Greeced Lightning
My journey began at 02:00... at the airport. Early flights are actually quite relaxing. No one is in the airport, there are only a few people on the plane, and the prices aren't too bad. I left for Athens on the early flight and to make it that much more thrilling, signed myself up for a 10 hour layover in Istanbul! I did what any sane man would do in this situation and slept. I slept for maybe 6 straight hours on a bench in an empty terminal, and was suddenly awoken by a rather rude Russian woman. She said something to me (which I was too dazed to translate) so I just got up and moved over. She wanted to sit exactly where I was sitting, despite empty seats in the terminal. Russians...
I got in that evening and met a few friends in my hostel who were all going out for drinks that evening. We went down to the bar, got my free licorice shot of Ouzo and hung out with some world-travellers. Two Brits travelling on holiday, a swiss woman taking a weekend trip, a guy from upstate NY takings some time off of work, and a man exploring the world and himself. Quite the ragtag bunch. We sat around and talked and drank for hours and then we all went our separate ways at the end of the night. Most of them would be gone by the next morning, and I had yet to start my trip in Athens.
The best part of Athens is that almost everything is free for students. Tickets to EVERYTHING. The acropolis, the acropolis museum, the agora, the pnyx park... The list goes on! So I started my day and it was drizzling when I left my hostel that morning. By the time I found myself inside the acropolis museum, it had started POURING. I decided to wait it out in the museum until the rain stopped, and fortunately it was all done by the time I stepped foot outside.
The Acropolis was about two blocks from my hostel. If I were not facing the opposite direction, I would have been able to see it form the balcony! After the museum, I started the long trek up the acropolis. It wasn't particularly hard, there were just a ton of people there, even early in the morning. The walk up was beautiful, though. You could see out over the city with all the buildings bleached white. The Theater of Dionysis and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus were along the trail to the top, as well as other structured and pillars that were battered and worn be the elements throughout the centuries. To be honest, the acropolis was pretty, but nothing like the views I would see later that day...
Once I hiked back down the slope, the sun was shining and it was finally warm! For once this semester! So I made my way to the Agora of Athens and strolled around the ancient ruins, and sat down to read for a bit before moving on to my next destination. I left the Agora to see the Pnyx park just nearby. This park is absolutely huge. I could get lost in there for days and just marvel at the mysteries hidden there. I found the most perfect spots in the entire city. At one point I emerged from the woods with an open field where politicians would give speeches, and so I sat down on the rock to jsut take in the sun and fresh air. Not to mention that this spot had a wonderful view of the Acropolis. Later, I was wnadering around lost, then I stumbled upon a park bench on the far side of the park where I sat for a while and watched the people one hill over play some sort of hoop game...
That day I went on to the Olympic Stadium Track and got to walk along the same track that so many famous athletes have been before! They even had several torches from the past few olymics hanging on the wall in the exhibit hall.
That night I met a new friend studying in Berlin and we really got to know one another. We were at the bar chatting and met some of the other friends in his architecture program. We stayed up late and I got to sleep in the next day. In the morning, I was up late and got to climb mount Lycabettus. I started at the base of the mountain and looked up at the peak. This thing was massive in front of you... So I walked up the road to the base of the maintain and just bushwacked my way up. I was stepping over bushes, jumping over rivers, getting whipped in the face by misplaced branches. I was quite the adventurer... until I found the road. It turns out that there is a road all the way up the mountain and I just chose the hard way. Oh. So I followed the road for the other half and got to the top for the most spectacular view of the city and the ocean.
And all that in my nice shoes...
I was lucky enough to catch the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier on my way back that evening before I got back in for the afternoon!
One funny anecdote before I finish. There are gypsies EVERYWHERE in Athens. They all pretty much want your money, or to distract you. Oftentimes friendliness should be mistaken for trickery. On saturday night I ran into this old man that wanted the time. He walked alongside me and asked where I was from and what I was doing in Athens. I was walking quickly because I could sense that something was up... He accused me of being rude! He was trying to have a conversation, and I was walking away from him! I told him I had to get back to my "group" and he quickly lost interest. The next day, on my way back from the changing of the guard, guess who I ran into? The same old man! He was still looking for the time! How forgetful he must be... I looked him in the eyes and told him I ran into him last night. We smiled and laughed shared a brief yet unnecessarily foreceful handshake and parted ways.
