Back in the fifth grade, there was a game I used to play on the Nintendo called "Battle of Olympus". It was a sidescrolling action/adventure game that I struggled throughout the whole school year to beat. By the time I was done, I was familiar with all the Greek gods, major Greek cities, and the geography of the country (I could probably draw the map of the country with my eyes closed; it appeared in the screen so many times). In my mind, Greece was a land of magnificent temples, mythological creatures, rocky coastlines, idyllic gardens, and epic battles. In the center of it all was Athens... the peaceful and quiet city under Athena's protection. BOY! Was I misled! |
"OLD STONES ON A HILL"
My adventure with Renato came to an end when we
arrived in Athens. I was meeting up with Olga, and he
had friends he was staying with as well.
OLGA!!!
SMART CAR!!! Oh my god, I was finally going to be
driving in a Smart! Once we hit the road though, that excitement
turned into terror. It's not that Olga is a bad driver; Greek drivers
are bad drivers. Or maybe I should say, safely isn't their first
priority,
or second, or third for that matter. I swear, when a pedestrian was
crossing the road, the drivers would speed up to try to beat them. I
can't count how many times I closed my eyes and gripped the seat
because I thought we were going to crash into merging traffic. Being
in a sub compact car didn't add to my sense of security either. But
I left the country unscathed, so it's all good.
First stop was dinner, a huge gyro at a cheap price. Olga told me there
were many affordable, yet delicious places to eat in Athens. She didn't
need to convince me any further; I love Greece.
After dinner, Olga brought me to a popular ice cream shop. I can't
quite describe
the flavor I got. It was something particular to Greece
and sort of tasted like medicine, but not in a bad way. The scoop of
ice cream was served on the most decadent honey soaked pastry. It
was
sweetness overload. As we were walking down the street, Olga
said she was bringing me to a typical Athenian park. Great. When we
sat down, I asked where it was. "You're sitting in it", she answered.
I looked around... a couple park benches, a few trees, and a lot of
gravel. It became clear to me Athens was no nature lover's paradise.
After I dropped off my bags at the apartment, Olga took me on a crash
course tour of Athens... how to use the public transport, places to go,
and things to do during the daytime when I'm alone. With cans of
Amstel
beer in hand (because it's cheaper and more fun than sitting down), we
walked around lively neighborhoods like Psirri and Monastiraki.
Looming over us was the Acropolis, or as Olga put it, a hill with a lot of old stones.
She'd lived in Athens all her life, so she couldn't understand my excitement and fascination
with it. My whole childhood, I had an interest in Greek mythology and ancient temples.
Right in front of me, BEHOLD! The grand-daddy of them all.
I was embarrassing Olga taking pictures of everything.
But Olga, if you're reading this... Jason told me you were
JUST as bad when you visited him in France! So I don't
want to hear it! :P
Another strange child crossing sign.
Music, people, nightlife... *sigh*... Athens is so marvelously alive.
Regarding those jeans, I object.
In the month leading up to my trip, I tried to learn the Greek letters. It actually
came in handy so I could compare things like maps and signs and food labels,
though I should've at least bothered learning the most basic expressions. I didn't
even know how to say "thank you" in Greek. I must've seemed to rude.
The view from my room. The trees are not typical of the city.
It's actually a cemetery.
Olga lived on the 3rd floor apartment of her building, and her brother
lived on the 4th floor. The 5th floor was all for me! Perfect.
Your options are a small cross, large cross, guitar, or coffee maker.
I wandered the neighborhood in the morning looking for a bakery Olga
recommended. I never found it. What I found was a dose of everyday
life away from the touristy parts of the city. Actually, tourists never
venture to these parts of the city, so I got a lot of strange looks.
A Greek EU license plate.
I should open a shop called "Keep out of Reach of Children"
A squatters residence between the apartment and the metro station.
Olga told me to be careful of hooligans when passing by. I say bring it on!
To board the metro, you need to buy a 70 cent metro ticket that you
validate before entering the boarding platform. But there were no
turnstiles or security presence to really enforce that. Let the game of
roulette begin.
Colorful.
My plan for the day was to visit the Acropolis. Finding it wasn't difficult,
it's visible from almost everywhere in the city, but getting there without
a map
there took me through quaint residential areas, lively markets,
and narrow alleyways.
Blue and white. The colors of the flag were the colors
of the land. Blue for the sea and the sky. White for
stone and what man can create with it.
It's like one of the prayer things scattered throughout Italy,
but Greek Orthodox instead. I promise I'll learn what they're
called one day.
This is what happens when you don't have anyone to take pictures for you.
I wonder if their's a job for international spell checker, because I'd take it.
I followed the crowd to a hill that had a spectacular view of the city
and the Acropolis.
Ugh... I hate scaffolding! I think that if they're going to renovate a historical site
like this, they should rebuild it the way they did in ancient times. Slaves and all.
Other tourists on the hill.
Thank god, somebody to protect me from those damn tourists.
It's expensive but worth it. I'm talking about the lemon slushy... oh so cool
and refreshing on a hot & sunny day. The ticket to the Acropolis was a hefty
€12, but it granted admission to 5 other archeological sites. Not a bad deal.
The Rosetta Stone of proper visiting rules. Good thing
the tourist police have a shoot-to-kill order on any law
breaking singers out there.
Yay, old stones!
I don't know what I think about this. Why rebuild what
time rightfully took away?
The Parthenon!!! A feat of human engineering and design
that still inspires awe and wonder today. Imagine how
incredible it would have been to witness it 2500 years ago.
An ancient amphitheater. Don't let all the green fool you, it's a park next to
the Acropolis. You can see the Aegean sea in the distance.
This is what most of the city looks like. Athens is not a particularly attractive city.
It's a lot more modern and inner city-like than I imagined it to be.
Looks like a lot of guesswork to me. "This rounded
rock sort of looks like an ass. What do you think Bob?"
These used to be pillars on some part of some temple.
More hordes of Chinese tourists.
Temple of Zeus viewed from the Acropolis.
Me turning negro under the intense sun.
As Olga said, lots of old stones.
The Karyatides statues of the Erechtheion. How did I remember? I didn't.
Thank you Google. Honestly, they all looked the same to me after a while.
That's Areopagus, the rock mound I was on earlier. It used to be an ancient ritual
and burial site over 3000 years ago. The Apostle Paul also preached the "Jesus
dying for the sins of man" thing to the Greeks there.
Maybe I should've done a wushu pose. Then again,
maybe not.
Some lively Filipino Canadian women on vacation.
Greece joined the European Union amidst a lot of debate
because of it's struggling economy. It seems to be doing
good now though.
It looks like a horrible reconstruction of an old broken vase. Like
they were underbudget and gave the job to middle schoolers.
An old Greek Orthodox church. I tried to avoid the religious sites
in Greece; had enough of that in Italy.
So there I was walking along the the ruins of the Agora, or ancient
marketplace, when I notice a small crowd. I head over to investigate.
A tortoise had crawled out of a burrow in the wall and was getting
more attention then all the historic ruins and temples around it.
There wasn't much to see in the Agora. There were just lots of
plaques describing was used to be there. I'm supposed to imagine
this plot of dust and untrimmed grass used to be a bustling brothel?
My imagination is good, but not that good.
The ancient ancestors of the Koolaid man. OH YEAH!
I didn't have my first meal of the day until about five in the evening.
I had a delicious and chicken gyro from a food stand; It was only €1.50
for take away. If I ordered the same thing for a sit down meal, the price
skyrockets to €4 for the exact same thing!
The street markets reminded me of China.
Some guy working.
As I mentioned earlier, McDonalds all over the world serve special
items that cater to the tastes of those people. Here, they served a Greek
salad topped with Feta cheese and a Greek Mac served in flatbread!
I'm sure if someone wanted an authentic Greek food in Greece, they
wouldn't go to McDonalds.
I like when people dress in traditional clothes. It excites me. By the
way, look in the background of this photo. There's a Stop sign. In
the Greek alphabet, a "P" is pronounced "R" and "S" doesn't even exist!
I just can't escape it.
She wants to be blind by the time she's 40 apparently. Hey, Jay-Z's in town.
Ermou street is a popular shopping area during the day. Whenever
I heard the name, I would think about Ermac, the red ninja character
in Mortal Kombat.
I took hundreds of pictures of street performers, they become a bit
redundant in a photo journal though. Here's my reminder that free
entertainment was abound in the cities of Europe.
Syntagma square, across the street from the modern capital of Greece.
I managed to take a picture at the exact same moment
that someone else's flash went off. This is in front of the
Capital building where guards dressed in funny uniforms
and puffy shoes stand at attention 24 hours a day. I made
a plan to come back during the daytime to see the changing
of the guard.
Hadrian's Arch was built to honor Hadrian, a Roman Emperor almost
2000 years ago. How's that for immortality?
I'm sorry, temptation took over. I had to try it. Wish I didn't, it was
shit compared to a real gyro. Yet, I'm glad I did; I can always say I've
had a Greek Mac!
That night we went out to have ouzo, a traditional Greek
liquor with a strong anise flavor like licorice. I was thinking,
yay, time to get drunk, but I learned the Greek way to enjoy
it was to sip slowly and relax. You actually dilute it with ice
and water to extend the experience, and enjoy it with a plate
of
mezedes, or appetizers. Delicious.
It's Georgia! She was at the Killarney work camp as well. The dude is
their friend Andrew, very friendly guy.
Such a wonderful host... Thank you Olga!
"SUN INDEX: 10"
I finally found the bakery the next morning. I ordered the meat
pastry with a point and a grunt. I promise to learn some Greek
before I come back.
Back at Syntagma, I made sure I arrived on the hour to observe the changing of the
guard. The march they do is very comical. They kick their heels on the ground and
raise their arms and legs in a slow deliberate manner. Similar to the kick and punch
exercise from kung-fu class. I don't know, it made me want to fight them.
Part of the protocol was for a less formal guard to
inspect the one on duty to make sure everything was
in place. It looked like some lovin' & gropin' to me.
What a sucky job.
Why doesn't anyone want to play with me?
These pigeons are frighteningly accustomed to people.
They hang
out with you even if you don't have food for them.
Cute.
Ancient sushi of the gods.
One of the many stray dog roaming the streets of the city.
Should I be worried?
A tram stop
That morning, I took a tram down to the beach as Olga recommended. There
were a lot of stops, so I got off at one near the end of the line and walked from
beach to beach for a few hours.
Rocky
I don't even like water... but how often am I in Greece? It was gorgeous.
As I was commenting about the saltiness of the water
to Olga
later in
the evening, she abruptly stopped
me, "What? You went in the water?"
"Of course", I told her. "I said, you can go to the beach. I said nothing about
going IN water. That is disgusting", she replied in horror. I didn't get it;
I told her there were other people in the water. "Were they Greek?",
she asked. Hmm... come to think of it, most of the people were blonde
and German looking. Olga went on to tell me that the beaches in Athens
are dirty, the water is too cold, and September is like winter for Greeks.
Wow... talk about perspective. I'll remind myself never to invite her to a
beach in Connecticut.
As I was enjoying the sunny beach, a guy comes up to me and asks
me if I could take his picture for him. How'd I know this? He was
speaking to me in Italian! I really don't know how why he would
choose an Asian guy to ask this to, but it all worked out.
Traffic in Athens.
I should've kicked him.
Lord of the Pigeons.
This was bad... ohhh sooo bad. Some guys dressed up as Native Americans
played the
flute to a CD playing music from movies that have Native American
storylines, like Last of the Mohicans, while
one guy did a ritual hunting dance.
I think my Greek Mac was a more authentic experience than that.
Olga's apartment
That night, we to a free outdoor Xatzigiannis concert. He's a HUGE pop star
in Greece, and the crowd was full of screaming girls accompanied by their
embarrassed boyfriends. Even Olga, who's generally reserved, was giddy
like a school girl, dancing and singing along with all the lyrics.
Xatzigiannis' music was always playing on Greek radio... I heard it so
much that I was able to hum along with the music. We know nothing
about him in America though. We have enough of our own pop stars.
But google his name... there are so many image hits!
After having my fill of bubblegum pop, I was hungry for some
Loukoumades, deep friend dough soaked in honey.
The Olympic Stadium lit up at night.
Olga took me to a brand new mall in Athens modeled after
American malls. She was so excited showing me around, and
I was like, "What's the big deal?". The funniest thing was how
Ruby Tuesday's is a high class, reservations recommended
restaurant. Only because it's so American. I guess if you want
to make money in Greece, stick an American label on it.
Look at that Eastpak backpack... $200!!!
Here I was, eating my daily meat pastry in front of the metro station,
when suddenly a strange man approached me and asked if I was Charles.
It caught me off guard, and I was afraid that my past as a CIA informant
was finally coming back to haunt me. He handed me a cell phone and
Olga was on the other side. The man was Olga's father. I guess being
the only Asian in the neighborhood, I was instantly recognizable. Anyway,
I hopped on his motorcycle and we headed down to the family bookstore.
Eastpak... One of those very plain, old fashion backpacks cost $40!
They're very trendy in Athens. Eastpak? Trendy??? HAHA! It took a
while to convince Olga that the trend passed America 15 years ago,
and Eastpak is a just a cheap brand you'd find at Walmart at home.
"Why, why are you taking a picture?"
When I arrived at the Olympic Park, it was sunny, hot, and barren.
The bright white reflecting off of everything was almost unbearable
to my eyes. The whole complex was closed off with a wire fence
blocking off all the entrances.
It didn't seem like I was going to get
far, but then I saw some people who looked like tourists walking
around inside. I strolled along the perimeter and found an open gate
and entered.
There was a surreal feeling about the setting. The architecture was grand but desolate.
Like abandoned ruins of an advanced civilizations.
This is pretty sad. The olympics were only two years ago, and the place
is already falling apart.
Eventually I found my way to the stadium. There were
a few doors open, so I boldly walked inside. Not sure
if I was allowed in there or not, I slowly crept down
the bleachers. Since no one was stopping me, I stepped
onto the track.
Some even waved hello as I walked around the track a few times.
How I would've loved to have been in one of these seats 2 years ago.
After, I headed down to the posh shopping district
near the edge of the city. It wasn't all too interesting
since I didn't have money to spend. ugh... Starbucks.
The special thing a about this part of town is the abundance of trees.
There are very few green places in the city as Olga pointed out earlier.
I can understand now why Killarney was so extraordinary for her.
Back at the apartment. This is my last picture from Greece.
Why? You might be asking. Did I get lazy and leave the
camera at home? No. Did I leave Greece that evening? No.
Did I lose the pictures? Fuck Fuck mother Fuckin' shit Fuck
Yes. I'll explain in my next episode of "Where was Charles".
For now, I'll just briefly recount what I did during the rest of
my stay in Greece. I gave Olga the photos I took in Killarney.
I've never seen someone so excited about photos in my life.
I went night shopping in the city, saw a lot of police in riot
gear, took a train to Pireus, took a ferry to Aegina island,
soaked up the sun at some "Olga approved" beaches, hiked
up some hill, set up pistachio traps for pigeons, witnessed a
crazy Greek guy arguing with the conductor of a train, had a
spaghetti dinner with Olga, her brother, and Andrew, listened
to the sounds of a football match from the balcony, found
vibrant nightlife in the most out of the way streets, said
goodbye
to Olga, returned to Patras, wandered Patras for
hours, drank a lot of orange Fanta,
boarded a ferry back to
Ancona, saw a sunny sky turn into a rainy sky, watched Bugs
Bunny with a bunch of Italians, had crackers for dinner,
offered olives and cheese by a Greek couple, belted out country
music on the deck of a ship, and slept on the floor (again).
How do I remember?
I kept a journal during my whole trip.
I didn't write much, just a few words every day that would
spark a memory. I can't imagine all that would have been
lost to time if I didn't.
Backpacker Rule #15: Keep a travel journal. A picture is worth
a thousand
words, but a word can bring back a thousand pictures.