I am happy to report that I have finally awoken. When I fell out of bed this morning, I felt like I had gotten enough sleep; that I was aware of things and no longer living in a fog!
Yippee!
So, more vacation narrative.
Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25, 2007
When I woke up, I found a cute little present underneath the tree for me- - a set of 3 Swarovski crystal penguins standing on crystal ice. Very cute. Greg & I had watched The March of the Penguins on TV just before we left on vacation so the gift was very apt. (it just broke my heart when those two penguins get upset after they have destroyed their egg upon passing it from mother to father!)
Kelsey bounded into our room after a brief knock; it reminded me of when she was a child and could hardly wait to share her presents with us – Greg was still undressed, but under the covers; I just threw on a shirt to cover myself. Duh. We both sleep nekid!
Showing us that she received an IPOD from Matt; we expressed interest over it even though we had bought the thing from Costco and taken it with us for this express purpose!
Walking to the Termini, we got gelati and then stopped at a store for medicine – Greg thought he was coming down with a cold. Kelsey got the 1st class reservation tickets for our train the following day. The young gentleman behind the counter seemed surprised that we were so knowledgeable about the train & polite to him! We then walked through the UPIM department store on the way out.
Kelsey and I had played a little trick on the guys when we had been walking behind them, talking. The guys were further up ahead and totally engrossed in whatever they were discussing. K&I quickly hid behind a ceiling support that must have been about 4 feet wide-we tried to be quiet-suppressing our giggles. The guys immediately turned around and found us. Matt was quite upset as he thought we might have gotten kidnapped – Greg knew immediately what we had done as he had not heard my boots clicking behind him!
So needless to say, while we were walking thru the UPIM store, the guys made sure they kept us in sight the whole time…
We walked back to our hotel as nothing much was open and snacked with drinks & wine at the top of the hotel. The sun was shining down on us and I could not have imagined a better way to spend Christmas at that approximate moment.
Both Greg & I have missed the kids dearly while they have been away. It was great to share this time with them. I am so lucky to have a great baby. She will always be my baby.
Once the sun went behind the buildings, it got breezily cold. Greg wanted to take a nap and Matt had gotten sloshed on too much alcohol. Kelsey noticed that the tickets we had gotten were for the incorrect time; so instead of running to the terminal in a taxi with Kelesy as we suggested, Matt decided to RUN down to the terminal by himself. It was getting late & dark by now, and I was concerned about him going down there.
He was determined to go no matter what, so off he took! I took a shower & Greg napped. My shower was only about 15-20 minutes and I had just laid down beside Greg when there was a loud rap on the door. Matt had already returned. Seems that the train reservation desk had just been closing as he got there, so it was fortunate that he went right then.
After our nap, we started getting ready for dinner. Kelsey had a slight distress as the skirt she had brought along was tighter than she had thought. So I loaned her my puffy sweater to wear over her outfit. Everything was ok.
Dinner was at the hotel about 500 feet away. It was very elegant and had a sum total of 4 people dancing attendance on about 40 tables! The different courses were all delicious. Wine; Ham Omelette; Tortellini Soup; Veal surrounded by Bread, Potatoes & Broccoli; Fruit Salad; Christmas Cake Pudding. We were supposed to have veal as indicated on the menu, but we all believed it tasted & looked like pork.
After dinner, we took brief pictures in front of the decorated tree in the lobby and returned to our own hotel to pack & sleep.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Or as later known, the beginning of our descent into Hell-
The day started off with Greg having a coughing spell at 2AM. I fell out of bed to rummage around for his medicine. Kelsey then called us at 6AM to make sure we were ready to go. We packed the last of our things, and checked out. I was not going to go down the stairs with our bags, so I went down in the elevator that barely fit 2 people!
It was raining & cold outside. I was thoroughly glad that I had worn my long wool coat. The concierage was kind enough to go out in the rain with an umbrella to hail us a taxi. It costs only 13 Euro this time, instead of 30. Which we had to point out to Greg!
Stop at the Chef Express and sat down to sip warm coffees while we waited to board our train. We asked for white Americano coffees (coffee with cream) but what we got was pure liquid coffee beans. The coffee (or espresso) in other countries tastes very bitter, but has no caffeine kick in it at all. It was very difficult for me to wake up during the day without my caffeine fix. Next time I will have to remember to take caffeine pills!
We got on the train track #7 for Bari at 7:30AM. It was a grey, depressing day and there was fog everywhere. The passing countryside was very distressed. Lots of abandoned homes, buildings. Homes & towns seemed to be built on top of each other on the hills – lots of dirty graffiti and garbage everywhere.
The seats were nice, facing each other and we were even at a table. Greg & Matt wander off in the direction of the food car – they bring chocolate cake back for me and a glazed croissant for Kelsey. The milk Greg got for me tastes strong – like it came right from the cow only a few seconds before.
Kelsey wrote in her journal for a while, Greg napped, Matt played hangman on the translator, we all played a trivia game with Kelsey which was on her new IPOD. Greg fell asleep and so did Matt later on…We find out that the bathrooms do not flush on the train;
The train sits for quite a while at Foggia before we resume our journey. Finally arriving in Bari, we take a quick taxi ride to the Ferry. The check-in is closed and we go upstairs to wait. The escalator is shut off, so we take the elevator. The gift shop upstairs that looked pretty interesting is closed. Kelsey & I lament about this because we would have bought a couple things in it; some earrings for me & maybe a cute dress for Kelsey. We find the bathrooms and all feel better. Beginning our wait, we find loud talking, dirty men who stare at us upstairs. When I go to the bathroom again, one of them even goes into the women’s bathroom with me. I didn’t realize it until I left, but I warn the guys that we need to be escorted to the bathrooms from now on! (however, I do have to note that these bathrooms are FREE)
Kelsey sleeps for a while, then plays with her IPOD again. I take a short nap.
Greg & I take a walk outside to get out of smoke and heavy, uncirculated air in the building. Matt & Kelsey are distressed by the loud talkers who are still staring – so we move downstairs.
We wait from 1PM until 4PM for the reception window to open. The notice indicates they open at 4PM, but after they don’t open until 4:15PM we all start joking that their times are more of a “target” and not a hard & fast rule!
Getting on the boat after check-in; it is pouring down rain outside. We find that the boat has been there the whole time, but they have not allowed anyone to board. Loading the passengers on at the same time as the vehicles, we have to step lively to avoid being run over!
There is absolutely no security checks as we board, and ascend 2 escalators. But the Greek stewards stare at each one of us as we continue up to the main deck. It was very disconcerting. Our room is 105; directly off the main deck. We have 4 beds, 2 fold-downs. The fold-downs only have mattresses that are 1” thick which I will discover to my distress later that night.
Getting drinks in the bar is our only viable option as the restaurants & gift shop will not open until the ferry is underway. We all try Ouzo which is the native drink of Greece. According to Wikipedia “it is an anise-flavored liqueur that is widely consumed in Greece. It is similar to French pastis, or Italian Sambuca and Turkish rakı, but a little sweeter and smoother.” It looks like water, goes down like water, but it is great!
Once we feel the vessel moving, we immediately go to the buffet to eat as we are all starving. There had been no vending machines in the building while we were waiting and the meager food that we had packed had all been eaten. The dinner is OK, but not great.
Got internet access for Kelsey from reception. Go back to the bar for more drinks. Afterwards, Kelsey wants to get on the i
nternet, so I accompany her back to the room. Her computer has problems signing in because of her AOL download, so she has to use my computer. Matt came to the room to get us so we could dance. There is a gentleman in the bar who is teasing Greg & Matt that they can’t dance. It was fun to dance. Very hot, dark. Lots of ’80 tunes! Greg & I dance as Kelsey films us. Matt & I dance as Kelsey takes pictures. The great dancer we dub “Guido” as he speaks no English & we are very bad at Greek (or Italian we couldn't tell which language they were speaking) continues to dance and show others out to do his intricate moves. Guido is about 55, short & balding with a great enthusiastic personality! With him are a group of about 8 – 4 men & 4 women. After much dancing & drinking, Kelsey went back to the room while we continued to party. Kelsey later told Matt that she had never seen her parents have so much fun.
Guido’s group finally did a twisting “snake” dance out of the room which we all participated with, then left. Greg, Matt & I hung around for a bit, then decided we all needed fresh air. We went up on deck and found a bunch of American girls that were hanging out with an American guy who looked to be about 25. The girls were students who were traveling Europe & staying in hostels. Talking with them about travel & sites, we finally went back in to the room. I tried going to the bathroom (which was very small & cramped) and fell over into the shower when the boat hit a wave. I bruised my left arm and leg.
Greg & Matt left the room again to go have more beer in the bar. Greg finally arrived in the room later – Matt was about an hour after that. He took a shower, then fell into bed. Kelsey was yelling at Matt to turn off his bed reading light, but Matt couldn’t wake up to do it. It was hilarious to hear Kelsey yelling at Matt, then throwing a book at him to get his attention!
About 3AM, we docked at the first stop wherein all the truckers left. The room soon filled with noxious diesel fumes. Kelsey, Greg & I were woken by the noise and I had Greg get up to open the door for fresh air. When he opened the door, the room filled with cigarette smoke. I pointed out that the ship was not equipped with carbon monoxide detectors! Kelsey stated that the guys would probably die first as they were on the lower bunks – I told her that we needed a parakeet to sniff out the fumes. Greg then started chirping, forcing Kelsey and I to have the giggles for another few hours. We would almost be asleep when he would go “chirp, chirp” very quietly. Hilarious! This truly felt like we were a family again as we would do these outrageously dumb things when Kelsey lived with us.
At 4AM, something started banging against the side of the boat like a huge chain. The mattress was killing me as I was lying on my bruised left side. It was a relief to finally get up the next morning.
At 5AM, I started yelling as loudly as I could because the woman in the next room was loudly screeching in Italian, then vomiting, then screeching again. It went on for hours! Kelsey & Greg woke up to hear all the commotion.
By 7AM, it was time to get up.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
or...Truly, a day in hell!
Greg, Kelsey & I eat a truly disgusting breakfast at the buffet. We let Matt sleep a little longer. Returning to the room, Matt is awake & dressed.
Unable to wait in our room for the ferry to dock, we are shooed from our rooms by 3 various stewards. We finally move ourselves & our luggage as does everyone on the boat & procced to wait in the long hallway at the exit. The vessel seems to tip starboard as there are so many people on this side of the boat.
We leave the ferry at Patras. Which is touted in the brochures as "the shipping capital of Italy"! Huh. More like the edge of Hades!
Finding out later that the unemployment rate in Bari is the highest in the whole country does nothing to endear it to us.
We disembark from the Ferry and find that there are no signs to indicate anything. There is no building for information. So we start walking. First in the wrong direction. Then we find a policeman and Greg asks. We go in the opposite direction after Greg finds a bakery. He is hungry & has to have sustenance again. We continue walking.
Walking into hell. Gangs of young men about 13-18 start to follow us. It is truy scary. This area is the most disgusting, dirty, horrible area we have been in yet. Garbage in the streets, and slime under our feet. It is hot, humid, and I am in fear of my life. Hiding my camera & purse, the guys gather closer to us. It was only supposed to be a short 5 minute walk to the train station but it turns into 20 minutes of absolute horror. We keep trekking, but everybody we run into for directions is rude, nasty, and unhelpful.
We pass young men (more gangs) hanging out on the sidewalks. Some of them are kissing, some are reaching for each others' genitals. We walk so close to them that I can smell the stink of their rotted breath. Greg later indicates he didn't notice any of this, but I can't believe he was 1 inch away from them and didn't see anything! Greg had put his shorts on this morning, and the young gang members eye him up like candy! This is so disgusting. As we finally near the train station that truly was built back in the 1920s, a group of five older men are blocking the doors. Matt forces them to move so we may enter.
Kelsey & Matt approach the window to get 1st class tickets for the journey. They are told there are none available. We will have to travel 2nd class. Ugh. A man staggers through the depot several times & dumps over the garbage bin. Nobody moves to pick it up. There are no-smoking signs everywhere, yet even the workers are smoking-smoke filtering through their nostrils in a plume of blue! Ugh. We wait for about 20 minutes for the train and finally exit to the only track outside. It is even worse. A crowd of people in the area, no fresh air anyplace - more garbage litters the area. There are dead rats between the train rails. Ugh.
Boarding the train as it powers into the station is scary. It is the oldest train I have ever seen. At a top speed of about 20mph, it teeters & totters on the track and gives us the shakiest ride we have been on yet. After an undetermined length of too much time, we finally come to a stop. Only to be told we have to change trains yet again. We are to get on an underground train which will take us into Athens. At first we find seats by the doors, Greg, Kelsey & Matt on one side, I on the other. The train gets more crowded as we get closer to the city. One couple is making out beside me for quite a while. The smell of body odor is more than I can stand. After losing sight of the others, I finally get out of my seat to ask them when we should disembark for the airport. The young couple that were beside me quit making out and tell me in broken english that it does not go to the airport. That we will have to get off at the next stop, change trains again and then continue. I thank them profusely and we all get off. Finding the next train,we board and sit on decent seats for about 10 minutes.
At the airport, it is a confusing mess. The airport seems to be a newer one but is probably just challenging to us as we are dead tired & stressed. We check our bags in to a temporary holding area, to wait in line at the Olympic Air desk to find out if we can take a sooner plane. Finding out that the earliest we can get out is the one we are booked on for tomorrow morning, we despair & resolve to spend the night in the airport. I had seen a hotel as we entered the airport & all of us gravitate to it. We cross to the Sofitel & find out that it is $325 Euro per room. $569. Plus, they don't have 2 double beds. Their rules are such that 2 adults to each room. So we will have to have 2 rooms. At this point, we are all tired, disgusted with Greece and hungry. Greg reserves the rooms and we get the keys.
Going to our rooms, we take showers, I find that I have a slight kidney infection from not drinking enough & not peeing enough.
Yippee!
So, more vacation narrative.
Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25, 2007
When I woke up, I found a cute little present underneath the tree for me- - a set of 3 Swarovski crystal penguins standing on crystal ice. Very cute. Greg & I had watched The March of the Penguins on TV just before we left on vacation so the gift was very apt. (it just broke my heart when those two penguins get upset after they have destroyed their egg upon passing it from mother to father!)
Kelsey bounded into our room after a brief knock; it reminded me of when she was a child and could hardly wait to share her presents with us – Greg was still undressed, but under the covers; I just threw on a shirt to cover myself. Duh. We both sleep nekid!
Showing us that she received an IPOD from Matt; we expressed interest over it even though we had bought the thing from Costco and taken it with us for this express purpose!
Walking to the Termini, we got gelati and then stopped at a store for medicine – Greg thought he was coming down with a cold. Kelsey got the 1st class reservation tickets for our train the following day. The young gentleman behind the counter seemed surprised that we were so knowledgeable about the train & polite to him! We then walked through the UPIM department store on the way out.
Kelsey and I had played a little trick on the guys when we had been walking behind them, talking. The guys were further up ahead and totally engrossed in whatever they were discussing. K&I quickly hid behind a ceiling support that must have been about 4 feet wide-we tried to be quiet-suppressing our giggles. The guys immediately turned around and found us. Matt was quite upset as he thought we might have gotten kidnapped – Greg knew immediately what we had done as he had not heard my boots clicking behind him!
So needless to say, while we were walking thru the UPIM store, the guys made sure they kept us in sight the whole time…
We walked back to our hotel as nothing much was open and snacked with drinks & wine at the top of the hotel. The sun was shining down on us and I could not have imagined a better way to spend Christmas at that approximate moment.
Both Greg & I have missed the kids dearly while they have been away. It was great to share this time with them. I am so lucky to have a great baby. She will always be my baby.
Once the sun went behind the buildings, it got breezily cold. Greg wanted to take a nap and Matt had gotten sloshed on too much alcohol. Kelsey noticed that the tickets we had gotten were for the incorrect time; so instead of running to the terminal in a taxi with Kelesy as we suggested, Matt decided to RUN down to the terminal by himself. It was getting late & dark by now, and I was concerned about him going down there.
He was determined to go no matter what, so off he took! I took a shower & Greg napped. My shower was only about 15-20 minutes and I had just laid down beside Greg when there was a loud rap on the door. Matt had already returned. Seems that the train reservation desk had just been closing as he got there, so it was fortunate that he went right then.
After our nap, we started getting ready for dinner. Kelsey had a slight distress as the skirt she had brought along was tighter than she had thought. So I loaned her my puffy sweater to wear over her outfit. Everything was ok.
Dinner was at the hotel about 500 feet away. It was very elegant and had a sum total of 4 people dancing attendance on about 40 tables! The different courses were all delicious. Wine; Ham Omelette; Tortellini Soup; Veal surrounded by Bread, Potatoes & Broccoli; Fruit Salad; Christmas Cake Pudding. We were supposed to have veal as indicated on the menu, but we all believed it tasted & looked like pork.
After dinner, we took brief pictures in front of the decorated tree in the lobby and returned to our own hotel to pack & sleep.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Or as later known, the beginning of our descent into Hell-
The day started off with Greg having a coughing spell at 2AM. I fell out of bed to rummage around for his medicine. Kelsey then called us at 6AM to make sure we were ready to go. We packed the last of our things, and checked out. I was not going to go down the stairs with our bags, so I went down in the elevator that barely fit 2 people!
It was raining & cold outside. I was thoroughly glad that I had worn my long wool coat. The concierage was kind enough to go out in the rain with an umbrella to hail us a taxi. It costs only 13 Euro this time, instead of 30. Which we had to point out to Greg!
Stop at the Chef Express and sat down to sip warm coffees while we waited to board our train. We asked for white Americano coffees (coffee with cream) but what we got was pure liquid coffee beans. The coffee (or espresso) in other countries tastes very bitter, but has no caffeine kick in it at all. It was very difficult for me to wake up during the day without my caffeine fix. Next time I will have to remember to take caffeine pills!
We got on the train track #7 for Bari at 7:30AM. It was a grey, depressing day and there was fog everywhere. The passing countryside was very distressed. Lots of abandoned homes, buildings. Homes & towns seemed to be built on top of each other on the hills – lots of dirty graffiti and garbage everywhere.
The seats were nice, facing each other and we were even at a table. Greg & Matt wander off in the direction of the food car – they bring chocolate cake back for me and a glazed croissant for Kelsey. The milk Greg got for me tastes strong – like it came right from the cow only a few seconds before.
Kelsey wrote in her journal for a while, Greg napped, Matt played hangman on the translator, we all played a trivia game with Kelsey which was on her new IPOD. Greg fell asleep and so did Matt later on…We find out that the bathrooms do not flush on the train;
The train sits for quite a while at Foggia before we resume our journey. Finally arriving in Bari, we take a quick taxi ride to the Ferry. The check-in is closed and we go upstairs to wait. The escalator is shut off, so we take the elevator. The gift shop upstairs that looked pretty interesting is closed. Kelsey & I lament about this because we would have bought a couple things in it; some earrings for me & maybe a cute dress for Kelsey. We find the bathrooms and all feel better. Beginning our wait, we find loud talking, dirty men who stare at us upstairs. When I go to the bathroom again, one of them even goes into the women’s bathroom with me. I didn’t realize it until I left, but I warn the guys that we need to be escorted to the bathrooms from now on! (however, I do have to note that these bathrooms are FREE)
Kelsey sleeps for a while, then plays with her IPOD again. I take a short nap.
Greg & I take a walk outside to get out of smoke and heavy, uncirculated air in the building. Matt & Kelsey are distressed by the loud talkers who are still staring – so we move downstairs.
We wait from 1PM until 4PM for the reception window to open. The notice indicates they open at 4PM, but after they don’t open until 4:15PM we all start joking that their times are more of a “target” and not a hard & fast rule!
Getting on the boat after check-in; it is pouring down rain outside. We find that the boat has been there the whole time, but they have not allowed anyone to board. Loading the passengers on at the same time as the vehicles, we have to step lively to avoid being run over!
There is absolutely no security checks as we board, and ascend 2 escalators. But the Greek stewards stare at each one of us as we continue up to the main deck. It was very disconcerting. Our room is 105; directly off the main deck. We have 4 beds, 2 fold-downs. The fold-downs only have mattresses that are 1” thick which I will discover to my distress later that night.
Getting drinks in the bar is our only viable option as the restaurants & gift shop will not open until the ferry is underway. We all try Ouzo which is the native drink of Greece. According to Wikipedia “it is an anise-flavored liqueur that is widely consumed in Greece. It is similar to French pastis, or Italian Sambuca and Turkish rakı, but a little sweeter and smoother.” It looks like water, goes down like water, but it is great!
Once we feel the vessel moving, we immediately go to the buffet to eat as we are all starving. There had been no vending machines in the building while we were waiting and the meager food that we had packed had all been eaten. The dinner is OK, but not great.
Got internet access for Kelsey from reception. Go back to the bar for more drinks. Afterwards, Kelsey wants to get on the i
nternet, so I accompany her back to the room. Her computer has problems signing in because of her AOL download, so she has to use my computer. Matt came to the room to get us so we could dance. There is a gentleman in the bar who is teasing Greg & Matt that they can’t dance. It was fun to dance. Very hot, dark. Lots of ’80 tunes! Greg & I dance as Kelsey films us. Matt & I dance as Kelsey takes pictures. The great dancer we dub “Guido” as he speaks no English & we are very bad at Greek (or Italian we couldn't tell which language they were speaking) continues to dance and show others out to do his intricate moves. Guido is about 55, short & balding with a great enthusiastic personality! With him are a group of about 8 – 4 men & 4 women. After much dancing & drinking, Kelsey went back to the room while we continued to party. Kelsey later told Matt that she had never seen her parents have so much fun.Guido’s group finally did a twisting “snake” dance out of the room which we all participated with, then left. Greg, Matt & I hung around for a bit, then decided we all needed fresh air. We went up on deck and found a bunch of American girls that were hanging out with an American guy who looked to be about 25. The girls were students who were traveling Europe & staying in hostels. Talking with them about travel & sites, we finally went back in to the room. I tried going to the bathroom (which was very small & cramped) and fell over into the shower when the boat hit a wave. I bruised my left arm and leg.
Greg & Matt left the room again to go have more beer in the bar. Greg finally arrived in the room later – Matt was about an hour after that. He took a shower, then fell into bed. Kelsey was yelling at Matt to turn off his bed reading light, but Matt couldn’t wake up to do it. It was hilarious to hear Kelsey yelling at Matt, then throwing a book at him to get his attention!
About 3AM, we docked at the first stop wherein all the truckers left. The room soon filled with noxious diesel fumes. Kelsey, Greg & I were woken by the noise and I had Greg get up to open the door for fresh air. When he opened the door, the room filled with cigarette smoke. I pointed out that the ship was not equipped with carbon monoxide detectors! Kelsey stated that the guys would probably die first as they were on the lower bunks – I told her that we needed a parakeet to sniff out the fumes. Greg then started chirping, forcing Kelsey and I to have the giggles for another few hours. We would almost be asleep when he would go “chirp, chirp” very quietly. Hilarious! This truly felt like we were a family again as we would do these outrageously dumb things when Kelsey lived with us.
At 4AM, something started banging against the side of the boat like a huge chain. The mattress was killing me as I was lying on my bruised left side. It was a relief to finally get up the next morning.
At 5AM, I started yelling as loudly as I could because the woman in the next room was loudly screeching in Italian, then vomiting, then screeching again. It went on for hours! Kelsey & Greg woke up to hear all the commotion.
By 7AM, it was time to get up.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
or...Truly, a day in hell!
Greg, Kelsey & I eat a truly disgusting breakfast at the buffet. We let Matt sleep a little longer. Returning to the room, Matt is awake & dressed.
Unable to wait in our room for the ferry to dock, we are shooed from our rooms by 3 various stewards. We finally move ourselves & our luggage as does everyone on the boat & procced to wait in the long hallway at the exit. The vessel seems to tip starboard as there are so many people on this side of the boat.
We leave the ferry at Patras. Which is touted in the brochures as "the shipping capital of Italy"! Huh. More like the edge of Hades!
Finding out later that the unemployment rate in Bari is the highest in the whole country does nothing to endear it to us.
We disembark from the Ferry and find that there are no signs to indicate anything. There is no building for information. So we start walking. First in the wrong direction. Then we find a policeman and Greg asks. We go in the opposite direction after Greg finds a bakery. He is hungry & has to have sustenance again. We continue walking.
Walking into hell. Gangs of young men about 13-18 start to follow us. It is truy scary. This area is the most disgusting, dirty, horrible area we have been in yet. Garbage in the streets, and slime under our feet. It is hot, humid, and I am in fear of my life. Hiding my camera & purse, the guys gather closer to us. It was only supposed to be a short 5 minute walk to the train station but it turns into 20 minutes of absolute horror. We keep trekking, but everybody we run into for directions is rude, nasty, and unhelpful.
We pass young men (more gangs) hanging out on the sidewalks. Some of them are kissing, some are reaching for each others' genitals. We walk so close to them that I can smell the stink of their rotted breath. Greg later indicates he didn't notice any of this, but I can't believe he was 1 inch away from them and didn't see anything! Greg had put his shorts on this morning, and the young gang members eye him up like candy! This is so disgusting. As we finally near the train station that truly was built back in the 1920s, a group of five older men are blocking the doors. Matt forces them to move so we may enter.
Kelsey & Matt approach the window to get 1st class tickets for the journey. They are told there are none available. We will have to travel 2nd class. Ugh. A man staggers through the depot several times & dumps over the garbage bin. Nobody moves to pick it up. There are no-smoking signs everywhere, yet even the workers are smoking-smoke filtering through their nostrils in a plume of blue! Ugh. We wait for about 20 minutes for the train and finally exit to the only track outside. It is even worse. A crowd of people in the area, no fresh air anyplace - more garbage litters the area. There are dead rats between the train rails. Ugh.
Boarding the train as it powers into the station is scary. It is the oldest train I have ever seen. At a top speed of about 20mph, it teeters & totters on the track and gives us the shakiest ride we have been on yet. After an undetermined length of too much time, we finally come to a stop. Only to be told we have to change trains yet again. We are to get on an underground train which will take us into Athens. At first we find seats by the doors, Greg, Kelsey & Matt on one side, I on the other. The train gets more crowded as we get closer to the city. One couple is making out beside me for quite a while. The smell of body odor is more than I can stand. After losing sight of the others, I finally get out of my seat to ask them when we should disembark for the airport. The young couple that were beside me quit making out and tell me in broken english that it does not go to the airport. That we will have to get off at the next stop, change trains again and then continue. I thank them profusely and we all get off. Finding the next train,we board and sit on decent seats for about 10 minutes.
At the airport, it is a confusing mess. The airport seems to be a newer one but is probably just challenging to us as we are dead tired & stressed. We check our bags in to a temporary holding area, to wait in line at the Olympic Air desk to find out if we can take a sooner plane. Finding out that the earliest we can get out is the one we are booked on for tomorrow morning, we despair & resolve to spend the night in the airport. I had seen a hotel as we entered the airport & all of us gravitate to it. We cross to the Sofitel & find out that it is $325 Euro per room. $569. Plus, they don't have 2 double beds. Their rules are such that 2 adults to each room. So we will have to have 2 rooms. At this point, we are all tired, disgusted with Greece and hungry. Greg reserves the rooms and we get the keys.
Going to our rooms, we take showers, I find that I have a slight kidney infection from not drinking enough & not peeing enough.
3 comments:
Yay! You're back!! And a great time you had! Interesting things you saw...
Note to self: Skip Greece! I'm waiting to hear the rest of the story. Hope you have recouperated and are feeling back to your normal self by now.
Wow! Fly half-way round the world and become a blogathonical whirlwind! Do you realize how long it's going to take me to read all of this! :) (And I will... it'll just take me awhile :))
btw sweetie, thanks so much for listing my blog on your blogroll. Who knows... I may actually have to write something! :)
Glad you're back...
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