Beaucoup de Voyageurs

For many of my “reflections” posts, I always encourage people to travel, to experience other cultures, to try something new — even if it’s not so far away. People appear to have done this in a big way. While I certainly can’t take credit for people traveling en masse (I do after all only have three readers), I feel it necessary to add some qualifications to this travel boom. It has become clear to Nicole and I that there is such a thing as too much tourism — a breaking point if you will, not just for us, but for the destinations themselves.

 While we were away, I was reading an article about the construction of a new airport near Machu Picchu. As it stands now, Cuzco has been the gateway to the Sacred Valley, and the act of just making it to Machu Picchu has made the experience that much richer because it simply isn’t . . .simple. Whether one hikes the Inca Trail or takes the train, it has been part of the experience. And in spite of these efforts, it certainly hasn’t prevented people from showing up in large numbers. Nicole and I visited during the offseason, when the Inca Trail was closed, and the train from Cuzco was not running the entire distance. And yet, Machu Picchu was overrun by tourists. The new airport isn’t even that much closer. It is not like 777s are landing a couple miles from the site. Anyone who has seen the surrounding terrain knows this would be impossible. The concerns about low-flying aircraft disturbing the ruins may be a bit overstated as well. I think most articles about the new airport are missing the biggest point. A new airport, one with longer runways that can accomodate larger aircraft directly from the United States is pure greed. Without the airport, 15,000 people are visiting the ruins every day in high season, twice the maximum number recommended by UNESCO. Peru has taken virtually no steps to protect its tourism cash cow because it makes them a lot of money. While it is a beautiful location, I must admit that my last visit was very frustrating. There were simply TOO MANY PEOPLE.

 While Peru is condemning its most famous ruins to almost certain destruction, some cities in Europe are trying different tactics. Cities like Venice and Amsterdam have reached breaking points. Amsterdam has dismantled its famous sign that countless tourists have taken selfies in front of. They are trying to disperse the hordes to other areas of the city, or even other areas of the country. They are also trying to appeal to a “different” type of tourist. Many come to Amsterdam to drink, smoke pot, and have a “good time.” This has led to arrests and harassment in the red-light district. Clearly there is a problem.

    So if we go back to our most recent trip, I observed some things that I find a bit concerning. Santorini no longer has the capability to sustain the throngs of people that clog its narrow streets every day. At any given time during our stay, there were at least two cruise ships docked just offshore. In high season, that number can quickly rise to five. The Santorini airport has more than 23 flights a day from Athens alone plus countless others from cities all over Europe. If you have seen the airport, you would wonder how any of this is physically possible. Its terminal is smaller than Durango Regional Airport in Colorado, which has maybe 3-4 flights a day total. All of these people arriving by ship, aircraft, and ferry soon crowd the two main towns of the island. If one person stops to take a picture, look at a menu, or simply look around confused, the 200 people behind them must also stop. It is not an enjoyable situation. And yet, what is my point? Avoid Santorini? I can’t in good faith tell people not to go to the most famous Greek isle. If a person were to book a trip to the Greek Islands and not go to Santorini, all of their peers would question their judgment because all of their peers are jerks who are perpetuating the myth that Santorini is amazing. While I agree Santorini has the potential to be amazing, in its current state, it is a chlostrophobic’s nightmare and a selfie-taker’s photo op at best. And that’s really the problem. People find ways to crop the crowds out and take that perfect selfie with the blue domes and the sun-kissed white buildings perched on the cliffside. They share it on facebook or Instagram and all their friends can “like” it and be jealous. What they don’t show is the line behind them to take the same selfie, or the fact that their choice to wear a sundress and wide-brimmed hat wasn’t actually thoughtful because it’s 50 degrees and the wind is gusting at 30mph over the cliffs. BUT to take a selfie with a puffy jacket and jeans would spoil the myth and surely wouldn’t impress their friends.

 When Nicole and I got to Paros, it was like our vacation had begun (some five days after we left Los Angeles). Perhaps it is coincidence, but more likely it is that we were someplace real. We saw homes with laundry hanging across alleyways, kids hanging out by a school, old men sharing a smoke at a taverna. It sounds absurd, but you don’t actually see any of this in Santorini. All you see are other tourists. And my whole point in encouraging travel in the past was for people to experience something new. How can this happen in a place where so many other people are just the same? When we picked up the rental car in Santorini, the agent looked at my license and said, “Lots of people from California this week.” My face sunk a little. They were probably the people in the sundresses and wide-brimmed hats taking selfies. Californians are really good at perpetuating myths about good weather. It’s been the worst weather in Southern California in decades. It never rains in Southern California? I’ve shot more instrument approaches into LAX because of bad weather than any other airport this year. We are 15 degrees below our average temperature, and have seen fewer days of sun this year than any other time since I moved to Los Angeles. You wouldn’t know any of this because Sundress McGee, who interestingly enough was also a contestant on ABC’s The Bachelor, has led you to believe that SoCal is perpetually 75, sunny, and perfect beach weather ALL THE TIME.

 Santorini is of course an extreme example of overcrowding, but even places like Taormina, a town you’ve probably never heard of, is overrun by tourism. But Taormina is an interesting example because it was impossible to walk and all of a sudden it was deserted. It is packed between the hours of 11am-8pm, and then nothing. Clearly none of the tour groups stay in town and instead all arrive at the same time at 11am. In the morning, the guy working the gelato shop looked very bored. Three hours later, he looked like he was questioning all of his life’s decisions that led him to this point. So the solution, at least to Taormina, is perhaps some staggering of the tour groups. Crowding in larger cities like New York, London, or Paris is to be expected, but these cities can typically handle it. I really don’t like being in a crowd, but it makes sense when you’re in a city of millions. It’s a problem when you’re in a small town and 10,000 people are inexplicably showing up like it’s the staging area for D-Day.

 So what then is the solution? The only way toward improving the situation is for leaders to make some unpopular and difficult choices. UNESCO, as an organization has made a list of places that it deems worthy of protection, and has set forth some guidelines for local leaders to ensure their sustainability. UNESCO sites are numerous and range from things like national parks to points of historical importance to towns that just look cute like Québec City or Guanajuato, Mexico. The government of Peru clearly doesn’t care what UNESCO thinks and has elected to take the side of money over preservation of a historical monument. And to a point, you have to understand their line of thinking (as flawed as it may be). And yet, they could have taken steps to limit the number of visitors without sacrificing the popularity of their most treasured attraction. For the extreme opposite example, I direct you to Coyote Buttes North, but you may know it as “The Wave.” And if you don’t recognize that name, you’ve definitely seen photos of it in National Geographic or over some motivational poster or just hanging in your doctor’s office. The unique wavy rock formations have intrigued many and people must ask, “Where is that?” Unfortunately, it’s not easy to get to. Sure, it’s in the middle of the desert, but that’s not the hard part. Not just anyone gets the privilege to hike the three miles on an unmarked trail across a flash flood zone to “the wave.” You literally have to win the lottery. You see,in an effort to limit the human effects on the fragile environment, the National Park service has limited the number of daily hikers. You must apply online months ahead of time (and pay a fee for the trouble), only to be rejected in an impersonal email that tells you how unlucky you were.  Coyote Buttes North, the coolest thing you’ll never see, and the true meaning of wanderlust.  

 While “The Wave,” is certainly an extreme example, it could be a guideline for other overcrowded places. I visited the temples at Angkor Wat in Cambodia some eight years ago. At that point in time, there were crowds, but never did I feel that it was overcrowded. Judging by my facebook and instagram feed, that has changed. Cambodia requires a tourist visa that you must apply for ahead of time online. Would it be too much trouble to have an additional step in the process to apply for access to the temples? This way the number of visitors can be regulated, but people won’t get turned around at the gates either. Thailand had to shut down its most famous beach last year because people destroyed the coral, trashed it, and literally killed anything that made the beach pristine and beautiful in the first place. Palau in Micronesia has added an environmental protection tax to all flights arriving on the island to help save what’s left of places like Jellyfish lake. There are numerous ways to combat the issues of excess tourism, but it seems that nobody wants to act until it’s too late. Is it impossible to limit Santorini to one cruise ship a day? Maybe. And on the flip side, if those other cruise ships start going to other islands in place of Santorini, then those islands will be ruined as well. Should Santorini (and its overcrowded cousin Mykonos) be sacrificed to save a dozen others? It is a moral quandary that I don’t care to partake in.

 As a result of our experiences, Nicole and I are increasingly flocking toward the more obscure, hidden wonders of this planet. This is not just because we hate being around people and popular destinations, but we actually have had our most cherished memories in places like Bosnia or Sri Lanka. People often judge some of our choices. “You’ll get your car stolen in Albania!,” “Why would you ever go to Belfast? Dublin’s where it’s at!,” or “Aren’t the Vietnamese still mad at us?” are just a few things we have heard over the years. You could say we’re doing our part to achieve the Amsterdam goal of dispersing tourists to lesser known destinations. Next month, we will be going to cheer on the U.S. women’s soccer team at the World Cup in France, but it won’t be in Paris. It will be in Reims, a small town to the east that doesn’t even have its own airport. But Nicole and I have the fortune to be making choices like that. If someone hasn’t been to France before, they would have to go to Paris and see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and eat baguettes on the Champs-Elysées. We have the luxury to say no to all that, a luxury that I promise will never be taken for granted. And maybe it is because Nicole and I have had this crazy fortune to have been to so many places that only now do we realize issues like . . .crowds. Maybe a first-time visitor just accepts their fate and knows no different, and is still somehow able to actually enjoy the experience. Kudos to them for being able to pull that off. Unfortunately for us, the spoiled celebrity couple you know as Bricole, that time has passed and I think it will be some time before we end up in a super popular tourist destination again. Well, at least we’ll always have Paris.  

Just Chillin’

After our adventures in Antiparos yesterday, we relaxed by the pool and went back into Naousa for dinner. We ate outside at a traditional Greek taverna. We split an oversized Greek salad, some pita and tzatziki, and I also had an oversized portion of moussaka. It was a very filling meal. And I recall from my previous visit to the Greek islands that most restaurants would give you a “free” dessert or after dinner drink. So far on Paros we are 2-for-2. We had some kind of dessert wine the first night, and a baklava-esque cake the second. I was observing other people around us getting the dessert and was concerned that they wouldn’t give one to us. That would have possibly created a scene. 

 We are almost adjusted to the 10 hour time change from Los Angeles, and woke up at a very acceptable 9:15am. We had a hearty breakfast and then drove to Kolymbithres beach, a short 10-15 min drive away. It is perhaps the most popular/famous beach in Paros, but it wasn’t overly crowded. There were some umbrellas and chairs set up, but most were unoccupied. It was no Jersey Shore (and a lot nicer). What made us want to go to the beach were the interesting rock formations that protrude all along the water and look more like some scifi movie set than a beach on Greece. The water was very clear and Caribbean-like, though as we can both attest to, it was a bit chilly still.

 After the beach we drove back to our hotel to regroup and then walked to Moraitis Winery which was conveniently located just 200m from our hotel. (Safety first) We got a wine flight of six-each. There was also an option for a flight of nine, but that seemed excessive. What are we, drunks? We had three whites, a rosé, a red, and a dessert wine. Being anything but wine connoisseurs, Nicole and I were not swirling and sniffing like some of the other folks around us. We were given a little brochure and a pencil to take notes. My notes simply listed the price of the bottle. They were actually quite reasonably priced. You would not find a bottle in Napa for 9 euro. They were good wines as a whole, though they all kind of taste the same to us—profound words about wine from the couple that got married at a winery.

 After walking back to our hotel, we relaxed for the remainder of the afternoon. For dinner, we had gyros at a more casual setting in town, sitting amongst a decidedly more local crowd. It was incidentally also our cheapest meal by far topping out at 11 euro. We did a bit of shopping afterward, and strolled around the streets just one last time before calling it a night. Tomorrow we depart for Sicily by way of Athens, the most unavoidable airport of the trip, where we will have to go out and in through security yet again. Luckily tomorrow we will have a bit more time for our connection.

Paros vs. Antiparos

Last night we went back into Naoussa for dinner. I believe it was around 7pm, but it was difficult to find anywhere that was open or had anyone else eating. Evidently people eat real late here - like closer to 9pm. I am not capable of such feats of strength. I do get quite hungry. Nicole and I had pasta pretty much by ourselves on a rooftop in the middle of town. It was a nice (and quiet) dinner. As the sun eventually went down, we roamed the narrow stone walkways of the town and slowly but surely the outdoor restaurants and cafes began to fill up. So far, I am very much liking Paros. It is just so different from Santorini, and that’s a good thing. We are hearing Greek spoken around town, which should not be shocking, but it had previously just been a combination of French and English.

   The following morning, we set out for Antiparos, the neighboring island of Paros. And if the Greek islands were a soap opera, Antiparos would be the evil twin brother to Paros that shows up three seasons after the introduction of Paros, but is also played by the same actor. Much in the same line of thinking, Antiparos was as much a delight as Paros despite being so anti. The ferry to Antiparos was quick, cheap, and easy. The initial street along the waterfront reminded me a bit of Catalina, but the similarities pretty much ended there. The town, though small, was full of small shops and cafes, all painted the characteristic white and blue of the Greek isles. While one would think of this place as a playground for the rich (Tom Hanks has a house here), or at least a popular place for tourists or honeymooners, we actually didn’t see that many tourists occupying the seats at the cafes. In fact, lots of people were waving to each other as they walked down the streets and recognized each other. Greek was spoken widely and it was grand.  

 Nicole and I did a bit of exploring about the town and ran across the old castle from a time when the Venetians had tried to exert dominance over the area (a signpost next to it told me so). Not much of the “castle” remained, but immediately around it was a residential area that was so perfectly scuffed and worn, that it almost seemed more suited for Greekland in Disney World. Needless to say, we took a lot of photos in this area, and only 3 or 4 tourists crossed paths with us. After that, we did some more exploring and ran across a beach that only had a local woman and her daughter on it.  The water was a rich combination of dark blue and turquoise and we didn’t have to jockey for position to see it.  

We had a slow stroll back through town and eventually stopped at a small cafe where only a couple Greeks were enjoying some strange coffee concoction that we see everywhere. I had a beer which I can’t even pronounce because it was all in Greek text. It was very refreshing. After that, we took the ferry back across to Paros and drove back to our hotel to relax by the pool.

Stressful Morning, Relaxing Afternoon

We had to get up early this morning to get on a plane back to Athens (to then transfer to another plane). On paper, this doesn’t seem all that complicated, but after I detail each of the steps, your heart rate might go up. We rented from a car rental company that was very local. Their website said people could drop the car off anywhere on the island and someone would eventually pick it up. Airport, ferry port, middle of the donkey path, someone would supposedly find it. Just leave the keys in the visor they said. So there we were, at the Santorini Airport, which is not very big mind you, and has very few parking spots. Our flight was leaving in less than an hour, so I double parked it out front as I was unable to find any place to leave it. Other cars were already double-parked. Nicole called the company four hours later to make sure they found it ok, and they just replied, “Ah, yes I think we picked up a Fiat Panda this morning.” Alright then...

 Aegean had been forcing Nicole to check her bag on the last couple flights, and we had a short connection in Athens. We would not have time to go to baggage claim and back through security, so I had taken a gamble of booking us all the way through to our next stop Paros (there were no seats to Milos [our first choice]). This way, at least Nicole’s bag would make it to Paros, though we might not have had the same luck. The Aegean pilots from Santorini to Athens took their sweet time. Again, they must have been trying to build the block. We had less than an hour for our transfer and despite coming from a Greek airport and going to another Greek airport, we were forced to go back through security. Even Newark doesn’t make you do such a ridiculous thing. Luckily we got to our next gate with about five minutes to spare. Boarding happened quickly, as it was just a small Dash-8 turboprop operated by Olympic. We arrived (firmly) in Paros about 30 minutes later. The weather was gorgeous. Deep blue skies, a light breeze, a pleasant 72 degrees with the sun reflecting off the ubiquitous white architecture. Nicole’s bag was the first off the conveyor belt too! It had priority tags on it thanks to the nice gate agents in Santorini who were looking out for their fellow airline staff.

   We got our new rental car and drove for about 30 minutes to the town of Naoussa. It’s a small town, and after checking in and dropping off our bags, we explored a bit. It resembles Mykonos with its narrow, white-stone pathways, but without the crowds. We ate on the water. There’s almost nobody here, but I suppose that makes sense. There are only three flights a day, and all of them are on small aircraft. It’s a far cry from Santorini where there are two cruise ships at any given time, and at least two flights an hour on aircraft as large as A321s. I complain a lot about Santorini, but an experience like that is sometimes necessary to appreciate places that are actually enjoyable, and not just a facade.

Santorini

For our first evening in Santorini, we just stuck around Thira, and fought off cruise ship visitors waiting to get on the cable car back down to their ships. Good riddance, says I. They are a waste of space. They come in like they own the place, but aren’t contributing to the economy for food or lodging because they’ll just go back to their ugly ships for that. So not only are they bad for the overall sustainability of the island, they walk slow, which is an unforgivable offense when you are on narrow paths. Defeated, but also hungry, we got out of the super busy areas and ended up eating at what was essentially a fast-food Greek place. I had a Greek salad and Nicole had a vegetarian pita. It gave us at least enough energy to get back to our hotel, but not much more. Tomorrow would be another day.

 Having been to Santorini before, I didn’t need to see anything in particular so I deferred to the great and wise Nicole for her priorities. Our first stop was the town of Oia. Busy and known as the place everyone needs to go to for sunset, we visited in the morning. While parking was a minor challenge (spots are hard to come by), it wasn’t too crowded (in a relevant sense). We could at least walk the pathways without being stampeded by another cruise ship. We explored the various side pathways and steps looking for an iconic shot of the blue domes etc. We were able to walk out on the old fort area, which was more than I was able to do on my previous visit, as it was far too crowded. It did not take long, however, before the cruise ship crowd began showing up in a big way. Lines formed to take photos. It was not relaxing. We somehow ended up in the middle of a slow-moving tour group, unable to break off from them. Eventually an alley to our right became available and we were able to recover from the madness. We did splurge on an overpriced cliff-side lunch, but thought it was about time to leave Oia as the narrow streets of the small town were becoming unbearable.  

 We drove back to Thira and walked back into town to do a small amount of shopping. Nicole needed to add a Greek flag pin to her camera bag. The crowds were out of control. It was hard to find any respite. We planned our routes completely around avoiding the hordes of people. At one point we were walking up stairs to a Catholic Church just to get away from the crowds below. We had made a dinner reservation to avoid our issue from the previous night which was, well, not having a reservation. I had some stifado (veal with pasta) and Nicole had some ravioli while huddling in our jackets as the wind assaulted us. After dinner, we walked around a little bit, angrily muttering about the crowds and the lie that is “idyllic” Santorini. Crowds have absolutely destroyed any charm to this place, and it’s the off-season! Not only is the island severely overcrowded, those that do come are perpetuating a myth about this place.

People were doing selfies and silly modeling poses in front of the blue domes while wearing sun dresses, when they should have been wearing a windbreaker. Had the camera panned a bit to the right, their followers would have seen a line of impatient, but equally vain individuals looking for that perfect selfie. It reminded Nicole a bit of Bali, not from a cultural or visual aspect, but from the facade it has created about itself. That comparison might have been more accurate than you might expect. At the street market in Bali, there were dozens of stores all selling wooden penis bottle openers. These have nothing to do with Bali. In Santorini, we saw the same thing. So clearly, what we can learn from all this is that if a place is selling wooden penis bottle openers, there are way too many people walking about that there is somehow a market for wooden penis bottle openers.  

Greece’s In Pieces

How did we get here? Well to be specific - United from LAX to Heathrow, a 4 hour layover, and an Aegean Airlines flight flown by two pilots who evidently were trying to really “build the block” (aka fly slow to make more money) to Athens. By the time we got a taxi to the hotel, it was midnight. How did we get here on a trip that was supposed to begin with Sicily? That’s a bit more complicated. The weather reports were showing 90% rain for that portion of Italy for the next few days, which was not terribly appealing. We plotted out different scenarios - one of them even involved flying to Cairo for a couple days. Luckily, as a standby traveler, it is not difficult to change flights in a matter of seconds without incurring any kind of fee. So there we were, with a hotel reservation that had been made just a few hours earlier.  

 As fate would have it, this last minute reservation led to us getting the grand-suite in the O&B Boutique Hotel in Athens. It had very square, boxy, minimalist decor, but it was massive. There were two bathrooms, a living area, a bedroom, and three balconies (because sometimes two is not enough). I walked out onto the main balcony to find very gritty looking buildings across the way, but turned my head right and was taken aback by a direct line of sight to the Acropolis and the Parthenon lit up at night. Not too bad.  

 The following morning, we went for a walk to explore the area. During our breakfast, we observed the interesting cast of characters comparing their various wares and tchotchkes while smoking cigarettes. Athens is by most measures, a rather homely city. The graffiti, the years of neglect, and the dull color schemes have all served their purpose in solidifying it as a very ugly city. We walked these gritty streets for a spell until getting to a camera store. I had to buy a gorilla-pod because I had forgotten mine at home, and it will be quite necessary for all of my nighttime adventures. After this we trekked around the city some more before zig-zagging our way around various ruins (without paying for them naturally) and then getting set to go to the airport again.  

 Santorini! How did we get here? An Olympic flight operated by Aegean Airlines. But more realistically, the timing was a factor. Santorini wasn’t really even on our radar, but it has lots of flights because lots of people like going to Santorini, and that was more appealing that spending $350 a night at the Sofitel at the Athens airport after having been awake for some 36 hours, sleeping only 5 hours, and getting on a plane to a different island. So here we are with another last-minute hotel booking. We are staying just on the outskirts of Thira town and are the proud renters of a Fiat Panda for the next couple days. More on Santorini to come . . .

Things to Learn About Greece

Greece's economic and governmental issues as of late make my reflections on the country a bit difficult.  The places we've visited are hundreds, if not thousands of years old -- existing well before the European Union was even a thought.  They should be treated independently of the current crisis.  That being said, a lot can be learned from just basic interactions with Greece's people and observing its daily rituals.

I contemplated writing this post after the elections on Jun. 17, but I suppose it makes no difference.  First off, one has to separate what we saw with what we experienced.

There were three distinct parts of our trip -- Athens, the Islands, and the Mainland.  Each has its own unique feel and ranks differently in my mind.

Athens, as one might expect, is a big city with all the perks and detriments that being a big city affords.  Like many older European cities, its street layout is illogical and confusing, but many areas were pedestrian-only (except for the occasional scooter that would cut through).  In terms of visitor friendliness, Greeks seemed generally welcoming except in terms of operating hours.  Museums and other sites seemingly open and close at random . . . with the most ridiculous example being the Acropolis in Athens, which closed at 2:30 on a Saturday.  Presumably this is to save the state some money in operating costs, but it also decreases the number of daily visitors.  Such is the problem when politicians rather than economists are in control.

We then have the islands, which not surprisingly, were the most relaxing and enjoyable part of our trip for me.  However, they were not entirely what I expected.  Each island we visited seemed to have gale force winds.  We technically visited during what is considered the "off-season," which continues until late June.  From what I have read, the winds do not necessarily die down and are not uncommon.  Partially because of the off-season and partially due to the unrest in the country, tourists were not that common of a sight.  Of course, there were bus tours and cruise ships that would temporarily invade an area, but within hours they were gone.  We never had to wait for a window seat at a restaurant or struggle to find a parking spot.  This was nice for us, but probably not good for Greece's tourism industry.

I recently read an article that tourism revenues are expected to plummet this year due to the threat of civil unrest following the June elections.  Europeans have changed their destinations to elsewhere.  In hopes of luring tourists, Greek hotels have slashed prices - further contributing to the lack of income.  Germans, in particular, are avoiding the country due to anti-German sentiment stemming from Germany's power in the E.U. and its involvement in Greece's financial woes.

If the islands were struggling with tourism, the mainland was really hurting.  Home to such sites as the oracle of Delphi, the monasteries of Meteora, and the site of the ancient Olympics, the mainland is ripe for bus tours, but I can only think of a couple times where I had to wait for someone to get out of my shot before taking a picture.  Hotels seemed to be letting out one room per night and streets of empty restaurants competed for the five people that were visiting the town.  This was a scenario that would sometimes play itself out in Vietnam, but the difference being that Vietnam is communist.  In a free-market economy, one cannot expect to stay in business by not having any business.

On top of that, restaurants have a habit of giving away food and drinks that weren't even ordered.  I googled this practice, thinking it was some sort of cultural thing, but I could not find anything.  Crete was the worst offender -- giving us fruit, dessert, and drinks in one sitting.  They appear to do this for all their guests.  So in the case of this one particular restaurant, roughly 15 people were dining at the same time as us.  The restaurant could have saved probably 100 Euro in just the time we were sitting there.  It makes one think that Greece's troubles are more-than-likely self-inflicted.

Our time with Spiros on the mainland was spent mostly in a taxi cab, but this proved enlightening.  It gave him plenty of time to talk about the country and the government.  When I was talking to him about flight training and explaining that there are many hoops to jump through, he commented that the U.S. always has a more practical solution to issues.  I was somewhat taken aback by this - believing that the FAA and its regulations are doing their best to make my life miserable.  But Spiros told us that the European governments are too much talk, and very little action.  The same could be said of the U.S. congress, but evidently Greece is 10x worse.  It seems that the Greek government is unnecessarily antagonistic . . . to itself.  Not only that, but things I observed while driving around make me think that the situation may be worse than it appears.

When I was driving on Crete, I got a bit nervous when I first saw signs warning of speed cameras, but passed them going 120kph in a 90kph zone.  However, the drivers around me were driving even faster.  Apparently the gov't can't afford to turn the cameras on or operate them.  Occasionally we would see a police car with its lights on just sitting on the side of the road without giving chase.  According to Spiros, most of the police force can't afford to put gas in their cars.  This is very puzzling.  And in Athens, I witnessed the least intimidating squad car ever (shown here).  Being a criminal could be a very profitable career move for Greeks right now.  If I robbed a bank and saw a Smart in my rear-view mirror, I would have to chuckle to myself.  I could outrun it in my Hyundai as if I was driving a Ferrari.  One has to wonder if the government cuts were made in the right areas.  Safety and protection should be a major concern especially in a state of rampant unemployment and unrest.

The country, which already has over 20% unemployment, also employs people to do pointless jobs.  One example being the gas station attendant.  Elsewhere in Europe, one pumps their own gas, but when you need someone else to do it for you, it means gas stations close in the evening when the attendants go home.  The thought of a gas station closing is a very foreign concept to me.  Furthermore, the thought that those that are employed are doing jobs that aren't even truly necessary is disturbing.  Perhaps unemployment could really be over 30% if the fluff jobs were eliminated.

If Greece wants to fill those hotels, restaurants, and tourist spots, it cannot simply slash prices and distribute pretty posters of Santorini.  People aren't going to go because they think Greece is irresponsible and on the verge of collapse.  I hate to say it, but it is entirely plausible based on what I've seen.  One cannot simply throw money at the situation and expect it to improve.  The issues seem largely systemic, so Greece needs to make massive reforms in order to right itself.  Based on what Spiros thinks of the government's ability to handle a problem, they may have an answer in 8 years.  This all points to a very delicate situation.  I'm not sure the upcoming elections will push things one way or the other.  Most likely, Greece will put itself in a situation where it cannot generate money to pay off its debts and the E.U. will insist on a schedule that Greece cannot meet.  At worst, this could mean Greece gets kicked out of the Euro Zone.  More realistically, the E.U. central bank will come to the rescue at the last minute, but as I said, this will only be a temporary fix.

So there you have it.  Greece, a country heavily romanticized in movies, is struggling to portray itself as the "Mamma Mia"paradise that people once thought it to be.  It really is a very pretty country with the islands, in particular, being very photogenic.  But all of that means nothing if people don't feel comfortable visiting.  I hate to think of myself as being one of the last tourists to visit Greece for some time.  Let's hope it doesn't turn into Egypt, whose tourist industry is virtually nonexistent right now.  Sorry for all the doom and gloom, but it is a very unfortunate situation right now for Greeks, for Europeans, and for travelers as a whole.

Well at least they served ice cream . . .

As predicted, this Air Canada flight has no in flight entertainment. While they do have the screens in front, there is obviously no choice of film. In fact, they ran out of movies just 5 hours in to the flight. They almost repeated Man on a Ledge, but after I saw it once, I was able to verify that it is indeed about a man on a ledge. Of interest, however, was our flight path out of the Athens airport. We made a long, lazy curve during climb-out that took us over the city. In the center of this photo is the Acropolis, though a bit fuzzy.




Let's consider this my last blog post of the trip. Once I have a little bit of time to recover, I'll post my final reflections as I did with Vietnam. It is a country that has been in the news a lot lately, so I think that could be interesting if I can form coherent thoughts.




When I went to Vietnam, it was not the country I pictured from war films, and I found it difficult to believe we even fought a war there. Greece was also not what I was expecting, but in a much different way. Just my experiences as a tourist made it pretty obvious as to how the country became broke to begin with. So to the CNN/Fox News/MSNBC pundits who say that the U.S. is going to become Greece, I say this, "Perhaps you should visit a place before vomiting out nonsense as if you were on your way to Crete in rough seas." After all, the "Greek" yogurt you buy at Safeway doesn't even taste like Greek yogurt.

Location:Seat 15A, Air Canada Flight 827

Flying to America's Hat

We are here at the airport preparing for a very long flight to Toronto. And let's not forget I have another 5 hour flight after that. This is, however, the worst one. If I heard the ticket agent correctly, there is actually no business class on the plane at all making it a flying sardine can.




The Air Canada folks have already been giving me crap. I got interrogated before I even got to the ticket counter. The lady asked me, "When is your return?" and I replied with, "Return? I'm not coming back. This is it.". I guess that response sounded too ominous, so they gave me the stink eye before letting me continue. And to make matters worse, I was just on the Air Canada site and they say that on select flights from Athens on 767 aircraft (that would be us) do not have any personal entertainment systems. This could be the flight from hell.

Location:Προς Πύλη 8,Spata,Greece

Last Day in Greece

Last night, I heard the folks say that we didn't need to set an alarm. After all, there really wasn't anything to do today. This was exciting for me because I haven't slept in for a single day this trip. However, I was violently woken up at 730 by two parents, who had apparently gotten plenty of sleep. I was a little upset about this. I was so tired; I didn't even have an appetite for breakfast. It had the makings of a bad day.

After breakfast, we went to the Greek Agora. It was once a shopping arcade in ancient times. My legs were very sore. I was moving at the speed of the turtle here.

Then, we went to hike up a hill for another view of the acropolis. I was quite hungry at this point and nobody wanted to feed me. They're trying to kill me off on the last day.

We did a little bit of shopping in the afternoon including a visit to a leather sandal maker, which has made custom sandals for people like John Lennon, Jackie O., the Bidens, and Sarah Jessica Parker, or as my sister refers to her, "Sarica Jessica Parker: face like a foot." Then the 3 of us split a chicken sandwich at Goody's: the Greek equivalent of McDonald's.

After shopping and Goody's, the euros were running low. At this point, it was suggested that we simply get drinks for dinner. I protested as much as I could given my weakened condition, and eventually they agreed to feed me. We went to a cafe. I felt that thus far I have stuck faithfully to Greek food when we go out, but the thought of ordering another moussaka, or chicken souvlaki for the 15th time made my stomach turn. I think I earned the right to order a pizza. Tomorrow we leave Athens on an 11 hour flight to Toronto. Ugh. I'll bet there will be a lot of Canadians on board. The worst.

Location:Leoforos Syngrou,Athens,Greece

Old Stuff and Laundry

We begin with a picture of the Parthenon taken last night at a rooftop bar. Today was essentially dad's day to drag us to all the Athens sites that nobody really goes to. First, we went to an old cemetery to look at some old grave markers.

Then we schlepped all the way up to the archaeological museum of Athens. On the plus side, this museum housed many of the things that were taken from the various sites we have seen on the islands and elsewhere.

This fresco from Akrotiri of the two keikis fighting was inside the museum along with various other well known pieces from throughout Greece and in High School textbooks. The museum, however, was poorly organized. I felt as though we had to keep passing through the same rooms to get to a new one. Then again, maybe the organization wasn't the problem. Perhaps dad was just eager to circle the museum four times - prancing around the statues as he is oft known to do.

Also, it isn't the best picture, but I felt awkward taking it. It is a "security" guard at the entrance of a staff-only area. This rotund individual was fast asleep. So, to the Greeks who insist that the Parthenon statues in the British Museum should be returned to Athens, I refer you to this photo. The security in most of these places housing priceless and irreplaceable artifacts is about the same as that of a laundromat. In D.C., to contrast, one has to pass through a metal detector, put their bags through an x-ray, and that's just for the Air & Space Museum. It is quite difficult to steal a space shuttle . . . not the case for a 2300 year old piece of pottery.

But speaking of laundromats, we paid a visit to our €5 friend again. Yes, I will be clean-ish upon my return home. So when the Canadians go through my luggage during my layover in Toronto, they won't pass out. They will, however, take my nail clippers, apartment keys, and anything else that could somehow be misconstrued to be a weapon. Things are winding down here in Athens. I just spent an hour on the hotel balcony staring off into space while the sun beat down. Our biggest decisions at this point are where to eat. These are choices not to be taken lightly. One never knows when their next meal may be.

Location:Βεΐκου,Athens,Greece