next was the Temple of Apollo.
At the base of this Temple was an inscription crediting the people who donated or built the Temple of Apollo. Its amazing that this writing is from around 4 BC. There are many MANY stones with much finer writing all over the temple, but it was difficult to capture with the camera. Heres an example I found from another website:
Forgive my bad Greek, but it says, Delphi Edokan Kiois, and then some other words I don't know...Baiscally, "Delphi, given by the Chios"
We then trekked up the mountain towards the ancient Stadium at Delphi. I had to take a quick picture break:
We went to the top of the hill to the Stadium. Unfortunately, it was closed for repairs and such. Stadium from Jeff Stapleton on Vimeo.
After our trip back down the hill, we visited the musuem. There were neat things there for sure, but there is really one major thing that is SUPER important to the New Testament, and it is described in the video:
And here is a recreation of what Delphi would have looked like in Paul's day:
Now, this is all called the Acropolis, or the high point of the city. Every city had an Acropolis, but there were important things outside of the Acropolis also.
We left the Acropolis, and saw the Temple of Athena
We were hot and exhausted. Running up and down the hills all day gave us a tremendous appetite. Our next stop was a small town called Arahova where we ate lunch and visited. I'm proud of myself. They had a few American dishes, but I decided to branch out and try something Greek, and I'm glad I did. What I got was a roasted beef with noodles and Tomato sauce. I also got an amazing glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice.
After, we had 30 minutes to look around. Jake and I made a little excursion into an Orthodox Church. It was fun.
We then left to go back to Athens. We met with a representative from the travel company and arranged things for tomorrow. What is tomorrow? The Cruise! We will be going all over the place...Ephesus, Patmos, Crete, and Mykonos. I will probably have no internet on the cruise, so this is the last of my blogs for a few days.
So, Day 1 started on Sunday for our purposes. We were to leave Dallas at 5:45PM to go to London. Then we were supposed to hit a connecting flight to Athens at 11:35 AM London time on Tuesday. Due to volcanic ash from the volcano in Iceland, our flight was delayed for three hours. What does this mean, you might ask?
Well, because our first flight was delayed, we missed our connecting flight. Our plane landed in London on Monday morning at 11:45. We just missed the flight. Little did we know that beside the volcanic ash problem, British Airways was planning to go on strike the next day.
Up to this point, we were all smiles. Above you see Jared and Jake. We have landed in London and are happy to have arrived. We had hoped to continue on into Athens sometime on Tuesday, but BOY were we mistaken.
We were sent from one line to another. We did not know that EVERY FLIGHT to or from London had been canceled or delayed. So, long story short, we were at the airport in Heathrow (London) for over 10 hours, most of it STANDING IN ONE LINE.
We finally saw enough people that we had some plan figured out...But, we had no bags, only our carry on items, and only the clothes on our backs (or a few assorted items in our carry on bags). The plan was to try to head out to Athens on Tuesday. The airline booked us at a hotel, and we FINALLY left at sometime around 10:30 or 11:00 PM London time. We were very excited to go. Although we had to stand in ANOTHER LINE for a taxi to the hotel, I think Dr. Johnson was really glad to get out of Heathrow.
We arrived at the hotel and were ready to wind down. The hotel was far from the airport, but we got there. Upon arrival, the hotel was PACKED (= more lines). This hotel was some sort of Hilton, although the sign did NOT say that.
When we FINALLY got inside, it was around midnight. We ate dinner there at the hotel, and went off to bed.
Tuesday
So, alright, lets get out of London right? We eat a good English breakfast and get ready to head out. Right before we left the hotel we learned that that the soonest flight to Athens wasn't until Wednesday morning. This really threw a wrench into our plans. Here's what we decided to do. We would go to the airport and get a hotel to stay in Tuesday night. We would take our stuff there straight from the airport and ate lunch.
I had a very British meal, "fish and chips." I'm not really a seafood guy, but it was pretty darn good. A nice slab of halibut and some french...err...freedom...fries really hit the spot. We then spent the rest of our new-found free day visiting some sites in London.
We got to ride both double-decker busses and underground (or "the tube") all over London. We saw lots of stuff...Abbey Road, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben...lots of stuff. It was really fun, but really exhausting. We walked MANY MANY miles.
A double decker bus
Yours truly in front of Buckingham Palace
Jared actually pretended to kiss this palace guard, and he smiled and cracked a small chuckle, especially when Jared showed him the picture that was just taken of the event. It was epic.
Some old building
And then I saw this car that was wrapped to look like an x-ray car. I thought it was picture-worthy.
The tube was really fun. Its crazy to see people get on and off all the time. The guys also embraced a new phrase as we traveled, "Mind the Gap." That means, be careful of the gap between the tube (subway car) and the concrete, dont fall into the small gap, mind it....Mind the Gap.
We got back to the hotel, ate a decent dinner (not great, but passable) and went to bed. We got some rest, but we had to catch our bus the next morning at 5:15.
Wednesday
So, we woke up EARLY on Wednesday to catch our flight. Dr. Johnson woke us up at some time...I really think it was 4:40 am, but I'm not sure. It was all kind of a blur... We didn't get a breakfast at the hotel, as no breakfast is served at that time
We got breakfast on the plane, but due to the time change, it was 11:30 when we got there. A tour agent was waiting for us to walk us through different stuff. We had to wait a few minutes to change money and go to the bathroom. The best part, though, is that we were able to get OUR LUGGAGE. I wore the same clothes from Sunday to Wednesday...thats 4 days people. We were digusting, but we were all disgusting together :)
We walked out to a NICE big tour bus. It was like the 'deluxe' edition. Very classy. Very different than our fend-for-yourself experience with London public transportation
Our tour agent gave us a mini tour as we drove into Athens from the airport. Our hotel is a new 4-star hotel called "Novus Hotel." Its a trendy urban hotel. The top has a lounge area, a bar, a pool, and an incredible view of the Acropolis. Me and buddy Jared Jaggers are sharing ONE bed. Our bathroom also has a window from the shower to the bedroom...interesting.
We saw lots of places around Athens. I'll try to update more later, but heres a few quick pictures...its 11:00 PM, and we have a 6:30 wake up call.
Tomorrow, we'll be visiting Delphi and some other cool places.
I'll leave you with a view from the top of our hotel.
Arrive in Athens and transfer to the Hotel Athens Acropol with the remainder of the day at leisure. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
Day 3, TUE, MAY 18 ATHENS
Today we visit the Acropolis with the Parthenon shimmering in its ageless grace and unmatched design and the unique Erechtheion (the only double temple). Nearby we climb the Areopagus (Mars Hill), where the apostle Paul addressed the philosophic court. Our full day of touring also features a visit to the Acropolis Museum and a walking tour of the Plaka and old town area of Athens, as well as a panoramic tour including Embassy Row, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the National Palace, the House of Parliament, and the University.
Day 4, WED, MAY 19 ELEUSIS/ISTHMIA/
CORINTH/ATHENS
Today we drive to Eleusis, birthplace of Aeschylus and also well-known for having been the site of the Eleusin-ian Mysteries, one of the major cults of ancient Greece. We visit Isthmia, where the remains of the ancient sanctuary of Poseidon are located, and then continue to Corinth, the capital of the Roman province of Achaia and the city of Paul's extensive personal ministry and challenging letter writing. Dominated by the Acro-corinth rising 1700 feet above the ruins, the Market Place is still laid out as it was in Paul's day with its stone Bema (judgment dais) where Gallio refused to condemn Paul
(Acts 18). Nearby in a prominent place is the Temple of Apollo with its Doric columns. A superb collection of Corinthian artifacts greets the visitor in the museum. We return to Athens for dinner and overnight.
Day 5, THU, MAY 20 ATHENS
Our touring this morning features a visit to the ancient Agora, a marketplace that contained temples, courts, administrative and commercial centre of the city was transferred from the Ancient Agora to the Roman Agora, which we will also see this morning. The afternoon is at leisure for you to explore Athens on your own, with dinner and overnight at our hotel.
Day 6, FRI, MAY 21 PIRAEUS/MYKONOS
This morning we board our cruise ship in the Port of Piraeus (Athens). We arrive in the afternoon at the world famous Greek island of Mykonos. Mykonos combines the dazzling white beauty of a typical Cycladic island with a sophisticated jet-set atmosphere. Stroll at leisure through the white-washed, flower-decked alleyways to the church of Paraportiani, and along the waterfront to the famous windmills.
Day 7, SAT, MAY 22 RHODES
The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, once dominated the strategic harbor entrance. Later it served as a crucial outpost for the Crusaders in many of their ill fated journeys to Israel during their conflicts with the Muslim conquerors. Take an optional tour ($80) to discover more about its fascinating history. Wandering through the old city you can see its fortifications, the Street of the Knights with medieval stone mansions, the Palace of the Grand Master and the Hospital of the Knights (now a museum). There are also art shops as well as many lovely beaches.
Day 8, SUN, MAY 23 PATMOS/EPHESUS
We arrive at the former Roman prison island of Patmos where John received his "Revelation," visiting the Grotto named for his book and the Monastery of St. John which houses ancient manuscripts including one of the Gospel. From here we continue to the busy resort town of Kusadasi, Turkey, where we journey inland to Ephesus and walk through history in a city founded as early as the 10th century B.C. Wander among the magnificent excavations and see streets lined with wonderful public buildings such as the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, the Basilica of St. John and the great Theatre.
Day 9, MON, MAY 24 DELPHI/ATHENS
After an early morning arrival of our cruise ship at the port of Piraeus, we drive to Delphi. Site of the famed Oracle, Delphi's prestige extended far beyond the boundaries of the Hellenic world. On the slopes of Mount Parnassus, in a landscape of unparalleled beauty and majesty lie the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollos Pythios. We visit the treasury of the Athenians, the Temple of Apollo and the museum containing such masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture as the bronze charioteer and the famous Athlete Aghias. We return to Athens for dinner and overnight.
Day 10, TUE, MAY 25 ATHENS/USA
We transfer to the airport this morning for our flight to the USA
My name is Jeff Stapleton. I'm married to my wife of 5 years, Sarah. We have a 18 month old son who poops alot. I'm the student minister of the coolest church in East Texas, Crossroads Baptist Church. I enjoy music, photography, art, and video game pwnage!
