Athens/Lefkada - Day 84-85

Well I never did catch that sunset at the Temple of Poseidon but that's okay :)

I got a late start to my last full day in Athens. My host didn't have to go into work until noon-ish so I hung out around his place talking philosphy yet again. This time it was the topic of whether or not opportunity comes those to are not equipped/prepared. Honestly, I felt like everything I said in those three days were total BS but he seemed to eat it up. If he's willing to ask questions and listen to my made up answers, who am I to not participate?

Today I managed to catch the bus but it was no easy feat. Luckily most people here manage to speak some English so I was able to ask around...can't wait until I get to Albania or Bulgaria where supposedly "no one speaks English." What will I do then?? Anyway, I read online that a public bus leaves from Omonia Square, but when I got there, I couldn't find a bus or any signs. I asked at least 5 people and everyone gave me a different answer. This street, that street, a different square, no idea, etc... I finally stumbled upon a man who seemed confident and spoke with authority in his voice - he directed me to a different square. So as I was headed that way, I came across a student demonstration/protest and the police closed off several street blocks...the bus stop was conveniently located right after the barricade. No buses until after the demonstration. As a last option, I go back to the bus stop where I waited for an hour the previous day hoping the buses would just detour around the protest and go by there. I ask another woman when the bus for Sounion arrives; she didn't even blink an eye and said "1:30." It was 1:00pm. I walk about ten steps in the opposite direction before the bus drives by. Now Greek letters are a bit confusing so I wasn't 100% sure the bus said "Sounion" but I make a dash for it anyway and just barely catch it. Yea right...1:30...

Despite the overcast weather, the drive down the coast was splendid. All along the way are the blue waters of the Mediterrean and winding cliffside roads with tunnels blasted from the mountains. Reminded me a lot of traveling along the Amalfi Coast with study abroad buddies 7 years ago. The bus arrived at Sounion and there's really nothing there but the Temple of Poseidon and a restaurant/gift shop. In my minded I had planned to walk around the nonexistent town a bit and maybe hang around for the sunset, but the combination of bad weather and the fact there was no town to speak of means I headed back a lot earlier than predicted. So I ended up buying some veggies at the local market and made myself dinner.

I'm currently in Lefkada town on the island of Lefkada. The bus ride here from Athens was a little over 5 hours and again, a feast for the eyes. Certain parts of the drive made me think I was in Switzerland. I had no idea there were snow capped mountains in Greece.

My host here is a local guy named Kostas :) How much more Greek can you get? And he's so typically Greek in not only name but appearance - the ruggedly handsome fisherman type, haha. He grew up in Lefkada and went away for school and work and just recently returned to work. His parents live in the flat below him and his brother in the flat above him. Lefkada is so quaint and instantaneously likeable. There's a marina, an old fort, pedestrian streets lined with shops, and bicycles everywhere. In fact, Kostas and his friends took me on a bike tour of the town yesterday and my bum is still sore. Luckily, the place is relatively flat and bicycle seems to be a really popular form of transportation. You see people riding around with the fruits of their shopping trip in their bike baskets.

The pace is much slower here and the people friendlier...as with any smaller town compared to the capital city. Kostas and his friends really just ride around town on their bikes in the evenings and maybe hang out at a cafe drinking 1 euro espressos. I'm sure part of the reason is the economic depression and everyone is seeking cheap thrills, but something tells me they would be doing this anyway. So I do what they do. Take the bike out and ride around town, stop for an espresso and people-watch, walk into a bakery to grab a spanakopita. The only difference is I don't stop every few meters to talk to someone I know; maybe if I hang out here long enough though.

There are some well-known beaches on the other end of the island and hopefully I'll make it there in the next couple of days. It's far too cold to swim this time of year but just the scenery will do. If you're thinking of a holiday this summer...come to Lefkada!

Tel Aviv/Athens - Days 80-83

It's been a bit difficult getting uninterrupted access to internet here in Athens, which is a bit ironic given my host owns an internet cafe. I haven't updated since my last day in Tel Aviv.

I'll just skip to the Athens portion since my last day in Tel Aviv was uneventful. I basically just hung out with my host since he was off from work and we walked to a little street stand to eat a terrific sabih (sp?). He had been talking about this place since the first day I arrived, so there was no way I was gonna leave Tel Aviv without trying it! He made it sound like it was just down the street but when we walked out of his apartment he said, "It's about 2.5km from here, is that okay?" Of course it's okay...as long as I'm awarded by food. It was basically a pita impossibly stuffed with eggplant, egg, salad, hummus and other assorted spices. And I'm missing it as I write this...

Anyway, my flight to Athens was at 7am and it being Israel, I was advised to arrive at the airport 3 hours in advance. 4am arrival would mean a 3am departure and of course I can't rely on public transportation at that hour. So I just decided to take the last train at midnight and wait it out at the airport :) I surprised myself given my level of alertness at 5am and thought I was still quite spry in my old age, but that all went to pieces when I passed out the minute after I boarded the plane. I remember nothing about the flight...not the takeoff nor the landing...but I do remember they served Greek yogurt.

Athens is smaller than I expected. Of course I'm only exploring the central part of the city but everything seems to be within a 15 minute walk. My host, Rony, lives smack dab right in the middle of the all the action so I totally lucked out in terms of location. However, he is a very eccentric character. Like I said, he runs an internet cafe and also a barber shop next door. Originally from India, he grew up in the village slums always hungry and hunting for food. Perhaps because of this, he is very spiritual and genuinely kind. He lives a VERY simple and minimalistic life and uses his income to fund an orphanage in India. Impressive. Rony is also an amateur philosopher and is constantly asking me questions like, "What has life taught you?" "What is a friend?" "How can I live more simply?" We've been staying up until the early hours of the morning examining life and I'm a bit sleep deprived, haha.

I've been walking around the city exploring the area at the base of the Acropolis. It seems like everything is a "tourist" street. They are lined with gift shops and restaurants, but are constantly filled with foreigners and locals alike. The Greek have a joy of life and apparently really enjoy eating out. However, since the economic crisis...they've been forced to limit these outings to maybe once a week instead of every other day :) That's a major generalization but true of many. Yesterday I visited the Acropolis/Parthenon and also the New Acropolis Museum. I remember studying the Parthenon years ago in an architectural history class and how it's an example of perfect construction. The columns are tapered and angled so they appear straight from a distance, and you can really see this up close. Unfortunately I was also sharing the space with about 100 American teenagers on a educational field trip. The New Acropolis Museum opened just a couple of years ago and is indeed a "masterpiece." The design is brilliant and beautifully set up. It is a very modern structure but based on the ancient design principles. Probably the most worthwhile 5euros I've spent.

I have another day here before going to Lefkada - an Ionian island. I decided to skip the famous islands like Santorini and Mykonos and save them for a return trip. Lefkada is on the Western coast and is on my way to Albania so it works out well. Today I will take the bus out to Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon. It's supposed to have amazing sunsets but the weather isn't really cooperating so we shall see. I tried to do this yesterday but waited for an hour and the bus never came.

Now I'm gonna grab some food. A fresh baguette, some olives, maybe a gyro?