(diaryland) December 23, 2009 - 11:52 a.m.

The last two days were pretty traumatic. We went to a tiny village in Greek Macedonia, which was all nice, even though nobody spoke English there. It was all A-OK. It was just getting there and back which was the bit I would like to wipe from my memory.

Just imagine being in the back of a car, not being able to find half your seatbelt, getting driven at breakneck speeds through icy roads in the mountains for hours by Russians dancing to techno at deafening volumes (the speakers only came through the back). I felt compelled to keep looking out of the window, too. I had a vibe that if I stayed vigilant, we could make it back in one piece.

And so, I am still alive, here in Thessaloniki again, in a warm internet cafe. Sometimes, the car actually slipped on the ice. It was very unpleasant. Oh, God, the memories.