It is pretty funny how the worst trips become some of the best the more time that gets in the way. I have a pretty good book called "Bad Trips," a collection of hilariously bad experiences noted travel writers have had. I recommend it to anyone who likes these kinds of stories.

My best worst story was probably when I set off for Greece with a mild ear infection that I just assumed would go away. We had chartered a sailboat and about about 10 days out, my ear infection turned into the worst pain I'd ever known - and I've had a baby without drugs so that's saying a bit. It was Sunday morning and we docked at Ios. Of course, every pharmacy is closed on Sunday. My husband called a doctor who came to our boat within an hour. I was dying on the boat and he was having a grand old time talking basketball with my husband. Finally, he looked at my ear, said I was lucky my eardrum hadn't ruptured and wrote some prescriptions. He told my husband, Rod, the pharmacy would be closed, but to go to one of the squares and look for a guy with a long grey ponytail - that would be the pharmacist and he would open up and give us the drugs. Rod was't too sure he'd be able to find the guy with the ponytail, but he also knew he didn't dare come back to the boat without some darn good drugs. (Incidentally, the one phrase I remembered in Greek was, "Po e ne e pharmacio" - I don't have a clue how it's really spelled, but it means where's the pharmacy.) So armed with the phrase and description Rod set off. He apparently had a heck of a time finding this guy and almost gave up just when he happened to spot him. Sure enough he opened up and filled the prescriptions.

I was quite a bit better the following day, but that was also the day we were supposed to return the boat to Paros - a lenghty sail away and a meltemi kicked up, blowing 50 knots at Athens and I don't know how much where we were - at least 40. We set out with the wind on our nose and the waves breaking over the boat. T-wiz was about 8 then and pretty scared. I was drenched and being sick somewhat useless as crew. After about an hour we decided to turn back.

We called our charter company and they were fantastic. They were more concerned about us getting to our flight than them getting the boat back. We took the ferry out the following day and they sent two guys to get the boat free of charge.

Like I said I was miserable, but it actually turned out to be pretty fun. We found the doctor in town later and had dinner with him and just finding a pharmacist willing to open his shop was fantastic. We couldn't believe everyone's kindness. I did decide had I not learned "Where's the pharmacy" we probably wouldn't have needed one. From now on, I don't learn any medical words. Instead, I learn where's the bar, the beach, the masseuse ...