Kiwis let loose in Europe

For those of you that don’t know, I have been back in Europe for 6 days now and im getting ready for my first world cup race on Saturday and Sunday here in Greece. After 40hrs of flying and stop overs we finally arrived in the hot 35 degree temperatures of summer here in Greece. I was straight into a rental car battling through the CRAZY roads of Athens. There is no such thing as indicating, lanes on the highway, or merging on greek roads, and its compulsory to toot your horn at least every 10 seconds. It has taken me a few days but I now class myself as a true Greek driver. A scary thought for those of you kiwis back at home when I get back on the roads : )

It has been some great training over the last few days. The venue being the course used for the Olympic Games. It is hard to explain how awesome the facility and whitewater is. Its definitely one of the biggest and my favourite slalom courses in the world. Many of the teams have spent a lot of time repairing boats but I have been lucky so far.

Then something interesting to tell you all about was our action packed rest day on Tuesday which included a ferry ride out to the closest Greek island, Aegina. Us kiwi paddlers were let loose with scooters for the day clocking hundreds of kms exploring the crystal clear beaches on the coast and dirt tracks inland which lead to some very ancient temples.

After our morning session yesterday Tania and I decided I explore a bit of Athens itself. We somehow found our way up some dirt tracks leading to the highest point in Athens with some amazing views of the city. 3.7 million people squeezed into such a small space, with skyscrapers, smog, and cars everywhere was one of those unforgettable sights. After building up some courage I drove into the city centre. We somehow got there in one piece and checked out some of the sights such as the acropolis and bought some fake nike tshirts at the tourist markets.

Just had the opening ceremony for the event which included all types of greek dances. The competition is very tough here so it will be an exciting race which I am very excited about. I’m feeling really good except for some small problems with a pinched nerve in my right arm. Will let you know how I go in a few days.