Cold Turkey for some.

This page is lifted from two e-mails from Les and Margaret (Kon-Tiki), an e-mail from Carl and Mary (in Canada) and a text message from Maureen (Womble).

We (Les and Margaret in Kon-Tiki) are now in Igoumenitsa in NW Greece, the port from which to cross to Italy. We arrived here at 10.30 this morning (2002-12-26), just 90 minutes after the Venice boat had departed. Not our fault as it happens. The timetable (we have it and have seen it on the Internet too) has been revised so there are only two sailings per week not four ­ and they are not on the days previously advertised.

The next sailing is on Saturday (in two days) but we do have the chance to sail to Brindisi or Ancona. We've decided not to, on grounds of cost and of an extra 750kms driving (from Brindisi as opposed to Venice).

We took only two and a bit days to get here from the border with Turkey via Thessalonika, Veroia, Kozani and Ioannina, the most direct route south-westwards through the mountains. The road was generally good, motorway in many places. But we had to cross two passes at about 1300m (after Veroia and after the road turns south to Ioannina) and both were difficult ­ with thick cloud in the first instance and with snow in the second. The worst bit though was the descent after pass two. We hit a patch of ice on a corner and slid right across the road, missing the left hand ditch by less than a metre, and the rock wall by less than 2m.

Note to Womble and K-Nine from Kon-Tiki: what's happened to you? No news. Have just checked the web site. Rather you than us!

From an e-mail from Karl and Mary in Canada: Just a quick note to say that we got through to Maureen by phone today! It was the evening of 2002-12-26 for them and they were camped up at Adana, located in the mountains not too far from the Mediterranean coast (of Turkey). Temperature very cold -20C the night of the 25th . Maureen had kept Womble's engine running all night so was able to start her van on the 26th, but I gather K-Nine would not start. Maureen didn't think they'd reach the coast for at least another day.

P.S. to Margaret you were right about the fish and chips.