Oops!

Ok, here is our account of one unforgettable wrong turn on our trip.  After our lunch in the Rhodes courtyard, we then headed out to the beach for a little nap.  (Pictures to come).

After a little bit, I woke up and started looking around.  About 30 yards away, something just caught my attention.  I noticed a rather rotund, shirt-less older person sitting down, talking to another senior.  I was still a little groggy from my nap, but something in my mind kept on going off.  Suddenly it hit me: the older dude was not a dude, but a lady!  I'd been looking at a topless, obese geriatric woman!!  "Ohh, my eyes!"

Needless to say, Rebekah and I got off that beach as fast as we could.  But the damage had already been done.  I will forever bear on my mind visual proof that topless beaches, regardless of what seventh-grade boys may think, are a BAD idea.

Rhodes

From Crete, we once again boarded the Aquamarine and set out for Rhodes.  Previously I alluded to the deficiencies of the ship; let me explain.  Built in 1971, the ship's fresh paint could hardly mask its age.  While we have all seen pictures of contemporary luxury cruise ships, with their endless amenities and laissez-faire attitude, this particular craft betrayed its age with a swimming pool so tiny no one dared to get in, an exercise room that was clearly in a converted closet, and more rules than a seventh grade classroom.  Though breakfast and lunch were open for leisure, dinner reservations were to be made for either 6 or 8, with the doors to the dining hall shutting precisely at one past the appointed hour.  In light of this, our group promptly renamed the boat the Shawshank Cruise.

Despite the many rules, we did still manage to have fun on the ship. 

Discussing theology with The PROF: Dr. Preben Vang.

Once we landed at Rhodes, we were free to enjoy the afternoon by ourselves. Though it has no significance for New Testament studies, we found Rhodes to be a great tourist stop.Rebekah and I enjoyed strolling through the alleys and peeking in the little shops along the way. 

Eventually, we came to an open courtyard with balcony restaurants on every side.  Each restaurant had a barker trying to persuade passers-by to come and dine at their finest table. 

How could we resist?  It was truly a marvelous lunch, overlooking a timeless courtyard from a shaded balcony somewhere in the Mediterranean. 

Ok, I know I promised to tell of our notorious adventure on Rhodes in this post, but I've had too much else to cover.  Check back on Tuesday afternoon for our big "Oops" moment of the trip.

Crete

Resuming my series from our tour of Greece and Turkey last summer, we will pick up immediately after our tour of Patmos.  From there the P.O.C. Aquamarine set out west to Crete.  Though we did not see any biblical sites in Crete, the island does show up in the New Testament a few times.  The book of Titus was written to one of Paul's companions, a man who was serving on the island of Crete.  Also, Paul's extra-biblical Fourth Missionary journey may have included a stop in Crete. 

What we did see in Crete was the archaelogical remains of the Minoan civilization.  This Kingdom was from the same time as Abraham (2100 BC), and was extremely advanced. Notice how the columns above are wider at the top and smaller at the bottom.  This was not only unusual, but an impressive engineering feat at the time.  Also, below is a picture of part of their plumbing system.  Believe it or not, 2000 before Christ there were some with indoor plumbing! 

Oh, this picture needs to be explained.  The whole cruise ship basically breaks up into tour groups to see the site.  We each have guides who hold up our sign, so that we won't get lost.  That's right, we're international travelers, and they treat us like we're in Kindergarten.  Well, our guide was moving exceptionally slow, allowing a lot of other groups to pass us on the way to the site.  Rebekah and I discussed the matter and agreed that I should confiscate the sign and lead at a more progressive pace.  Sometimes you just have to takeover.

Below is a picture of the Minoan throne room.  On the left side of the picture is the actual throne of a 21st Century BC king.  I think I'd prefer the seat of 21st Century AD average joe.

Our next stop on this blog journey will be Rhodes! Check back for some great pics, and one unforgettable wrong turn!