That is the most frustrating thing about internet cafes - you can lose track of time, and not understand the tiem warnings even if you get them. I had spent half an hour on the net in Berlin typing up our adventures in Estonia and Latvia, and then just as I was finishing, my time ran out and the computer shut down before I could hit "Publish Post". Bam, up in smoke. I was not a happy camper at that point.
So I hope people could understand the audio blogs - I know the quality isn't 100%, but hey, it's on-the-spot and in-the-moment stuff!
Unfortunately I don't have time to write about Estonia and Latvia just yet - save to say they are fabulous little countries coming into their own. I recommend Tallinn and Riga to everyone. Just try to avoid the stag parties. Many travellers are just there for the cheap booze and lovely women, but seriously, there's some cool stuff to do and see that doesn't involve beer and stripping (it's just a bit harder to find!).
Our brief stop-off in Berlin was fantastic - we did a 4-hour bike tour along the route of the former Wall, which was both informative and fun (due to Berlin being flat, without any of those bothersome hills that make bike-riding such a bitch). It was great to see the city again, with much the same, but other parts changing (we last visited in May 2003). And I'm glad I wasn't there during the World Cup. It would have been a great atmosphere, but completely crazy! Anyway,I got to see the Alexanderplatz TV tower ball painted up as a soccer ball, and you heard the oompah band for yourselves!
So Greg and I now find ourselves in beautiful sunny Athens, capital of Greece and birthplace of democracy. We begin our Greek Island tour tomorrow, and because we packed in preparation of a Northern Hemisphere winter, we are totally unprepared for baking hot days on beaches and doing watersports (apparently there is more on the itinerary, we just have to read the fine print). Greg is even considering ripping up a pair of jeans to make them shorts - they have a massive tear in the lower leg anyway so it wouldn't be too much!
Gotta run - Yassou! Natalie.
