Sunday, January 20, 2008

GENESIS: IN THE BEGINNING...

Entry for September 30, 2007

Dear Friends,

The date is September 30, 2007. I am making preparations for my trip to the Greek Island of Crete. I hope to depart the USA on March 31, 2008 and return September 30, 2008 - yes, I know...6 months! Before you can possibly understand what would possess a middle-aged man to travel to Crete for six months, I must first tell you a little about myself. As a young man in the U.S. Air Force, I was stationed with the 6931st. Security Group at Iraklion Air Station on Crete from December 10, 1968 until August 9, 1971. I was assigned to Charlie Flight. During that time something rather amazing happened to me...I fell in love. Yes, I know it's hard to believe that Bob (Midget) Armistead fell in love, but I did...but not like you think. I fell in love with a place, a people, their history, their culture, their customs, their language and their food. And ever since I left Crete on that hot August morning in 1971, I have had a desire to return. I now find myself in a position to fulfill that desire.

I am currently in the process of negotiating for an apartment in downtown Iraklion. I really don't care how small it is or how sparsely it might be furnished. The only real requirement is that it MUST have air-conditioning. If the apartment that I am trying to rent does not have air-conditioning, then I shall have no recourse but to seek another apartment. Fortunately, I do have a couple of other apartments that I have an option to rent - and they DO have air-conditioning, but they are a little ways outside of Iraklion. While I am there, it is my intent to purchase a bicycle to get around town, go to the local tavernas, go to the ancient Greek ruins, go to the tavernas, go to the market, go to the tavernas, go out to eat, go to the tavernas...well, you get the picture. Hmmm, I wonder if I could be charged with DUI while pedaling a bicycle? Maybe I can find someone to be the designated pedaler. Anyway, when I leave Crete in late September of 2008, I will seek out a child who lives in the not-so-well part of Iraklion and give the bicycle to him or her. I just hope that by that time it is not too banged up from my frequent trips to the tavernas. Ha. Ha. When I travel to other cities or villages on Crete, I will travel by their local bus system. I might also add that, while I will have my apartment for six months on Crete, I will not remain on Crete for the entire six months. I also intend to travel to Rhodes, Santorini, Samos, Mykonos, Spetses and perhaps additional islands as well.

I will also take my laptop computer with me as well as my digital camera. So, if I can find an Internet cafe or the equivalent, I should have no difficulty posting additional entries and photos. If you should find either my entries or my photos boring, then please go to E-Bay where you can bid on my dented-up bicycle - that ought to inject some excitement into your life! Ha. Ha.

O.K....it's late and I'm getting a little squirrely, so I'll call it a night.

Your Friend and Fellow "Silent Warrior",

Bob (a.k.a. Bobby, Midget, Bicycle-Boy)

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