Our time away in Istanbul and Dubrovnik has been great. We really enjoyed Istanbul with all of its mosques, museums and other places of interest.  Apart from viewing all of the major sights, we spent time just exploring the city streets - must have walked many kms, and we came across other interesting sights . . . for example, the infamous Agatha Christie Hotel where 'Murder on the Orient Express' was apparently penned. The hotel has undergone major renovations to restore it to its former glories - it was originally set up to accommodate passengers arriving in Istanbul from Paris on the Orient Express train.  It was also fascinating to see the convolution of the Christian and Muslim worlds where the things that are common to both worlds are what is focused on in peaceful coexistence. Turkey is rapidly developing as a modern country and seems to have a tolerance that sets a good example for others.

We are currently in a lovely resort on the Dalmation coast of Croatia, just north of Dubrovnik. The resort is terrific - only two years old and very comfortable. It's an ideal place for lots of R&R, which is what we were looking for after a long and cold Canadian winter. Dubrovnik itself is very special - a walled, medieval maritime city that rivaled Venice and others in its heyday.  We have explored it a few times now - it's not very large so doesn't take long to get around. The battlement walls are quite wide and you can walk all the way around the city - great views. And then the main part of the old town is a maze of narrow streets and alleyways - really fascinating.  Dubrovnik is a major port of call for Mediterranean and Adriatic cruise ships and we have seen some amazing examples of what is cruising the high seas these days. It also means that the streets of Dubrovnik can get very crowded at times . . . but that's the way it goes at times. It's still a lovely place to visit.

We return to Calgary at the end of this week and then there will only be 6 weeks or so before we head home to Australia. We are looking forward to it . . . although understand that winter has arrived in Melbourne so will need to keep out our warm clothing for a few months more!

Howdy y'all,Please excuse me if this update is a little scrappy- I have been awake since 3.45am + it is now 7.30pm + 2 flights across 2 countries today = sleepy Dale.

Last night I competed in the Jamaica International Invitational.  Unfortunately, again I cannot report that distances were great with an elbow injury hampering performance.

Shot Put aside, the Jamaican crowd were there for the sprints. They LOVE sprints! Mexican waves, High School races, Vuvezelas, DJ's and Jamaican flags also
made for a unique and exciting competition atmosphere. However, the highlight of the meet was undoubtedly... the bus home from the track! With a
police escort out front, the dreadlocked driver weaved through the backstreets of Kingston with one hand on the wheel and complete disregard for road rules, red lights, traffic, pedestrians and all of our lives. Despite countless near misses and muffled screams of fear, we arrived at our Hotel to a rousing applause and cheers from a bus full of gracious athletes.

There is a meet this coming weekend in South Carolina, but I am thinking I may skip it to try and get the elbow better for the following week in Tucson.

In other events, this week UGA hosted a Nationwide Golf event at their fantastic course. Unfortunately I missed the weekend action, but did get out there for a look at the Pro-Am on Wednesday. I found a cozy spot under a big pine tree and sat for a few hours just watching groups play past. To my amusement, many of the amateurs were overweight businessmen with terrible golf games; it was a nice way to pass the afternoon watching them spray countless balls across the beautiful course, even the occasional air swing!

Hope all is well back home. Assume it is starting to get cold back in Melbourne? Good to see the Gold Coast win another game, as the Pies freshen up for a big one against the Cats next week. Also, Happy Mothers Day to my lovely Mum!

Take care everyone,
Dale