Greece is the country where consistently the words, "I've never seen anything like this before," come tumbling out of my mouth. That is, when I haven't been rendered speechless. The first couple of nights I spent in Athens were subtly hindered by the fact I was battling an atrocious cough/cold that I picked up in Cologne, Germany on one of my last nights in the country.
I found it a better idea to climb the 600-step spiral staircase to the open-air tower of the Dom Cathedral instead of taking the 5 minutes to return to my hostel for a jacket which, yes mom and pop, I should've been wearing the first place since it was pouring torrential-style.
The lookout was really lovely:
But...the result? I got to tumultuously navigate the German medicine isles at a nearby convenience store.
Here is me realizing I haven't a clue how to read the dosage instructions!
When I landed in Greece, I felt an involuntary sigh of relief escape me seeing that the blue sky was clear with the exception of the massive, warm sun.
It only took me a day and a half to get over my ailments and in that time I moseyed my way through Athens's street markets, through the narrow allies crammed with vendors, the smell of sugary pastries, and the buzz of a dozen different languages being exchanged amongst the tourists.
Also, I was fortunate that the day I got to the Acropolis was the one day a month it was free! As I climbed the tall steps to the Parthenon I was rewarded with the sweeping views of the city! I hopped in on a private tour of the grounds, standing especially close to someone who was alone, so that people wouldn't suspect my stealthy thievery of knowledge, and I discovered a lot of fascinating history. Email me at starrymela@yahoo.com for historical info if you aren't finding what you need in an encyclopedia or online, because I am now in possession of a wealth of information--an Acropolis history guru, if you will.
From Athens I boarded a ferry to the island of Santorini. Santorini is a laid back place with amazing views everywhere you turn. I stayed at a family run hotel called Stelio's Place in the small town of Perissa.
The hotel was right on the beach. Every room had it's own balcony, and sitting there unwinding with wine, bread, cheese, and Graham Greene was outstanding after my eventful day of ATV-ing.
I rented an ATV for 15 euros and spent from morning until the sun set getting to know the island it's little towns.
Unfortunately, I had to leave Santorini earlier than I'd anticipated because I had a travel visa to take care of for Egypt.
After I'd been in Athens a couple days I was starting to feel a little homesick. I'd seen the sights, and was in a room full of Germans who had no interest in talking to me for whatever reason. Eh, their loss.
I felt that I should probably see more of Greece since I had a few days left before my departure.
After hearing from every other person I talked to that Meteora was the place to see I hopped on a bus, and headed out of town.
It was about a 5 hour ride, which was good for 2 reasons: I got a chance to see smaller towns and the countryside, and also had the opportunity to catch up on missed Mad Men episodes!
Meteora was a wow. It was a really special place in so many ways and photos will never catch the magnificence of the flat, towering rocks that loom grandiosely over the town.
Hidden just above the bewitching fog, high up on the very tips of the spires, are monasteries precariously placed overlooking the sleepy towns below.
The climb to the top was a bit challenging for me, although there were couples in their 60's seeming to do it without a hitch, but the views were beyond worth it.
Cable cars strung like a zip line between the cliffs transported equipment and, I imagine, nuns and others associated with the monasteries from one peak to the next.
I befriended a couple of really fun people there, too, and that never hurts a travel experience.
Getting back to Athens the night before my flight to Cairo was such a pain. I gather that I missed my 6:30 bus from the terminal by mere seconds. This found me hopping another bus back to Meteora because I knew that would be a far more interesting place to hang out until the next bus at 1am.
A young man, about my age (I can still say young here right?) saw me on my way to and coming back from my first departure attempt.
I think he felt bad for me and handed me a whole bunch of free bus tickets so I didn't have to keep wasting money.
His generosity was sincere, sweet, and totally lost on the next driver who was visibly angry when he saw that I had a bunch of tickets poking out of my bag as opposed to just one.
He wouldn't let me use them and interrogated me on where I'd come across the tickets, if I'd taken them or they'd been given, etc.
Essentially, I pleaded the 5th by eventually putting in my ear buds and pointedly diving into my thoughts.
I made it though! I can't wait to see what comes next...
No comments:
Post a Comment