Costas stayed late this morning
didn’t rush off to work
we played around a while
though it felt awkward to me
like we had no air
or the sun had gone out or something
back upstairs
we traded more music
and he gave me a little flash drive mp3 player from a few years back
it was in tattered shape
but it recorded voice
which is all i wanted it for
i got the idea to copy the DNS numbers out of his lap top
and it worked: i finally got on his network
— he went off to work
i sat downstairs trying to get some internet stuff done
then the signal went dead.
fuck it.
it was still a long morning before i went outside
i was more pointed this time, though
jumped on the train and took it down
then back up: to the train station
walked over the bridge
to the bus pavilion
and bought my ticket for Istanbul
leaving at 7pm
then walked all over town
followed tourists around
was amazed at how destroyed the city has been
and how recently
good graffiti
priests
tourists…
pretty things to look at
and
of course
the Parthenon
i walked up and up
i paid my fare
went in
back stage
theater of dionysis
nothing really impressive
the whole thing was surrounded in scaffolding
and
of course
all of the art had been stolen a hundred years ago by all the “european” nations
— it’s in britain now… and germany
… these are just skeltons.
but the city went on forever
i noticed another temple thing down below i wanted to go to..
first
a little museum
then down
down small paths through forest
back-ways
through the tall grass
jumped a fence
didn’t want to try and find the gate
i had a ticket anyway
the most beautiful
most ancient
i was amazed
the one building i had been interested in from above had a plaque outside of it
— i copied this off it :
Temple of Hephaistos (ca. 460-415 B.C.)
A doric peripteral temple, with pronaos (fore-temple), inner shrine (cella) and opisthonaos (rear temple), the best preserved of its type in the Greek world. . It occupies the crest of the Kolonos Agoraios Hill and was designed by an unknown architect in honor of Hephaistos, patron of metal-working and Athena Ergane, patroness of pottery and of crafts in general. …..
The two bronze cult statues of the cella are believed to be the work of Alkamenes (prob. 421-415 B.C.). In the 3rd centure B.C. a garden with small trees and shrubs was planted around the temple, which was converted into the church of St. George Akamas in the 7th century. In the early 19th century, the chuch was used as a burial place for Protestants and for many European Philhellenes who died in the Greek War of Independence in 1821. The building remained in use through 1834, when it was the site of the official welcome of King Otto. From then until the 1930’s it was used as a museum.
—
i was totally fucking amazed that this building stood for so long
and now was a “ruin”
70 years ago they just stopped taking care of it..
what the fuck!
for over 2000 years it was in use
and then they just stopped taking care of it?
this world is crazy.
i caught the train back
ate a bit of the food i had laying around
cleaned up as much as i could
kept fucking with the internet
trying and trying
and eventually i got back on
now
running out of time
of course
getting sucked into an internet hole
i called Lewis in Istanbul
coz i’d not got an email reply from him
did he know i was coming?
yeah yeah
there are a bunch of rainbow kids here
but don’t worry
you have priority
what?
rrrrgh
whatever
he told me i’d have to figure out how to get to his place on my own
he couldn’t help me
take a taxi
it’ll be expensive
but i’ll just have to do it
fine
whatever
i disconnected
threw my computer in the bag
and went out to the street to catch a cab
i watch about five people get cabs before me
they’d just drive by
both directions
happy young couples
old people
somehow
they got the cabs…
they were greek i guess
FUCK!
a half hour
now i was down to the fucking wire
this is insane
i couldn’t get a cab to stop!
the few times i did
they had people in them already
and weren’t going my way
so i ran to the train
RAN
with my heavy fucking baggage
fuck
damnit
fuck
huffing and sweating
tunneling through the city
to the train station
switch
up and down stairs
motherfuck
the next train
i’ve got about 2 minutes
motherFUCKER
i ran up the steps
up again
over the bridge
down
my knees aching
godDAMNIT
but the bus was still there
and as i stagged up to it
i saw why they waited:
i was the only passenger.
hm.
Ok.
i have my own private bus to Istanbul.
i guess that’s alright.
—
the view was astounding
as my shuddering humming body settled into the ride
the city faded away
the rolling hills
and saphiric blue grecian sea..
i tried to nap for a while
and the bus stopped for a smoke break
for dinner
but i wouldn’t eat that shit
and one of the drivers bitched at me for taking my shoes off
But i Just put on Clean Socks!
whatever
i bought some farm made sheep yogurt in a clay bowl
the kind stelios had given me
it was €2 or something
really fucking cheep
and really good
some for dinner
some for breakfast..
there were a million other attractive looking things
but most of it was sweet
or had been sitting around too long
and i just wanted a rest
i walked around and around the building
waiting for the drivers to be ready to go again
(i couldn’t get on the bus and didn’t want to just sit in the truck stop… sitting sitting TV and smoke… and sitting)
i walked around the trucks
the truckers
anyone?
anyway for a lost boy on a moon-lit night?
anyone?
the city below: do you want me?
this endless road
will you take me?
around around
talking to the cats
back on the bus
i curled up and played with my computer
was it photos or words
i don’t remember
but the next few hours was wrestling with resting…