The Failure of Greek Socialism and Corruption

"Greece brought us Sophocles and his tragedies.  Now another huge "modern" travesty is unfolding right in front of eyes."

Is the country of Greece  -- the societies that brought the ancient world to its height in art, culture and warfare -- about to come crumbling down?  Will democracy collapse in the land that brought us the great philosopher Plato who first explained democracy as the system of "rule by the governed."

Will this country's crisis bring an end to the European Union?  With the pillars of the Greek economy: tourism and shipping hit hard by the financial crisis, the Greek economy is in turmoil.

After 15 years of sustained growth that climaxed with the 2004 Olympics, the Greek economy has been falling precipitously to an open abyss.  Exacerbated by endemic problems including an ailing pension system and rampant corruption, Greece is in a state of crisis.  Will Greece become insolvent?  And will the ancient Acropolis fall into the hands of private investors?

Running Up Santorini and Admiring Sunset

Crete is Most Natural by the Water

Santorini for Sale?

The financial crisis in Greece is impacting the entire Euro.  For the last year, confidence in the Euro has been shattered and the value of the Euro has been weighed down by Greece's debt.  Too bad Greece can't file for bankruptcy.  Because the rest of Europe relies on Greece's solvency, the EU and the IMF have no choice but to bail out Greece.

However, Greece has to agree to impose severe austerity measures that are affecting the common people.

To help Greece raise money, Greece should consider liquidating their monuments, art work and islands.

Greece may not have much liquid money, but Greece owns a ton of illiquid assets including many currently uninhabited islands.

Blissful Crete

I was just on my way back to Souda Bay, Crete to catch the Patriot Express back to the States. I decided to arrive a day early, so that I would hopefully be ensured a seat back in what I consider the "Navy's best kept secret in the Mediterranean".

Hania is so attractive, it's surprisingly beautiful and warm.  Not just the blissfull Mediterranean climate but the people, their hospitality, the beautiful, crumbling Venetian harbor, the character of the sea town with the rhythm of the Aegian Sea, warm and frisky.  My heart skips a beat everytime the balmy summer waves pound against the shore and the harbor wall.

Hania is just not your average Mediterranean seaport adjacent to a US Naval Base.  It is a location, a destination, a place to prop up your feet and to declare Crete as one of the best, under-rated vacation spots in the cultural, eclectic Greek island chains.

Despite the culture and charm of majestic Hania, there is no better place to capture the natural elegance, scenic landscapes and sandy beaches than cruising just outside the old Venetian harbor.

You get a fantastic view of the historic Chania and the mountains beyond.

With Captain Nick, you get a chance board the glass-bottom boat, Aphrodite and to snorkel close to a rocky island and Captain Nick dives to bring up a friendly Octopus as a friendly treat.

Haraklion to Hania -- A Lover's Paradise.

"Here in the island, where we have abundant olive trees and beautiful landscapes, it's Paradise."

Sometimes, we just can't distinguish the truth from fiction...

The bus ride from the capital city of Heraklion to Chania was nothing short of spectacular.  After another glorious run in Greece, along the sea wall that starts at the Venetian fortress of Koules, running 2 km into the Aegian sea.

The Venetian fortress of Koules serves as a majestic landmark that dominates the entrance to the historic harbor of Heraklion.

European Jazz Fest in Technopolis

Today for the 2nd straight night, I attended the 10th Annual European Jazz Festival  in Athens in the hip hop, stylish town of Technopolis, just two metro stops away from the Acropolis.

This annual rendezvous with jazz is designed to bring Greeks of all background and ages to unite, to settle differences and to enjoy music in a peaceful and harmonious setting.

The setting was very spirited in the old gas factory of Athens.  The Jazz festival transformed the whole square into a mega music and art park.

All around in the outskirts, club-goers partied on enjoying pop, rock, metal -- music from many different genres.

The grilled chicken and beef sticks from the Greek stalls are cheap and wholesome.  The Mythos is flowing and goes down smooth with the tunes.

The very unique thing about this event was that there were very few foreigners -- it was virtually all attended by locals -- Greeks and Athenians who knew how to kick off their shoes, mingle, make new friends and put off their worries about this economy and the massive crisis that ensured.

This is where I bought Yukiko and this is where we decided it would be good to visit Santorini.

Running and Stumbling Upon: Filipinos in Greece

Running brings me a lot of new and exciting things -- mental therapy, social happiness, peace of mind.  Sometimes it even stumble upon something new and different -- sometimes surprisingly different.

While running, on the cobblestone streets near the Acropolis, I decided at the last minute to head out to see the Oympican Temple of Zeus.

Then I thought how nice it would be to run by the old Olympic stadium -- the only stadium in the world built entirely of white marble and used in ancient times to host the athletic portion of the Panathenaic games in honor of the Goddess Athena (since 556 BC)

Then while running through the park and the old library, I overheard loud rock music.

The true social runner that I am, I decided to head towards that direction.

The first thing that crossed my mind, was whether this was a rock concert.  What I saw instead completely blew my mind.  I had stumbled upon what is the arguably the largest Filipino Festival in Europe. 

This was the annual Filipino Battle of the Bands -- literally over a thousand Filipinos of all ages were rocking, dancing, serving delicious food and drinks in the open air directly across the Olympic Stadium.

What I discovered was that there are perhaps over 45,000 Filipinos in Greece.  Over 5,000 are land-based and many work as domestic helpers.  Meanwhile there are estimates of close to 40,000 Filipino seafarers aboard ships owned or managed by Greeks.

Many Filipinos are highly educated, have obtained residence permits and have lived in Greece for a couple of generations.

Running is a wonderful recreational sport.  It is also a wonderful cultural activity.

Greek Voices: What Caused this Crisis

Archaeological Museum, Athens

Hundreds Protest Greek Austerity Measures

Everyone's furious at Greece about its debt -- even it's own people.  It's amazing that the government allowed Greece to live in luxury for so long, allowing their deficit to skyrocket.

Now the EU and the IMF must bail out Greece or the country will default.  But along with the bailout, Greece must abide with the requests of the EU, and that is a series of austerity measures that includes a reduction in pay as much as 25%, raising  of retirement age by several years and a massive consolidation of municipalities.

I had met so many young people all around Athens who told me that they were ashamed.  Despite their degrees, they didn't have a job.  There was no hope; their country had no future.

Why I'm Going to Greece

Reflecting:

Athens is one of the oldest named cities in the world. I've always been captivated with mythology. Greek myths have a great appeal because they are great stories full of lessons. I believe we can learn a lot about what it means to be human by studying the myths of ancient Greeks and even fundamental lessons on life that man continues to make.

After all, Greece is responsible for a large slew of inventions from the thermometer to the map. Greece is also the cradle for Democracy.

Understanding

Greece is not only experiencing a hard time. Their debt is on the verge of becoming a global phenomenon. I am intrigued by how Greece was able to stumble so low, especially six years ago, the country was in the limelight of the world, while hosting the summer olympics.

Negotiating

Should the EU bail out Greece. It is hard to believe that a country has important and historic as Greece is on the verge of bankruptcy. This is a political hot potato, but Greece needs to be saved. What happens in Greece will have deep and lasting impact to the entire world.

This is why I want to visit Greece. I want to experience everything: the food, the culture, the history. And I want to talk to the local people to see how they are hurting and how the rest of the world can better understand their situation.