RANSVESTIA
was something-it's every man for himself.
Naturally we visited the famous Topkapi palace of the Sultan with its museum of valuables of every kind. They don't keep the cases dusted so that jewelry, jewel encrusted crowns, plates, medals, etc. all end up look- ing like something out of Woolworth. Diamonds and emeralds worth a fortune look like pieces of white and green glass in brass settings. It was interesting to see that the Sultan had all the most precious relics of Mo- hammedenism here which he had captured from the Arabs in Mecca and elsewhere. I expect he would have taken the Kaaba (the sacred black stone in Mecca that the Arabs go on their Hegiras to touch and kiss) if it hadn't been fastened to the ground or too heavy. I'm sure the Arab world would be very much interested in getting it all back. This palace and grounds and contents once again brought home to me how much human toil, suffering and death were exacted by rulers of old to build pyramids, temples, palaces and monuments of one kind or another to their egos. Surely, though there is misery in our own country today for thousands of people, it must be greatly better than what must have existed for so many for so long in so many places.
Finally, "bye bye" to Turkey and a plane for Athens. We were supposed to go directly to the docks and board a cruise ship, but things got screwed up so they took us to the Athens Hilton for the night and we spent the afternoon walking around town. Got to see the Evzons guards at the en- trance to the Royal Palace - which is now the home of the Dictator Col- onels. These are the famous crack troops who wear panty-hose and ballet skirts, pompons on their shoes and tassels on their berets. Judging by their size-all over six feet – I think anyone calling them sissies (in Greek) would soon learn the error of their ways. I got the desk man at the hotel to write down the Greek letters under an English alphabet so I could fig- ure out what the several Greek letters that were either unlike ours or looked like ours but meant another letter, really were. So I had a lot of fun trying to read signs. Knowing some Greek signs from my scientific back- ground and fraternity names, it was a challenge.
Next morning the boat trip was on and we sailed out of Pireus for the island of Mikonos. We were on one of the many cruise ships that cover the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean seas. We had quite a little gale going when we got out in the open, and most of the ladies stayed in the lounge and indulged in a lot of ladylike vomiting from the pitching and rolling. But with one of the few adventurous men I went up on the flying bridge and, standing behind the windbreak, enjoyed nature's manifesta-
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