My arrival in Greece is somewhat of a blur. First, arriving to the western coast, off a ten hour boat trip from Brindisi. Then, a train ride across the countryside, a short bus ride to our hotel. Athens was…disappointing. Infamously behind in its preparations for the 2004 Olympics, just one year away, the city was clogged with the look of smoke, the stench of sweat and the screech of jackhammers. Understandably, locals weren’t so friendly.
We were two weeks into our month-long backpack trip, having enjoyed the beautiful, and very expensive, cities of Amsterdam, Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome. We needed a financial break. Luckily, Greece is a backpackers haven. Gyros for only a couple Euro, and Greece’s own Mykos beer, though nothing to write home about, was near literally a dime a dozen. And our cheap hotel was right near the Agora.
We only had two shot days to spend, but luckily the most famous sites are in close proximity. We focused on the Agora and the Acropolis, your standard postcard spots. The sites were unbelievable, as was the heat. But a spot of shade under one of the many remaining ancient columns provides prime real estate for enjoying the view.
Soon after, we headed on a boat to the Isle of Ios. Boat rides between the Greek Isles are pretty cheap, and only take up a quarter day. While en route, we realized we neglected to set any reservation for a hostel. Though we’d set on just settling in directly on the beach, we were soon after docking greeted by a friendly young guy inviting us to get into his van. Hmm. But with 4 grown men what could one guy do? We were stupid like that. Luckily he was honorable. He dropped us off at a small beachside scene on the other end of the island. They offered small bungalows, 8×8 with two military-style cots, for five euro a person. Not a bad deal.
And then, it got warm.
I woke from the stifling heat in a sweat pool you can’t even imagine. What better way to welcome 6am? At this point five Euros seemed a bit steep. Any fee seemed steep. Who’d want to stay in this solitary confinement? I hear Shawshank prison had better cooling systems. When breathing proved difficult it occurred to me that I should probably leave the bungalow. One step out, and my opinion immediately changed. This was a spectacular idea. Who cares about the heat when you can take five steps and collapse right into the clear, cool, blue Mediterranean? Vegetated rock formations ran right along our little “resort” and far into the ocean. The area was packed with young adults, some more adult than others, swimming pool and billiard pool. We preferred the water, and took a long swim to the end of the rocks. The water was incredibly clear, especially since I was so used to the dreary pollution of the California coastline. In fact, I spotted a pair of RayBan sunglasses no less than 12 feet below the water’s surface. They didn’t fit, but it was quite the salvaged treasure – and who knew you could see sunglasses sitting at the bottom of the ocean?The highest hill on the island is home to all the clubs and bars the locals and, more so, tourists flock to every night. Sunbaked youngsters looking for trouble are abound, and definitely made for some stories, which I won’t divulge for the sake of my fellow travelers’ reputations.
We swam, ate gyros, drank, slept, ate gyros and repeated for a couple days before sailing off once again for Naxos.
This island was much calmer. They have some interesting ruins, but the real pleasure was trekking around the local village, buying cheap clothes and savoring the local food. We were invited to a wine tasting that, though elegantly placed in an open theater surrounded by flowers, quickly became a sloshfest. We made fools of ourselves, and did justice to the American reputation abroad. Luckily everyone else was too blitzed to notice. We again didn’t plan for a hotel, but again were greeted at the dock by a local offering 2 apartments for way cheap. The apartments were fantastic. They included refrigerators (unheard of!) and fans (hallelujah!).Throughout Greece, prices were cheap for us backpackers. We enjoyed relaxing under the sun and stars (much clearer than the city) after so much, and before more, sightseeing in other parts of Europe. Surely you could find plenty of museums and culture to go around, but a nice spot on a secluded beach can rival any Tahitian resort.
And again, it’s cheap.