So our big “scheme” worked out perfectly and seven of us girls who have become friends managed to escape the rest of the group for a night out. See, back in Athens there was this guy on the beach who collected money for the chairs/umbrellas. We got to talking to him and he said his family owns the beach chair rental business so he lives in Crete during the week, but works in Athens on weekends. He gave us his number and said to call him for a fun night out.
My friend Meghan called him and apparently he thought it was a date! Haha. Meghan has a boyfriend, so told him that six of us would be joining. I don’t think he was thrilled about it, but then again, what guy objects to taking out seven girls? We had to “scheme” because we didn’t want the entire group to join. At this point, circles of friends are formed and everyone sort of knows who they get along with. It was really nice to go out with people who enjoy each other’s company.
Sarah and I got ready in our cute attic room and the girls “sent word” of when/where to meet them. The two of us had already eaten PB&J sandwiches in our room, so I just had a small tomato salad, bread, and wine. At midnight, we met Kominas (the Athens guy) at a club called Metropolis. There was no cover charge and drinks were only 5 euro. They were playing some great American music and we were all going crazy, dancing to Britney Spears.
I should also mention this was a karaoke bar. Sarah, Kristyn, and I sang Ain’t No Mountain High, and pretty well I might add, but we got cut off in the middle of the first chorus. How rude! The other girls did Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody, but they too were cut off very early into the song. The DJ finally told us that the machine wasn’t working properly, so to make up for it, they just started giving us rounds of lemon shots. They tasted like candy, so I’m pretty sure that was when my downfall began.
One second I was feelin good, and the next, too good. I immediately knew I’d drank too much. We then took cabs to another bar, where I just sat and gulped down as many glasses of water as I could. The bartender was giving us watermelon shots, which looked tasty, but I passed mine on down the bar.
Around 2:45 AM, Sarah and I decided to head back to the hotel and for some reason chose to walk. This was not a short walk! We stopped to wade in the ocean and even had a long, heartfelt talk. Once we got into our room, I looked at my iPod (which tends to switch times on me for no reason) and it said 8:30 PM – U.S. time – but I mistook it for 8:30 AM and told Sarah it was time to get up. Our third roommate woke up and told us it was only 3:30 AM, so we all went to bed.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Rethymnon: Day 2
Our wake up call wasn't until 8 AM this morning, so I got a solid 7 hours of sleep. That's two nights in a row! And it feels good. Breakfast was delicious at this hotel, with a full buffet bar. I had croissants with Nutella, watermelon, honeydew, and an over-easy-egg/cheese on bread.
We drove an hour on the bus to Phaestos, another ancient Minoan palace that just looked like a bunch of rocks. The only significant fact about Phaestos is that the famous disc with symbols, thought to be early script, was found there by archaeologists. It was extremely hot again, but it didn't feel as bad as yesterday. Nonetheless, I was still dripping down my back and legs.
After an hour at Phaestos, we drove twenty minutes over to the neighboring ancient village of Gortys, which was much smaller, but way cooler. The only structures worth seeing were the church of St. Titus built in the 6th century A.D., and a 6th century B.C. script, the newest version that is believed to have led to our alphabet today.
Finally, it was time for the beach! We were given three hours to spend at Matala Beach, where we first ate lunch. It was a crepe place but I decided to order calimari for 6 euro that wasn't very good. In hindsight I should have realized a crepe taverna might not specialize in seafood. Oh well, live and learn.
Located on the Libyan Sea, Matala Beach is surrounded by cliffs with caves dating back 7000 years ago. We had so much fun! There was one particular cliff that is used for jumping by the locals, so we decided to be true "travelers" and participate. The water was extremely clear with lots of rocks, and much colder than any of our other beach experiences!
The cliff is located probably 150 meters or so from the shore, so Meghan and I were the first to swim out there with one of the guys. The next step was to climb up the rocks to the top. On my first trip up I was thinking there was no way I could possibly scale the wet side of a cliff. It seemed a little dangerous, but I found that if I moved quickly and strategically placed my feet and hands in the crevases, it wasn't bad at all. Actually, by the fifth time I was a pro!
So once I made it to the top, looking down freaked me out a little. The view from the cliff was unbelievable. I so badly wish I could have taken my camera out there, but at the same time I will never forget what it looked like. The water was just sparkling, with the beach and caves on the left, and a huge cliff in front of us with tavernas built into the side. There was a sign on one of the walls that read, "Live today. Tomorrow will never come."
Prepared to take the plunge, we spotted some rocks to the left, but straight ahead and to the right was completely clear and very deep. Plus the locals were doing dives and back flips, and they were still alive. The first time, I just sort of spontaneously jumped because I knew if I thought about it too much I would psych myself out. So Meghan went first as sort of our guinea pig, because the girl is totally fearless, and then it was my turn. I took a couple of steps and just ... leaped! I didn't even notice that I was in a free fall for what seemed like forever because all I could see was the bright blue water below. It wasn't the most graceful of jumps and stung in a few places, most of all in my nose and throat because of the massive amount of saltwater I ingested. Talk about an adrenaline rush.
I managed to do it four more times and it only got better and better. My form improved to more of a "pencil", if you will, so that I had a smooth entry. Even so, my swimsuit top never once stayed on, but I always realized it under water and had enough time to pull it back down. One of the girls climbed to the top shortly after I did for the first time, and after my fourth jump, she was still there. She froze up and refused to jump despite all of us cheering her on. Let me tell ya, it was like trying to get a cat out of a tree; it just wasn't going to happen. Going down the rocks was way more dangerous, but that's what she finally resorted to because she realized a helicopter was not going to fly over to pick her up.
What a rush!! How many people can say they've jumped off a 30 ft. cliff into the Libyan Sea? Which by the way is only 115 miles north of Africa! After all the fun, Meghan and I got gelato in the town from a little bakery/gelateria, where the woman was so rude to us. Some of the Greeks are outright rude, and others are so hospitable and friendly, I don't get it. But anyhow, the gelato was triple chocolate and so creamy.
We had an hour-and-a-half bus ride home, on which all of us passed out. You could have heard a pin drop. I showered immediately to get the dried salt off me and then just hung out and made a PB&J sandwich for dinner.
We have an elaborate scheme for going out tonight ... I'll keep you posted on how that goes.
We drove an hour on the bus to Phaestos, another ancient Minoan palace that just looked like a bunch of rocks. The only significant fact about Phaestos is that the famous disc with symbols, thought to be early script, was found there by archaeologists. It was extremely hot again, but it didn't feel as bad as yesterday. Nonetheless, I was still dripping down my back and legs.
After an hour at Phaestos, we drove twenty minutes over to the neighboring ancient village of Gortys, which was much smaller, but way cooler. The only structures worth seeing were the church of St. Titus built in the 6th century A.D., and a 6th century B.C. script, the newest version that is believed to have led to our alphabet today.
Finally, it was time for the beach! We were given three hours to spend at Matala Beach, where we first ate lunch. It was a crepe place but I decided to order calimari for 6 euro that wasn't very good. In hindsight I should have realized a crepe taverna might not specialize in seafood. Oh well, live and learn.
Located on the Libyan Sea, Matala Beach is surrounded by cliffs with caves dating back 7000 years ago. We had so much fun! There was one particular cliff that is used for jumping by the locals, so we decided to be true "travelers" and participate. The water was extremely clear with lots of rocks, and much colder than any of our other beach experiences!
The cliff is located probably 150 meters or so from the shore, so Meghan and I were the first to swim out there with one of the guys. The next step was to climb up the rocks to the top. On my first trip up I was thinking there was no way I could possibly scale the wet side of a cliff. It seemed a little dangerous, but I found that if I moved quickly and strategically placed my feet and hands in the crevases, it wasn't bad at all. Actually, by the fifth time I was a pro!
So once I made it to the top, looking down freaked me out a little. The view from the cliff was unbelievable. I so badly wish I could have taken my camera out there, but at the same time I will never forget what it looked like. The water was just sparkling, with the beach and caves on the left, and a huge cliff in front of us with tavernas built into the side. There was a sign on one of the walls that read, "Live today. Tomorrow will never come."
Prepared to take the plunge, we spotted some rocks to the left, but straight ahead and to the right was completely clear and very deep. Plus the locals were doing dives and back flips, and they were still alive. The first time, I just sort of spontaneously jumped because I knew if I thought about it too much I would psych myself out. So Meghan went first as sort of our guinea pig, because the girl is totally fearless, and then it was my turn. I took a couple of steps and just ... leaped! I didn't even notice that I was in a free fall for what seemed like forever because all I could see was the bright blue water below. It wasn't the most graceful of jumps and stung in a few places, most of all in my nose and throat because of the massive amount of saltwater I ingested. Talk about an adrenaline rush.
I managed to do it four more times and it only got better and better. My form improved to more of a "pencil", if you will, so that I had a smooth entry. Even so, my swimsuit top never once stayed on, but I always realized it under water and had enough time to pull it back down. One of the girls climbed to the top shortly after I did for the first time, and after my fourth jump, she was still there. She froze up and refused to jump despite all of us cheering her on. Let me tell ya, it was like trying to get a cat out of a tree; it just wasn't going to happen. Going down the rocks was way more dangerous, but that's what she finally resorted to because she realized a helicopter was not going to fly over to pick her up.
What a rush!! How many people can say they've jumped off a 30 ft. cliff into the Libyan Sea? Which by the way is only 115 miles north of Africa! After all the fun, Meghan and I got gelato in the town from a little bakery/gelateria, where the woman was so rude to us. Some of the Greeks are outright rude, and others are so hospitable and friendly, I don't get it. But anyhow, the gelato was triple chocolate and so creamy.
We had an hour-and-a-half bus ride home, on which all of us passed out. You could have heard a pin drop. I showered immediately to get the dried salt off me and then just hung out and made a PB&J sandwich for dinner.
We have an elaborate scheme for going out tonight ... I'll keep you posted on how that goes.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Rethymnon: Day 1
I awoke this morning to Lynnea (our third roommate) tapping on my shoulder and saying softly “It’s time to get up.” This has become an every morning occurrence. I always wake up at the alarm, but never get out of bed right away. So I held in my frustration and mustered a “Good morning.” We had another crappy breakfast, then an hour bus ride to Rethymnon.
Rethymnon is Crete’s third largest city, right on the Mediterranean. It was occupied, and therefore influenced heavily by the Venetians and Ottomans, and is really beautiful. We are staying at Hotel Ideon, just across the street from the water. Our rooms weren’t ready when we arrived at 11 AM, so we set off on a tour of the city with Vangeli. It was pretty interesting and reminded me a lot of Venice (obviously). I photographed so many arches for my photo journal … I am arched out. We also climbed up the Venetian fortress and there were some awesome views of the city.
The worst part of the day was, without a doubt, the heat! It was the hottest day of the trip at about 110 degrees and I can’t even describe how much sweat I produced. My face was dripping, as were my shins and back. All of my clothes were sopping wet. It was just a very uncomfortable state. The most grueling experience was when we visited the oldest phyllo dough bakery in Crete. This little old man stood in a back room and we watched him throw the dough on a big wheel and spin it into shape. The room, however, had no circulation and I thought I was going to just pass out from the heat. But the baklava I got to taste afterward was unbelievable. It was way crispier than any I’ve ever had and didn’t fall apart.
We checked into the hotel at about 1 PM and were free for the rest of the day. Katula said some of us may get apartments, so we were pretty psyched about that. But I don’t know why Sarah and I bothered to think we might be one of the lucky ones, considering we’ve managed to have a problem with every single room we’ve had. They gave us the key to room 125 and said it was across the pool in a separate building. We approached and saw a medium set of stairs. I told Sarah and she started to groan, as we realized we’d have to carry our 50 lb. suitcases ourselves. So we made it to the top, only to find rooms 121 and 122. I saw another set of stairs, and this time both Sarah and I let out a groan. This was a big staircase. I was already sweating so it didn’t matter too much, but my suitcase was very heavy! Once I made it up, I yelled down to Sarah that there was a third staircase. At this point she sounded like a woman going into labor and we were both moaning the whole way up. I was wishfully thinking that maybe we’d gotten a penthouse apartment on the top floor, so you can imagine my disappointment when I opened the door to find one very small and stuffy room.
We bitched and complained for about fifteen minutes, and were furious when we saw the girls next door to us having their luggage carried up by the hotel porters. I took a quick shower to cool off and washed my clothes, so my mood was gradually improving. Once we discovered how to turn on the air conditioning, I even sort of liked our room. I went to visit the other girls in the apartment and have to admit I’m pretty jealous. It is three rooms and has a kitchen, so they decided we’re going to cook a big meal one night.
I headed down to lay by the pool, but immediately turned around because it was just way too hot. Even if I stayed in the pool all afternoon, it would still be miserable. So five of us went out to a crepe place, creatively called “Crepe Land.” I had a crepe with turkey, mozzarella, tomatoes, and corn. It was one of the best lunches I’ve ever had and I’ll surely be making another visit to Crepe Land, as it’s just around the corner. I’m giving my mom a new objective … learn to make crepes by August!
We then went in search of a grocery store, but were told everything was closed because it was Sunday. That’s what they do in Greece; close every store on Sunday. What do you do if you need something? Apparently you’re out of luck. We ended up finding a small market though and bought some supplies for PB&J’s, fruit, wine, and snacks to cut costs for the week. I have about 200 euro left, so can only spend a little over 20 euro/day, which is difficult. To be honest, I’m starting to get really sick of Greek food, so this will be a nice way to mix it up a bit.
I spent the entire afternoon in our room because it was just so miserably hot outside. A bunch of people found a wireless network down in the lobby, but I discovered that I can get it in our room, which might have made my day. Oh and the other great news of the day … we get an extension on our assignments! Rumor has it we get three extra days for our research paper and a week for our photo journal. I’m so happy I can just enjoy the rest of our time here, as well as my first few days at home, and then do the work.
Sarah, Kristyn, and I made peanut butter and banana sandwiches for dinner; had a little picnic around our coffee table. It was nice. I went down in the lobby to get some gelato and it was amazing! I had stracciatella (chocolate chip), and creme brulee. Usually you get one very small scoop, so for .80 euro more I could get a second. Of course I decided it was a good deal at the one place that gives huge scoops. It was worth it though.
The three of us started to get ready around 10 PM and had some wine in our room before meeting everyone else down in the courtyard. Boy, did we have a fun time! None of us was able to get the cork out of any of our three bottles. It took three of us holding and twisting and pulling to get each one out. We were laughing hysterically and documented our trials and tribulations with plenty of pictures.
Once we finally met up with people, the hotel lady screamed at us for bringing our wine downstairs. I didn't think they would let us bring our own wine anyways, so wasn't too surprised, but this lady was just rude! The staff at the last few hotels have been very nasty to us; whether it's our nationality or age, I don't know, but it's getting old. So we hung out in one of the rooms, just talking and whatnot. We took a little walk down by the water around midnight, and some of the girls asked us to go dancing, but we chose to come back and go to bed.
Tomorrow we have two ancient Minoan ruins to see and then an afternoon at the beach!
Rethymnon is Crete’s third largest city, right on the Mediterranean. It was occupied, and therefore influenced heavily by the Venetians and Ottomans, and is really beautiful. We are staying at Hotel Ideon, just across the street from the water. Our rooms weren’t ready when we arrived at 11 AM, so we set off on a tour of the city with Vangeli. It was pretty interesting and reminded me a lot of Venice (obviously). I photographed so many arches for my photo journal … I am arched out. We also climbed up the Venetian fortress and there were some awesome views of the city.
The worst part of the day was, without a doubt, the heat! It was the hottest day of the trip at about 110 degrees and I can’t even describe how much sweat I produced. My face was dripping, as were my shins and back. All of my clothes were sopping wet. It was just a very uncomfortable state. The most grueling experience was when we visited the oldest phyllo dough bakery in Crete. This little old man stood in a back room and we watched him throw the dough on a big wheel and spin it into shape. The room, however, had no circulation and I thought I was going to just pass out from the heat. But the baklava I got to taste afterward was unbelievable. It was way crispier than any I’ve ever had and didn’t fall apart.
We checked into the hotel at about 1 PM and were free for the rest of the day. Katula said some of us may get apartments, so we were pretty psyched about that. But I don’t know why Sarah and I bothered to think we might be one of the lucky ones, considering we’ve managed to have a problem with every single room we’ve had. They gave us the key to room 125 and said it was across the pool in a separate building. We approached and saw a medium set of stairs. I told Sarah and she started to groan, as we realized we’d have to carry our 50 lb. suitcases ourselves. So we made it to the top, only to find rooms 121 and 122. I saw another set of stairs, and this time both Sarah and I let out a groan. This was a big staircase. I was already sweating so it didn’t matter too much, but my suitcase was very heavy! Once I made it up, I yelled down to Sarah that there was a third staircase. At this point she sounded like a woman going into labor and we were both moaning the whole way up. I was wishfully thinking that maybe we’d gotten a penthouse apartment on the top floor, so you can imagine my disappointment when I opened the door to find one very small and stuffy room.
We bitched and complained for about fifteen minutes, and were furious when we saw the girls next door to us having their luggage carried up by the hotel porters. I took a quick shower to cool off and washed my clothes, so my mood was gradually improving. Once we discovered how to turn on the air conditioning, I even sort of liked our room. I went to visit the other girls in the apartment and have to admit I’m pretty jealous. It is three rooms and has a kitchen, so they decided we’re going to cook a big meal one night.
I headed down to lay by the pool, but immediately turned around because it was just way too hot. Even if I stayed in the pool all afternoon, it would still be miserable. So five of us went out to a crepe place, creatively called “Crepe Land.” I had a crepe with turkey, mozzarella, tomatoes, and corn. It was one of the best lunches I’ve ever had and I’ll surely be making another visit to Crepe Land, as it’s just around the corner. I’m giving my mom a new objective … learn to make crepes by August!
We then went in search of a grocery store, but were told everything was closed because it was Sunday. That’s what they do in Greece; close every store on Sunday. What do you do if you need something? Apparently you’re out of luck. We ended up finding a small market though and bought some supplies for PB&J’s, fruit, wine, and snacks to cut costs for the week. I have about 200 euro left, so can only spend a little over 20 euro/day, which is difficult. To be honest, I’m starting to get really sick of Greek food, so this will be a nice way to mix it up a bit.
I spent the entire afternoon in our room because it was just so miserably hot outside. A bunch of people found a wireless network down in the lobby, but I discovered that I can get it in our room, which might have made my day. Oh and the other great news of the day … we get an extension on our assignments! Rumor has it we get three extra days for our research paper and a week for our photo journal. I’m so happy I can just enjoy the rest of our time here, as well as my first few days at home, and then do the work.
Sarah, Kristyn, and I made peanut butter and banana sandwiches for dinner; had a little picnic around our coffee table. It was nice. I went down in the lobby to get some gelato and it was amazing! I had stracciatella (chocolate chip), and creme brulee. Usually you get one very small scoop, so for .80 euro more I could get a second. Of course I decided it was a good deal at the one place that gives huge scoops. It was worth it though.
The three of us started to get ready around 10 PM and had some wine in our room before meeting everyone else down in the courtyard. Boy, did we have a fun time! None of us was able to get the cork out of any of our three bottles. It took three of us holding and twisting and pulling to get each one out. We were laughing hysterically and documented our trials and tribulations with plenty of pictures.
Once we finally met up with people, the hotel lady screamed at us for bringing our wine downstairs. I didn't think they would let us bring our own wine anyways, so wasn't too surprised, but this lady was just rude! The staff at the last few hotels have been very nasty to us; whether it's our nationality or age, I don't know, but it's getting old. So we hung out in one of the rooms, just talking and whatnot. We took a little walk down by the water around midnight, and some of the girls asked us to go dancing, but we chose to come back and go to bed.
Tomorrow we have two ancient Minoan ruins to see and then an afternoon at the beach!
Free WiFi
We are now in Rethymnon on the island of Crete and just discovered we have free internet. What a lovely surprise!
So I have just posted my blogs from the past couple days and will continue to post throughout most of the coming week.
Hope everyone is well!
So I have just posted my blogs from the past couple days and will continue to post throughout most of the coming week.
Hope everyone is well!
Heraklion: Day 2
Today was a free day; the first whole day we've had to ourselves since Athens!
We had decided to go to the beach, so forced ourselves out of bed at 9 AM, despite dancing into the wee hours of the morning. The breakfast at this hotel was terrible – the first time I’ve really hated a meal on this trip. Also the first place to not have peaches for the yogurt! There was honey but it had a very strange taste.
After breakfast, we were waiting for the rest of the group in the lobby and one of the guys, Giuliano, had his legs up on the couch. A hotel manager came over and told him to put his feet down and he started to argue. Both of them were being rude and got into a pretty heated argument. The woman brought a couple of old men to yell at him, at which point I left the lobby in embarrassment. It was a double-edged sword – if it’s part of the culture in Europe that you don’t lay on a couch in a lobby, then the woman did have a right to say something and Giuliano should have let it go and put his legs down – but on the other hand, we are the guest paying for services so should be able to sit the way we want in a lobby. Basically both of them approached the situation poorly. Talk about a clash between cultures.
Katula wasn’t able to come with us, because his son, a U.S. ambassador, was flying in from Ukraine. He had showed us the bus stop and where to buy tickets, etc. but I knew we were in for a rocky trip. We bought the wrong tickets, then had to get the right ones, and when the guy took them he didn’t even look. So I spent five euro on bus tickets! The ride was a far cry from the torturous cattle cars we took to get to the beaches in Athens. We all got seats and it was only thirty minutes; so nice!
The beach was gorgeous, set on the Mediterranean Sea, lined with tavernas and beach bars. We splurged and bought ourselves beach chairs. I slept a bit, started to read Zorba the Greek (which I have to admit I will probably not get through), and swam a lot. The water was still clear, but more like the Atlantic at home, with lots of twigs and stuff. It was easily the hottest day we’ve experienced, well over 100 degrees. We ate lunch at one of the tavernas to get a break from the sun, and after a little more tanning action, packed up to leave about 3 PM.
Our return trip proved to be much more difficult. As we boarded the bus, two of the girls stayed behind to wait for Giuliano, who had run down the road to buy a ticket and hadn’t made it back in time. Hmm … okay, nice of them. We pulled up to the next stop, and who walks onto the bus but Giuliano! Simultaneously, every person exclaimed “Oh nooooo” and a gasp swept through the bus like a wave. Upon realizing what had happened, Giuliano laced up his sneakers and at the next stop, got off and started sprinting back to the girls at the original stop. What a twisted, worst case scenario!
But the fun didn’t stop there. We passed the stop at Liberty Square, which was supposed to be a couple before our hotel, so knew we were getting close. Two stops later, we didn’t recognize the area so decided to get off and walk. We walked straight up a hill only to be told it was the other way and then a left. We walked another half mile and were again told we were going the wrong way. The bottom line is that we were incredibly lost and couldn’t get back to the hotel. After 40 minutes of walking, I had had enough and resorted to finding a cab – but not many taxis were around. I eventually saw one going the opposite direction, threw my arm up in the air and sprinted across the street once he stopped. Two other girls hopped in, and for 3 euro, we were never so happy to arrive in front of our hotel. The rest of the group walked around for another 30 minutes. That cab was the best decision I’ve made!
I rested a bit and got cleaned up, then walked around Heraklion with Sarah and Kristyn. I got a lemon granita, which is kind of like an American slushie drink, and it was so refreshing. Then Sarah wanted a crepe, so she ordered one with Nutella/banana and the three of us ended up sharing it, bite for bite. It was the most delicious treat, all warm and gooey. We were just silent around the table; nobody could talk because it was so amazing.
Tonight was a big group dinner in honor of one of the guys’ birthdays, so we made it a formal affair and everyone wore their nicest clothes. All 23 of us sat at a long table in a beautiful taverna. I had lots of white wine, so was feeling pretty good by the time our food came. I had the beef burgers, which is two beef patties with roasted potatoes. It was very tasty! Afterwards, the birthday boy bought us all a round of ouzo, which I took only because it was in honor of his birthday. I think ouzo is so disgusting; the smell alone makes me nauseas. Ew. Then there were some pastries, so I grabbed a chocolate cookie. The plan then, was to go back to the hotel and rest up for a bit before going out to the clubs at 12:30 – because like I’ve said, the Greeks don’t start the party until about 2 AM. However, almost everyone decided at that point to stay in and just go to sleep. The boys were very irritated, but I could not have cared less! It was so nice to get to bed at a decent time.
We had decided to go to the beach, so forced ourselves out of bed at 9 AM, despite dancing into the wee hours of the morning. The breakfast at this hotel was terrible – the first time I’ve really hated a meal on this trip. Also the first place to not have peaches for the yogurt! There was honey but it had a very strange taste.
After breakfast, we were waiting for the rest of the group in the lobby and one of the guys, Giuliano, had his legs up on the couch. A hotel manager came over and told him to put his feet down and he started to argue. Both of them were being rude and got into a pretty heated argument. The woman brought a couple of old men to yell at him, at which point I left the lobby in embarrassment. It was a double-edged sword – if it’s part of the culture in Europe that you don’t lay on a couch in a lobby, then the woman did have a right to say something and Giuliano should have let it go and put his legs down – but on the other hand, we are the guest paying for services so should be able to sit the way we want in a lobby. Basically both of them approached the situation poorly. Talk about a clash between cultures.
Katula wasn’t able to come with us, because his son, a U.S. ambassador, was flying in from Ukraine. He had showed us the bus stop and where to buy tickets, etc. but I knew we were in for a rocky trip. We bought the wrong tickets, then had to get the right ones, and when the guy took them he didn’t even look. So I spent five euro on bus tickets! The ride was a far cry from the torturous cattle cars we took to get to the beaches in Athens. We all got seats and it was only thirty minutes; so nice!
The beach was gorgeous, set on the Mediterranean Sea, lined with tavernas and beach bars. We splurged and bought ourselves beach chairs. I slept a bit, started to read Zorba the Greek (which I have to admit I will probably not get through), and swam a lot. The water was still clear, but more like the Atlantic at home, with lots of twigs and stuff. It was easily the hottest day we’ve experienced, well over 100 degrees. We ate lunch at one of the tavernas to get a break from the sun, and after a little more tanning action, packed up to leave about 3 PM.
Our return trip proved to be much more difficult. As we boarded the bus, two of the girls stayed behind to wait for Giuliano, who had run down the road to buy a ticket and hadn’t made it back in time. Hmm … okay, nice of them. We pulled up to the next stop, and who walks onto the bus but Giuliano! Simultaneously, every person exclaimed “Oh nooooo” and a gasp swept through the bus like a wave. Upon realizing what had happened, Giuliano laced up his sneakers and at the next stop, got off and started sprinting back to the girls at the original stop. What a twisted, worst case scenario!
But the fun didn’t stop there. We passed the stop at Liberty Square, which was supposed to be a couple before our hotel, so knew we were getting close. Two stops later, we didn’t recognize the area so decided to get off and walk. We walked straight up a hill only to be told it was the other way and then a left. We walked another half mile and were again told we were going the wrong way. The bottom line is that we were incredibly lost and couldn’t get back to the hotel. After 40 minutes of walking, I had had enough and resorted to finding a cab – but not many taxis were around. I eventually saw one going the opposite direction, threw my arm up in the air and sprinted across the street once he stopped. Two other girls hopped in, and for 3 euro, we were never so happy to arrive in front of our hotel. The rest of the group walked around for another 30 minutes. That cab was the best decision I’ve made!
I rested a bit and got cleaned up, then walked around Heraklion with Sarah and Kristyn. I got a lemon granita, which is kind of like an American slushie drink, and it was so refreshing. Then Sarah wanted a crepe, so she ordered one with Nutella/banana and the three of us ended up sharing it, bite for bite. It was the most delicious treat, all warm and gooey. We were just silent around the table; nobody could talk because it was so amazing.
Tonight was a big group dinner in honor of one of the guys’ birthdays, so we made it a formal affair and everyone wore their nicest clothes. All 23 of us sat at a long table in a beautiful taverna. I had lots of white wine, so was feeling pretty good by the time our food came. I had the beef burgers, which is two beef patties with roasted potatoes. It was very tasty! Afterwards, the birthday boy bought us all a round of ouzo, which I took only because it was in honor of his birthday. I think ouzo is so disgusting; the smell alone makes me nauseas. Ew. Then there were some pastries, so I grabbed a chocolate cookie. The plan then, was to go back to the hotel and rest up for a bit before going out to the clubs at 12:30 – because like I’ve said, the Greeks don’t start the party until about 2 AM. However, almost everyone decided at that point to stay in and just go to sleep. The boys were very irritated, but I could not have cared less! It was so nice to get to bed at a decent time.
Heraklion: Day 1
The alarm rang at 4:45 AM and we all dragged ourselves onto the bus in the dark streets of Thessaloniki. We arrived at the airport of Macedonia about 6:00 AM for our 7:30 flight and were all unhappy about being so early. Well, not to worry … because the Europeans don’t understand the concept of a line.
Katula herded us all to the check-in queue for Aegean airlines and told us to stay close and not let anyone cut in. We’ve all noticed that Europeans jump the lines, but didn’t really think anything of it. Sure enough, some guy came up the side and one of the boys played guard and wouldn’t let him in. At some point, they opened a third line and most of the people who had been behind us jumped up to the front of that. Our group was left in the middle line, which was not moving even a centimeter. Katula asked the check-in lady why we weren’t moving and she said they had announced the third line was for the Heraklion flight. We had never heard this announcement, so proceeded to just merge over – which really upset all of the Europeans, who had skipped the line only moments earlier.
It got pretty vicious and was unlike anything I’ve ever seen! We all watched some older guy just walk up to the counter in front of the line ropes and get checked in. The airline people don’t even try to do anything about it, they just let it happen. Another guy creeped up the side and cut in and people started yelling at him to move and it got pretty heated. I thought they were going to throw some punches. We finally battled our way up to the counter, and secured the sides of our group so that no one could cut. There was some comic relief though. The people in front of us asked Sarah if we were going to Heraklion, and she said, “No, Crete.” ... Heraklion is the capital of Crete.
We rushed to the gate, which said the plane was bound for Athens, but just took the staff’s word when they told us it was the right one. Some of us ran to get some breakfast. I got a Nescafe frappe and a potato pie (which was one of the best things I’ve eaten all trip!), but just as the rest were ordering, we were told it was time to board. We ran over, only to be told we couldn’t bring drinks on, so I gulped down my coffee. A bus drove us right up to the plane, and from there it was a little smoother. The flight was only an hour and I slept for most of it, but the people next to me never stopped talking! The Greeks are very animated, dramatic speakers.
The landing was cool but scary. It was one of those where you look like you’re going to crash in the ocean, but hit ground at the last second. And at the end of the flight, before I even stood up to get off, the woman was on her feet and pressing against me. I don’t know where she thought she was going to run with the cabin door still closed, but that seems to sum up the European mentality. They rush everywhere and lack respect for personal space.
From the airport, we went straight into the center of Heraklion to grab breakfast. Since I was one of the fortunate ones who had eaten at the airport, I skipped food and wandered around a shop with one of the girls. It had really cute, inexpensive clothes; kind of like Forever XII at home. I ended up buying a skirt. We walked down the road to the Heraklion museum with our new tour guide for the week, Vangeli. He led us around all of the artifacts and I actually enjoyed this museum. Everything was from the Minoan civilization, starting around 4000 B.C. They were very smart and way ahead of their time – some of the jewelry was amazing. And there was an ivory sculpture of a lion’s head, which indicates that they had traveled outside of Greece, since there are no lions here.
Next, we took the bus over to the archaeological site of Knossos, a huge Minoan palace. This, too, was pretty interesting because it was so big. There were gorgeous frescoes on the walls and it even had a plumbing system in the king’s quarters. And this was 4000 years before Christ! This is the oldest stuff we will see while here and it never ceases to amaze me.
By this time it was 1 PM and we were all starving. Katula said we would drive out to Arkhanes, a little town, for lunch. We arrived and Vangeli announced we were stopping in a small museum first. The word “museum” brought on a small groan that echoed throughout the bus. It ended up being only one room, the coolest artifact being the first – some coffins with real skeletons inside –, but after that I didn’t hear a thing. We tried to go to one of the two tavernas, but the old man’s wife was in the hospital so he wasn’t open. Obviously we then went to the other, where I sat at a table with six students and Katula. It was good company and amazing food, but pretty bad service. One woman was waiting on the whole place! I guess they hadn’t been expecting a group of 21, so we all understood. We ordered a little bit of everything – tzatziki, omelettes with potatoes or vegetables, chicken fillets, beef patties, some veggies, and dakos (more popular than the Greek salad in Crete, it’s a big crouton topped with tomato paste and feta. Yum!).
We stopped in “the best gelato place in all of Crete” according to Katula (which he says about every place he points out), but it was very good. I had some flavor with chocolate swirl inside, but I couldn’t really tell what it was. The bus driver said no food on the bus, so for the second time that day, I had to scarf down my food, which completely detracted from the joy of ice cream in the first place.
Finally, about 5:30 PM, we checked into Hotel Olympic near the center of town where we had spent the morning. The rooms are nice, probably near the middle but higher end of our hotels thus far. Sarah and I immediately took a nap and didn’t wake up until 9:15 PM! We were both just passed out. When we did get up, we showered and went to pick up pizza and some drinks.
The boys had found some clubs up near the waterfront earlier in the day and assured us it was no more than a 15 minute walk, so we followed them. It obviously turned out to be more like a 30 minute walk, but no big deal, I enjoyed the exercise. We went to a place called Desire, with a rooftop bar and dancing, where we all had a drink and sat around. Then we brought the party! We went downstairs in front of the DJ booth and moved some tables to make a dance floor. It was literally just us ten dancing in the middle of hundreds of Greeks staring on awkwardly. But we didn’t care; we just danced! We went to another place after, but it was full of sketchy men so we took cabs back around 3:30 AM.
Katula herded us all to the check-in queue for Aegean airlines and told us to stay close and not let anyone cut in. We’ve all noticed that Europeans jump the lines, but didn’t really think anything of it. Sure enough, some guy came up the side and one of the boys played guard and wouldn’t let him in. At some point, they opened a third line and most of the people who had been behind us jumped up to the front of that. Our group was left in the middle line, which was not moving even a centimeter. Katula asked the check-in lady why we weren’t moving and she said they had announced the third line was for the Heraklion flight. We had never heard this announcement, so proceeded to just merge over – which really upset all of the Europeans, who had skipped the line only moments earlier.
It got pretty vicious and was unlike anything I’ve ever seen! We all watched some older guy just walk up to the counter in front of the line ropes and get checked in. The airline people don’t even try to do anything about it, they just let it happen. Another guy creeped up the side and cut in and people started yelling at him to move and it got pretty heated. I thought they were going to throw some punches. We finally battled our way up to the counter, and secured the sides of our group so that no one could cut. There was some comic relief though. The people in front of us asked Sarah if we were going to Heraklion, and she said, “No, Crete.” ... Heraklion is the capital of Crete.
We rushed to the gate, which said the plane was bound for Athens, but just took the staff’s word when they told us it was the right one. Some of us ran to get some breakfast. I got a Nescafe frappe and a potato pie (which was one of the best things I’ve eaten all trip!), but just as the rest were ordering, we were told it was time to board. We ran over, only to be told we couldn’t bring drinks on, so I gulped down my coffee. A bus drove us right up to the plane, and from there it was a little smoother. The flight was only an hour and I slept for most of it, but the people next to me never stopped talking! The Greeks are very animated, dramatic speakers.
The landing was cool but scary. It was one of those where you look like you’re going to crash in the ocean, but hit ground at the last second. And at the end of the flight, before I even stood up to get off, the woman was on her feet and pressing against me. I don’t know where she thought she was going to run with the cabin door still closed, but that seems to sum up the European mentality. They rush everywhere and lack respect for personal space.
From the airport, we went straight into the center of Heraklion to grab breakfast. Since I was one of the fortunate ones who had eaten at the airport, I skipped food and wandered around a shop with one of the girls. It had really cute, inexpensive clothes; kind of like Forever XII at home. I ended up buying a skirt. We walked down the road to the Heraklion museum with our new tour guide for the week, Vangeli. He led us around all of the artifacts and I actually enjoyed this museum. Everything was from the Minoan civilization, starting around 4000 B.C. They were very smart and way ahead of their time – some of the jewelry was amazing. And there was an ivory sculpture of a lion’s head, which indicates that they had traveled outside of Greece, since there are no lions here.
Next, we took the bus over to the archaeological site of Knossos, a huge Minoan palace. This, too, was pretty interesting because it was so big. There were gorgeous frescoes on the walls and it even had a plumbing system in the king’s quarters. And this was 4000 years before Christ! This is the oldest stuff we will see while here and it never ceases to amaze me.
By this time it was 1 PM and we were all starving. Katula said we would drive out to Arkhanes, a little town, for lunch. We arrived and Vangeli announced we were stopping in a small museum first. The word “museum” brought on a small groan that echoed throughout the bus. It ended up being only one room, the coolest artifact being the first – some coffins with real skeletons inside –, but after that I didn’t hear a thing. We tried to go to one of the two tavernas, but the old man’s wife was in the hospital so he wasn’t open. Obviously we then went to the other, where I sat at a table with six students and Katula. It was good company and amazing food, but pretty bad service. One woman was waiting on the whole place! I guess they hadn’t been expecting a group of 21, so we all understood. We ordered a little bit of everything – tzatziki, omelettes with potatoes or vegetables, chicken fillets, beef patties, some veggies, and dakos (more popular than the Greek salad in Crete, it’s a big crouton topped with tomato paste and feta. Yum!).
We stopped in “the best gelato place in all of Crete” according to Katula (which he says about every place he points out), but it was very good. I had some flavor with chocolate swirl inside, but I couldn’t really tell what it was. The bus driver said no food on the bus, so for the second time that day, I had to scarf down my food, which completely detracted from the joy of ice cream in the first place.
Finally, about 5:30 PM, we checked into Hotel Olympic near the center of town where we had spent the morning. The rooms are nice, probably near the middle but higher end of our hotels thus far. Sarah and I immediately took a nap and didn’t wake up until 9:15 PM! We were both just passed out. When we did get up, we showered and went to pick up pizza and some drinks.
The boys had found some clubs up near the waterfront earlier in the day and assured us it was no more than a 15 minute walk, so we followed them. It obviously turned out to be more like a 30 minute walk, but no big deal, I enjoyed the exercise. We went to a place called Desire, with a rooftop bar and dancing, where we all had a drink and sat around. Then we brought the party! We went downstairs in front of the DJ booth and moved some tables to make a dance floor. It was literally just us ten dancing in the middle of hundreds of Greeks staring on awkwardly. But we didn’t care; we just danced! We went to another place after, but it was full of sketchy men so we took cabs back around 3:30 AM.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Thessaloniki: Beach Day
Today was such a great day!
I'm sure I don't have to convince you that waking up this morning was nearly impossible. Only three hours after going to sleep, it was 7:30 AM and already time to get up. Our third roommate had to physically wake me, and I had to yell at Sarah to get her out of bed. I think half of the battle was that Sarah and I are both partially deaf from the club.
Breakfast was kind of funny because everyone slowly drifted in and our professor was just laughing at all of us. The boys apparently woke up 30 minutes late and had to run down -- they forgot most everything they had planned to bring to the beach. We were a rough looking bunch. Everyone slept the entire 90 minute bus ride. It’s never been so quiet!
We finally reached Sithonia, ranked one of the world’s best beaches according to Katula, at 10 AM. It was unbelievably beautiful and as we drove through town, Katula took on the role of tour guide and pointed out sites such as “pizza” and “hamburger.”
We found a public beach and all sprawled out, most of us sleeping. When I eventually felt as if I was in a frying pan, I made my way to the water. This water was without a doubt the best I’ve ever experienced. It’s hard to really put it into words, but I’ll try … So when I wrote about the other beaches having clear water, I must have lied, because this was so clear that I could see my shadow on the sand below me. It was literally crystal clear, you could even see all of the fish and rocks swimming below. The temperature was perfect; so refreshing. And this is the part that’s hard to describe – the water just felt different, like the way your body moved. It felt fresh and pure, and took no effort at all to swim. Because of so much salt, your body just floats.
Four of us walked right across the street to a taverna for lunch. I had Greek salad and tzatziki with bread. It was really nice, but the flies here are crazy! They’re all over the food and I’m pretty sure they bite because I kept feeling little nips on my feet. I spent most of the rest of the afternoon in the water because it was so amazing. I swam out to the buoy a few times, floated, chatted, exfoliated myself with the grainy sand, and at the end of it all, had a thick layer of salt on my dried skin.
We all got some gelato before getting on the bus to head back to Thessaloniki. The gelato was awesome – definitely the creamiest we’ve had. At the gelateria, there was a little baby bird on the ground that had fallen out of its nest up above. It was so sad! We tried to give it some water but it was too afraid of us.
Once we got back, I showered and then set out walking through the city on my own. It was very liberating to be by myself – I think for the first time since we arrived – just doing everything on my terms. I went in a couple of shops – bought a scarf –, walked along the water front, and picked up some pastries from the most famous bakery in Thessaloniki. I was so sweaty when I got back I could have showered again!
Everyone was so exhausted from last night, we decided just to run to Goody’s (that fast food place) across the street for dinner. Then I packed up and have been hanging out since. We have a 4:45 AM wake up call tomorrow to catch our flight down to Crete … and then a full day of sightseeing before we check into the hotel at 3 PM. But the good news is that we are off on Saturday so have the entire day to ourselves. I can tell you what that will certainly include. Sleeping in!
I'm sure I don't have to convince you that waking up this morning was nearly impossible. Only three hours after going to sleep, it was 7:30 AM and already time to get up. Our third roommate had to physically wake me, and I had to yell at Sarah to get her out of bed. I think half of the battle was that Sarah and I are both partially deaf from the club.
Breakfast was kind of funny because everyone slowly drifted in and our professor was just laughing at all of us. The boys apparently woke up 30 minutes late and had to run down -- they forgot most everything they had planned to bring to the beach. We were a rough looking bunch. Everyone slept the entire 90 minute bus ride. It’s never been so quiet!
We finally reached Sithonia, ranked one of the world’s best beaches according to Katula, at 10 AM. It was unbelievably beautiful and as we drove through town, Katula took on the role of tour guide and pointed out sites such as “pizza” and “hamburger.”
We found a public beach and all sprawled out, most of us sleeping. When I eventually felt as if I was in a frying pan, I made my way to the water. This water was without a doubt the best I’ve ever experienced. It’s hard to really put it into words, but I’ll try … So when I wrote about the other beaches having clear water, I must have lied, because this was so clear that I could see my shadow on the sand below me. It was literally crystal clear, you could even see all of the fish and rocks swimming below. The temperature was perfect; so refreshing. And this is the part that’s hard to describe – the water just felt different, like the way your body moved. It felt fresh and pure, and took no effort at all to swim. Because of so much salt, your body just floats.
Four of us walked right across the street to a taverna for lunch. I had Greek salad and tzatziki with bread. It was really nice, but the flies here are crazy! They’re all over the food and I’m pretty sure they bite because I kept feeling little nips on my feet. I spent most of the rest of the afternoon in the water because it was so amazing. I swam out to the buoy a few times, floated, chatted, exfoliated myself with the grainy sand, and at the end of it all, had a thick layer of salt on my dried skin.
We all got some gelato before getting on the bus to head back to Thessaloniki. The gelato was awesome – definitely the creamiest we’ve had. At the gelateria, there was a little baby bird on the ground that had fallen out of its nest up above. It was so sad! We tried to give it some water but it was too afraid of us.
Once we got back, I showered and then set out walking through the city on my own. It was very liberating to be by myself – I think for the first time since we arrived – just doing everything on my terms. I went in a couple of shops – bought a scarf –, walked along the water front, and picked up some pastries from the most famous bakery in Thessaloniki. I was so sweaty when I got back I could have showered again!
Everyone was so exhausted from last night, we decided just to run to Goody’s (that fast food place) across the street for dinner. Then I packed up and have been hanging out since. We have a 4:45 AM wake up call tomorrow to catch our flight down to Crete … and then a full day of sightseeing before we check into the hotel at 3 PM. But the good news is that we are off on Saturday so have the entire day to ourselves. I can tell you what that will certainly include. Sleeping in!
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