Day 9

I’m back to the blog after a couple days, we’ve been busy with class and doing things in the local neighborhood so there hasn’t been much to update. But not to worry, plenty has happened in the past couple of days and I haven’t forgotten about you! And what the guidebooks don't tell you is that many, if not all of the cafes and bars around Athens offer free wifi. All you have to do is ask and they are more than willing to give you the password. It's nice to get a coffee or something small so they don't think you're jsut mooching off them. Athens is actually trying out a new internet tactic in the busiest part of the city, Syntagma Square. They offer free wifi around the whole square for 17 months just to see how it will work out.

Today we all got up at 5:45 to catch the 7:00 bus to Piraeus, (which is one of the biggest boating ports in the world) to get onto the boat for our three-island cruise. We boarded our boat while the sun was coming over the mountains, and thankfully we’re supposed to have a beautiful, clear day. The plan was to go to the smaller islands further away and then eventually make our way back to Piraeus. Our first stop was a tiny island south of the Peloponnese called Hydra. The island doesn’t allow cars or motor bikes so it was quite nice to walk around the island and not have to worry about getting run over. Also, as soon as we stepped off the boat we were greeted by 20 cats, all lounging in the sun, waiting for the tourists to give them a little love.

We were given about 2 hours to explore the island so I jogged up the mountain, in between the white-washed houses with colorful doors, through people’s back yards, past the barking dogs and up to a large landing with a view over the red tiled roofs. It was really peaceful sitting above the city with only the noise of a small school down below with the kids playing soccer in the warm winter morning. I took some photos and headed back down the steps to grab a coffee and have a look in the local shops.  After an hour of hanging out and people watching in Hydra is was time to get back on the boat and move on to Poros.

A short boat ride and we arrived in Poros, an even smaller island closer to Athens. Here, cars and motorbikes are allowed to speed through the streets. A couple of us took a quick hike up the hill to look at the clock tower while everyone else decided to stay at the cafe and have an afternoon drink. We only had an hour here so before we knew it we had to be back on the boat. They leave a sign out front of the boat saying when they are leaving and they told us to be on the boat 10 minutes before the posted sign. It was inevitable that some of the kids were going to have a hard time staying on schedule and sure enough missed the boat. We had already pulled off when they came running toward the landing, so the boat had to pull back to the dock to pick them up. Typical. Now that we had everyone on the boat it was time to head over to the last island, Aegina.

Aegina is a much larger island with a much bigger city than the previous two islands. We had about 2 hours to explore so naturally everyone had had a very tough day sitting around and chose to sit on the boat or at a cafe. To be fair some chose to walk up and down the main street. But I figured the point of the excursion was to explore the islands and see how the Greeks lived. I broke off from the group and headed into the town to take some pictures. There was even a closed off area with some ancient ruins that many people didn't get to see so in the end everyone missed out. I got back with about a half hour to spare so I got a coffee and watched some of the local soccer teams play on TV. 

Back on the boat, we had an hour boat ride back to Piraeus and then a bus ride back to the hotel. By the time we got back everyone was dead tired and ready for bed. Most people had to be up at 5 in the morning for their flights and trips abroad. 

I have the weekend to myself so hopefully I'll be able to find some things to do. The weather is supposed to be gross so it looks like the museums are going to get some of my money. Hope everything is going well back home and check back for more updates! Antio!

 

Greece Day 9 Slideshow