Athens Is In Ruins

The three travelers arrived in Athens, wary from a 6 hour boat ride, only to be greeted with much adversity to overcome.  This dramatic title and introduction requires a dramatic explanation!

Where they stayed: Hell.  No, actually, just hot as hell.  It was a little place called Athens Students and Travelers Inn.  The three arrived in Athens, sweaty, hot, and looking forward to their air-conditioned accommodations.  They arrived at the inn and realized that their days of nice hotels were over, they were in a hostel.  A paint peeling, dingy, ratty blanket, be sure to check for bed bugs hostel.  They plugged in the air conditioner for the first time and it started spewing hot air.  Upon the air conditioner being set by the hostel attendant, the three were so happy that the room was becoming cold.  At least this perk, they thought.  Their hopes were quickly dashed when they realized that the machine was ejecting black flakes into the air, all over their beds.  Google told them this was black mold, and so they unplugged the air condition and opened the window; only to later realize that the humid Athens air was full of mosquitoes and so was their room.  So they closed it, which put out the mosquitoes but didn’t block out the sound of people partying in the courtyard (which was supposed to close at 12 a.m.) until 4 a.m.  Suffice it to say, an overheated and tired Ash was not a great company for either JD and Britt or for the people outside.  Britt did not make it home without using the first aid kit, because she was bit by 7 mosquitoes and had a reaction, resulting in a swollen arm, a used tube of benadryl cream and pills, and a very itchy and uncomfortable last day and flight.  The strangest part was the hostel had a great review on hostel world… so in case you come across this place, and think it looks great, DO NOT STAY HERE.

What they ate and drank:  Mostly delicious food, some bad service, and a non-delicious rock.  The first night they had great lamb kebabs, but were a) yelled at, b) ignored, c) overcharged for bread that they did not eat, and d) yelled at again.  JD and Ash ate their last gyros, which they thought rivaled #FoodBar of Santorini (though it wasn’t QUITE as good).  Britt, however, bit down into a rock-hard charcoal looking piece of something… yuck.  They had a great last dinner at a cute restaurant and followed it up with drinks at the most awesome bar – Bretto’s – a hole in the wall but a pretty one! 

What they did:  Souvenir shopped, alllll dayyy long.  Ash didn’t see the changing of the guards because they didn’t leave a 1 kilometer radius for the whole day, which was fine by her because she thought she had heat stroke from their night in hell.  They were all able to find the many souvenirs they were seeking.  However, the shirt that JD envisioned in his head, while he actually found it, wasn’t available in the colour he wanted.  He even went to a different tourist shop, where the shop owner mysteriously disappeared to get the shirt from the supplier, never to return.  The one good thing about the hostel was that it was right in the heart of the tourist shopping district.  They were able to walk back to their hostel five times to pee in all this adventuring.  They made it to their flight, after a subway door attacked Ashley when they had to get off of the subway that was going out of service last minute to catch a different one to the airport .  Luckily, they had a wonderful flight home complete with their own tvs and lots of movies to choose from. 

Lessons learned:  Staying in a hostel after staying in beautiful hotels is probably not a smart way to end your vacation.  You will denounce hostel life, staking claim on your adulthood and committing to spending more money on accommodations for the rest of your life.  Eat before you go through the security gate at the airport, in case all that is available on the other side are very stinky European cheetos.  You can’t always trust online reviews.  Sometimes they say 93% when they should really say 9.3%.  Hostel staff may try to tell you that changing the sheets is a way to deal with black mold.  Your scratchy throat and stuffy nose will tell you otherwise. 

But the biggest lesson is that no matter what comedic (or no so comedic) errors occur on your last few days, you will still have an awesome time and feel like Greece was the trip of your life… until Peru… in 13 weeks! 

Stay tuned!

Mykonos: Dernière Danse

They couldn't feel sad about Mykonos being their last island stop for too long because sadness is banned in Mykonos.  All that is allowed on the island is drinking, eating, drinking while eating, going to the beach, drinking on the beach, eating and drinking some more, clubbing and drinking, sleeping minimally and then deciding where you will eat and drink and go to the beach and club the next day.  

Where they stayed: Hotel Tagoo, another win.  Hotel Tagoo was set up on a hill to the side of the old Mykonos Town, away from the busyness and with the most perfect view of the sunset.  The hotel put the three in the lap of luxury with a pool and a poolside bar.  It was owned by Yanni, a famous professional Greek dancer, and Anna, his Mississauga-born wife.  The pool side bar was run by Jimmy, Anna's cousin who traveled from Mississauga each summer to work there - not sure how he got such a lucky gig!  Anna and Yanni were the epitome of Greek hospitality, hosting a Greek night their first night in Mykonos, complete with food ... and... lessons... in traditional Greek dancing, from none other than the professional dancer himself.  Yanni brought a crew of guests poolside, Britt and Ash among them.  At one point they tried to escape but no such luck, onto the second dance.  Let's just say Britt did awesome.  Ask us to see the video... or ask Ash... Britt might not show you.  

What they ate and drank:  Anna's mama's tzaziki with bread and Anna's own twist on spinach pies with a secret ingredient.  They also tried two gyro places (neither rivaled #Foodbar of Santorini), pizza complete with a discussion with the pizza chef of how the Greeks will prevail through the economic crisis with the help of the God Apollo, and a delicious meal of pasta, salad, and dessert in a secret garden.  

What they did:  They checked out the famous windmills in extreme wind, finding out that they are just for show and don't actually turn, but look stoically down on the town.  They wandered the streets of Little Venice / the labyrinth, aptly named for the tiny winding streets and the fact that once you enter you will have no iea where you are until you find the water again or a pelican shows you the way.  You can even misplace 5 giant windmills.  They toured Delos at the recommendation of fellow travellers and the pizza chef, managing the 30 minute rocky ferry to see a mythical island.  Delos is said to be the birthplace of Apollo, raised from the sea for Leto to give birth after decades of being pregnant.  Greek mythology is weird.  Delos became a place where people would come to live from all nationalities and religions, finding ways to communicate and live peacefully with eachother.  Later it became one of the most important trading posts in the world, and home to much money, protected from pirates due to it's holy history.  They checked out Super Paradise beach, which truly was an experience of beauty with the clear turquoise waters and white sand.  The beach was owned or used by a club, which blared fun beats and amped up the party at 4:00 p.m. with dancing ladies.  They didn't get burnt in all the wrong places, they were at the wrong beach for that, although they did see some awkward burns and bum cheeks.  They finished off their experience in Mykonos with one of the most epic nights of their lives, when they went out and were adopted by a group of men from London, UK (originally from the states) who bought them drinks and took them dancing.  

Lessons learned:  You will enjoy your fancy hotel poolside more if you aren't confined to a lounge chair unable to move without spinning.  You know you're in trouble when you feel like you're on a boat... before you get on a boat.  Luckily the water was smooth as glass, despite their being an earthquake in Turkey and Greece that day!

Ritziest moment of their young adult lives:  Drinking veuve cliquot with strawberries bottle service on the side of the Mediterranean.  They wish they could show you a picture but they weren't of the mindset to remember photos right at that moment. They must have had too many strawberries.  

A few more questions for the last day in Athens:

1) Will Britt make it home without having to use the first aid kit?

2) Will JD be able to find the many souvenirs he is seeking in one day?

3) Will Ash get to see the changing of the guards before they leave Athens, or will the election in Greece be trouble?

Stay tuned!