Yasas!

Hello! I sit here in some hotel in Kalamaki, which is located near Laganas Bay - where I will be for the next few weeks. The weather is perfect - it is beautiful and I am now settled into my volunteer life at Archelon. Today 8 of us were selected to head to Sekania (map: http://www.therianos.gr/images/zakynthos-map-print.jpg) Sekania is the only area under complete restriction by the Marine Park. You have to have special permissions to go to the area and it is about a 30 minute drive plus a 30 minute hike (all down a mountain) to the beach. Once you hit the bottom it is the most georgous secluded beach around - with a prime view of turtle island (yes gingi - Marathonisi Island - http://www.zanteweb.co.uk/ A giant island that looks identical to a turtle. This island is completely owned by the Marine Pak and we can only access it by boat - more to come on that island when i actually set foot on it. At Sekania we were preparing the beach for nesting. This beach is the most dense beach in the world for Loggerhead nesting. The cleanup was done with WWF (www.wwf.gr) and the National Marine Park. Took a few hours and had me face to face with a very decomposing deer, and 2 syringes (yes folks i was careful) ... I don't think I will ever look at a plastic straw or glowstick in the same way...

Arriving at the camp was hilarious - we were there at the site for 3 hours - piled under a mountain of beer cans by the time any reps showed up - finally we set up camp (an olive grove under a mountain) Last night we went for drinks at a local bar, had too many shots of the all to tasty..somthing I don't remember....

Early am start - headed to Sekania - beach cleanup took about 4 hours... the climb back up the mountain took us about 50 minutes (of non stop steep climbing...) but the view and beach was well worth it.

We just had our first team meeting and we have a complete orientation at 8pm. Over the next few weeks I will be doing PA sessions at hotels, on day cruise boats - going on boat excursions with tourists for q & a, monitoring beaches, tending to kiosks, and doing beach patrols. The team we have so far is amazing. I have met kids from Holland, Belgium, England, New Zealand, Austrailia, one Greek, and a few Americans...

The company is great - the food is super and now my new pal Sarah and I are heading back to camp.

I love you all and hope top hear from you soon
xoxo
Stacy