Athens 9,25-26
		Everyone says get in and get out of Athens because of the crowd and smog.  They are right but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting and for 24 hours it's pretty entertaining.  However, I have no idea how they are going to make the 2004 Olympics.
		Here's the Plaka in Central Athens. Some great seafood cafes with Alpha Beer.  Matt and I started early here after we checked out the Acropolis, then came back to the same place for a nightcap. By the time we left, the waiters new Matt personally. I kind of screwed up because I only tipped one of the hosts and the other one gave Matt and the group a hard time.			The first night I decided to walk around town, got lost but its hard to not see the Acropolis.  This old, old structure sits pretty much right above all of the honking, room hawking, gift shopping town of Athens.
					Just another day wandering around some 3000 year old ruins.  They are actually putting the Acropolis back together behind me.  There are guys all over hand chiseling stones, it's actually quite remarkable how advanced the Greeks were many, many years ago.  The Acropolis used to look much better until the gun-powder that was being stored there in the 1700s blew up. What a shame.  I was the second person in and notice the lack of crowds.....
		I imagine that one of the reasons why it is so hard to hold the Olympics in Athens is because everytime you try to dig or build you bump into some archeological site.  After I got lost on my first night I run into Just another old temple, here they were having an outdoor summer concert, nice.
		....because 45 minutes later when I left it was a zoo! It's a pain waking up and packing early but it is definately worth it in the infested areas.
					CNN shot.
					Someday someone will pay me to take shots like this.
		Here's the ancient Greek market or Agora sitting below the Acropolis.  The night before I was walking right below the rocks under the Acropolis looking down on the Agora.  Needless to say, all I could see was dark, black forest- the guide book said to walk through to get to the main road, I thought better and took the long way around.