Here's a link to the best of the Greece pictures:
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Showing posts with label Greece - February 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greece - February 2009. Show all posts
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Greece, Customs, and a Dirty Foreigner
A nice, touristy picture in front of the Parthenon.Well, I'm back in the UK now, for better or for worse. Greece was beautiful. I stayed in Patras for another day. Seriously though, that hostel was filthy. I was staying in this old little manner with really interesting looking rooms, but I swear the windows hadn't been open in 20 years. It was cold, dank, and it smelled like bus. No, I don't mean "new car scent," I mean "public bus," crusting with dry sweat and who knows what else. I put out my shirts to dry after my night in the rain... they were still wet when I left. The showers didn't have hot water. I was bundled up each night. I could continue, but let's focus on the positive, shall we?
After Patras I went to Nafplio, which was beautiful. It's this little Mediterranean town with a fortress on a small mountain and an incredible view of the coast. I seriously sat on the shore for a few hours, just soaking it all in.
The coastal, Venesian town of Naflio.Besides that, there's not much to say. I'm back in London now. I got hassled by customs again and warned I probably would a third time after Rome. This time he was at least friendly about it, but he really didn't see a problem with what he was saying.
Jolly Man: And after Rome will you be coming back to the UK?
Me: I'm planning on coming back for about a week and a half after. I'd still like to see a bit more of the country here.
Jolly Man: Well the only way you'll see the country might be from a plane.
Really? Is that necessary? England needs to know that no American wants to become a UK citizen that badly. Tell me, if I came to England to get a wife so I can get a UK passport, why would I have left the country (twice!) when I already had a visa to stay six months? Why would I leave the country at all, knowing how hard it is to get back in? Why would I go to England when there are several other countries in the EU that can give me an EU passport with the same benefits and their customs officers aren't crazy? Why is it that I've met so many solo backpackers from the UK while traveling, yet the people at customs seem baffled that any man would travel by himself for an extended period of time without a return ticket? Is it really that worth it? If I had a chance to plan this trip again, there is no way I would have based it in England. But such is life. I've got to risk it one more time to get back from Rome.
One more note on Greece.
I did my laundry yesterday. How do I put this? I... I have never smelled anything so awful in my life. That's not true, but really, I don't think I've ever smelled clothes that collectively smelled so bad before. They stank, and I really didn't even realize it while I was there. Sure, I gathered that I probably didn't smell nice, but only if you happened to put your nose right up to my clothing and body. But I must have cleared paths with the odor I was giving off. I'm a little worried about Rome now. Should I try to do laundry while there? Will it make a difference? Maybe I should just be aware of it and stay clear of people in general.
Ah, Rome. I'm pretty excited about it. It's starting to hit me now that I'm really going. It's strange to think that I was thinking the same thing about Greece two weeks ago, and London a few weeks before that. But nothing is really ever what you expect. I'm pretty anxious to see what happens.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
On the roads so traveled...
One of the most interesting things about sleeping in hostels and traveling in general is the great amount of interesting people you meet. Yes, some of them are crazy, but I've had some really good conversations with people I'm forced to share a small room or bunk with.
I think part of it is everyone traveling by themselves or only with a few people is so socially deprived that they're able to chat up storms with the first person who will listen. But also, I didn't meet any Americans this whole trip, so there's always an interesting cultural gap that is always good for several different topics. I've told people all about Chicago and the MidWest. The world has such a crazy opinion/view of America that is always interesting to hear about. You can always tell when someone hates Americans and they feel awkward talking about it to me because we're obviously getting along. Usually I convert them to like us by the end.
But the conversations are great. I always get great information about the surrounding area or easy ways to do things or things not to see, plus info about other countries or places they've been to. It always starts out where they're just another crazy traveler, but then you find out all about their family and work and hometown and everything. Not always, but I think it's always cool when you do.
I think part of it is everyone traveling by themselves or only with a few people is so socially deprived that they're able to chat up storms with the first person who will listen. But also, I didn't meet any Americans this whole trip, so there's always an interesting cultural gap that is always good for several different topics. I've told people all about Chicago and the MidWest. The world has such a crazy opinion/view of America that is always interesting to hear about. You can always tell when someone hates Americans and they feel awkward talking about it to me because we're obviously getting along. Usually I convert them to like us by the end.
But the conversations are great. I always get great information about the surrounding area or easy ways to do things or things not to see, plus info about other countries or places they've been to. It always starts out where they're just another crazy traveler, but then you find out all about their family and work and hometown and everything. Not always, but I think it's always cool when you do.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Night in Hades
Okay, so here's the story of a stupid traveler who needn't be named, although he may or may not be me.
Two days ago in Olympia, the bus dropped me off at night and I found myself disoriented for a few minutes. I had about an hour before my hostel closed (according to my travel guide) and a map of the city. I just had to figure out how to get there. While looking at the map, a man approached and asked me if I wanted to stay in his room, but after the bad experience I had in Yangshou, China, I was hesitant to comply. He told me that he'd charge me 15 Euros and that the hostel was closed. That sealed my decision. I hate when hagglers lie and I knew for a fact that it was open (not actually a fact). He pointed me in the right direction (nice guy) and I went on my merry way, eager to find the hostel.
When I arrived, however, the hostel was dark and no one was inside. I knocked a few times and rattled the doors, but no one answered. Now most people here would either (a) sigh and find a more expensive place to stay or (b) run back to the bus stop and hope the man is still there.
I, being the idiot that I am, realized with exitement that I had no place to stay and had to sleep outside. I almost skipped away, happy to start scouting for places to sleep. There was a possibility of more rain, but nothing bad (not actually a fact). I found an empty park and tested each place for comfort, cover, and light. I wanted somplace that wasn't horribly cold, with cover above, and out of the street lights so someone wouldn't stumble on me in my sleep.
I eventually found a little place that worked. It had a roof-type thing that would block the rain (not actually a fact) and seats around the edge of which I could sleep in the shadows.
In my defense, the hour before it started to rain was one of the most fun moments I had on this trip. I was ecstatic. It was a beautiful night with strong, warm winds and lightning rolling away in the distance. Then Zeus decided to have a raging fit that quickly ended any enjoyment I had that night.
It rained. Hard. It was not a drizzle, like the weather report said, nor was it simply rain. It was pouring. Thunder was screaming in the sky and lightning lit everything up now and then. I learned quickly that the "roof above my head" was nothing more than twigs lined up to block the sun. I wrapped my backpack's cover around my body and took out clothes to cover anything thing that was still exposed. Actually, this managed to work for a bit. I stayed relatively dry the whole night. However, the warm winds were now gone and the freezing rain had cooled everything. It was still, after all, January.
When I realized that I was basically sitting on a slab of cement in the middle of a park in a thunderstorm, I got up (shaking) and started to look for someplace else to sleep. Nothing was open because it was January and the town is half the size of my high school. Not too far away, I found a little gutter in an alcove that was completely dry. I got in, kicked out the cat that had also made it it's home, and curled up again. Unfortunately, after walking around, my whole body was now a bit wet and I couldn't stop shaking. I did about thirty sit-ups to warm up my body that wrapped up as tight as I could.
While laying there, trying to fall asleep, I realized that this was actually the second gutter I'd slept in and both times it had rained. What great luck I have.
The rest of the night was... not fun, but rather uneventful. The rain eventually subsided. I got about two hours of horrible sleep. When the "shakes" got me again at 4:30ish... I remembered that walking warms you up, so I took a two hour stroll in loops around the city, which worked but was tiring. At 6:30 I watched the sunrise and finally at 8:30 went to go check on the hostel to see if it was open.
It was. The old man greeted me, seemingly confused. What could he possibly be confused about? Anyway, after I asked him if he had any rooms he shook his head and told me that a group had come so he had no rooms. I gave him a look of utter desperation but still got the same answer.
You can imagine my irritation. The only thing that had gotten me through the night was the thought of taking off my wet clothes and either hibernating in a mountain of dryness (a bed), or taking a hot, hot shower for the rest of my life.
In my frustration I almost left right there. I'm really glad I didn't. I had an awesome time in the ruins, perhaps partly because I was so sleep-deprived that my senses and imagination was on complete overdrive and I could really "understand" everything around me.
Oh well. I got out fine, have a good story to tell, and just slept 12 hours last night in my new hostel here in Patras. You learn from your mistakes. Next time I'll pay the extra 5 Euros.
Two days ago in Olympia, the bus dropped me off at night and I found myself disoriented for a few minutes. I had about an hour before my hostel closed (according to my travel guide) and a map of the city. I just had to figure out how to get there. While looking at the map, a man approached and asked me if I wanted to stay in his room, but after the bad experience I had in Yangshou, China, I was hesitant to comply. He told me that he'd charge me 15 Euros and that the hostel was closed. That sealed my decision. I hate when hagglers lie and I knew for a fact that it was open (not actually a fact). He pointed me in the right direction (nice guy) and I went on my merry way, eager to find the hostel.
When I arrived, however, the hostel was dark and no one was inside. I knocked a few times and rattled the doors, but no one answered. Now most people here would either (a) sigh and find a more expensive place to stay or (b) run back to the bus stop and hope the man is still there.
I, being the idiot that I am, realized with exitement that I had no place to stay and had to sleep outside. I almost skipped away, happy to start scouting for places to sleep. There was a possibility of more rain, but nothing bad (not actually a fact). I found an empty park and tested each place for comfort, cover, and light. I wanted somplace that wasn't horribly cold, with cover above, and out of the street lights so someone wouldn't stumble on me in my sleep.
I eventually found a little place that worked. It had a roof-type thing that would block the rain (not actually a fact) and seats around the edge of which I could sleep in the shadows.
In my defense, the hour before it started to rain was one of the most fun moments I had on this trip. I was ecstatic. It was a beautiful night with strong, warm winds and lightning rolling away in the distance. Then Zeus decided to have a raging fit that quickly ended any enjoyment I had that night.
It rained. Hard. It was not a drizzle, like the weather report said, nor was it simply rain. It was pouring. Thunder was screaming in the sky and lightning lit everything up now and then. I learned quickly that the "roof above my head" was nothing more than twigs lined up to block the sun. I wrapped my backpack's cover around my body and took out clothes to cover anything thing that was still exposed. Actually, this managed to work for a bit. I stayed relatively dry the whole night. However, the warm winds were now gone and the freezing rain had cooled everything. It was still, after all, January.
When I realized that I was basically sitting on a slab of cement in the middle of a park in a thunderstorm, I got up (shaking) and started to look for someplace else to sleep. Nothing was open because it was January and the town is half the size of my high school. Not too far away, I found a little gutter in an alcove that was completely dry. I got in, kicked out the cat that had also made it it's home, and curled up again. Unfortunately, after walking around, my whole body was now a bit wet and I couldn't stop shaking. I did about thirty sit-ups to warm up my body that wrapped up as tight as I could.
While laying there, trying to fall asleep, I realized that this was actually the second gutter I'd slept in and both times it had rained. What great luck I have.
The rest of the night was... not fun, but rather uneventful. The rain eventually subsided. I got about two hours of horrible sleep. When the "shakes" got me again at 4:30ish... I remembered that walking warms you up, so I took a two hour stroll in loops around the city, which worked but was tiring. At 6:30 I watched the sunrise and finally at 8:30 went to go check on the hostel to see if it was open.
It was. The old man greeted me, seemingly confused. What could he possibly be confused about? Anyway, after I asked him if he had any rooms he shook his head and told me that a group had come so he had no rooms. I gave him a look of utter desperation but still got the same answer.
You can imagine my irritation. The only thing that had gotten me through the night was the thought of taking off my wet clothes and either hibernating in a mountain of dryness (a bed), or taking a hot, hot shower for the rest of my life.
In my frustration I almost left right there. I'm really glad I didn't. I had an awesome time in the ruins, perhaps partly because I was so sleep-deprived that my senses and imagination was on complete overdrive and I could really "understand" everything around me.
Oh well. I got out fine, have a good story to tell, and just slept 12 hours last night in my new hostel here in Patras. You learn from your mistakes. Next time I'll pay the extra 5 Euros.
Olympia!
Why I stayed in Athens so long? I'll never know. The Greek countryside is beautiful and the people are so friendly. Since my last entry I've spent time in Pyrgos, Olympia, and now Patra. Olympia was amazing, minus an extremely bad incident that was... I don't even know if I want to write about it. It was a really... stressful night. I'll save that until the next blog entry.
I might not be able to upload any more pictures. My camera is pretty much out of battery, so I'm trying to savor every last drop by cutting autofocus and completely minimalizing the amount of time it is spent "on." Unfortunately, until I see a card reader, I can't upload tsuff. Why didn't I bring a charger for my camera, you ask? Good question. Why didn't I spend the extra five Euros and have a place to sleep last night? Another good question, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Olympia is definitely one of my top places to see in Greece, and perhaps in life. They are the coolest ruins I've ever been to. In case you don't know, Olympia was the grounds of the original Olympics and is still the spot where they light the torch every year. It was also a sacred spot for Zeus, going back much earlier and was the site of one of the original Wonders of the Ancient World.
So the thing I like best about the site is the condition of everything. As of now, most of it hasn't been restored. And because the area hasn't really been massively populated... ever, many of the original rocks and fallen columns are still there. You walk around this huge place and you're actually walking on the ground these athelets and officials walked on. You look at a stone, almost completely corroded and you're like, "that stone has been sitting there for over two thousand years." It was awesome.
My favorite was the Temple of Zeus and the Arena. I remember reading about the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World back in the day, and reading that the only one left standing is the pyramids. Most of the others are lost. I didn't even realize there was anything left from the big guy's temple, but its all still here (Except, of course, him. It was actually his statue that was the supposed wonder, not the temple) But all the columns (huge columns) are lying there, still in the same place that they were when the temple fell fifteen hundred years ago. Yes, stuff has been touched, but comparatively to other places like the Acropolis / Parthenon, not much has been touched at all.
The Arena was just cool. There's not much to see except a big ditch in the ground where they had all the events, but the fact that it's still there and the same rocks line the border is really cool.
The rest of the place is really neat to see, too. There's just so much, and the surroundings are beautiful, too. It was the place they chose as sacred to the king of their gods. Of course it's going to be nice.
Anyway, it was a cool experience. If you find yourself in Greece, definitely drop by Olympia.
I might not be able to upload any more pictures. My camera is pretty much out of battery, so I'm trying to savor every last drop by cutting autofocus and completely minimalizing the amount of time it is spent "on." Unfortunately, until I see a card reader, I can't upload tsuff. Why didn't I bring a charger for my camera, you ask? Good question. Why didn't I spend the extra five Euros and have a place to sleep last night? Another good question, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Olympia is definitely one of my top places to see in Greece, and perhaps in life. They are the coolest ruins I've ever been to. In case you don't know, Olympia was the grounds of the original Olympics and is still the spot where they light the torch every year. It was also a sacred spot for Zeus, going back much earlier and was the site of one of the original Wonders of the Ancient World.
So the thing I like best about the site is the condition of everything. As of now, most of it hasn't been restored. And because the area hasn't really been massively populated... ever, many of the original rocks and fallen columns are still there. You walk around this huge place and you're actually walking on the ground these athelets and officials walked on. You look at a stone, almost completely corroded and you're like, "that stone has been sitting there for over two thousand years." It was awesome.
My favorite was the Temple of Zeus and the Arena. I remember reading about the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World back in the day, and reading that the only one left standing is the pyramids. Most of the others are lost. I didn't even realize there was anything left from the big guy's temple, but its all still here (Except, of course, him. It was actually his statue that was the supposed wonder, not the temple) But all the columns (huge columns) are lying there, still in the same place that they were when the temple fell fifteen hundred years ago. Yes, stuff has been touched, but comparatively to other places like the Acropolis / Parthenon, not much has been touched at all.
The Arena was just cool. There's not much to see except a big ditch in the ground where they had all the events, but the fact that it's still there and the same rocks line the border is really cool.
The rest of the place is really neat to see, too. There's just so much, and the surroundings are beautiful, too. It was the place they chose as sacred to the king of their gods. Of course it's going to be nice.
Anyway, it was a cool experience. If you find yourself in Greece, definitely drop by Olympia.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Athens
I've been in Athens three days now. I usually don't stay in a city this long, but it is pretty nice knowing where everything is and having someplace to sleep at night. You know when you know kind of the way a building runs, the people in it and such? That's a big relief while traveling hostel-style.
Not that it's especially nice. You know those commercials in the US that are advertising some phone company? Something about dropped calls... anyway, there's one where there are the "techno twins" and the something about how a call was missed so they went to the wrong place. Basically, the message is that in hostels you run into the crazy European people who listen to techno all the time. I used to think that was ridiculous, because I'd never run into anything like that. Well... my neighbors are the techno twins. I woke up at 5AM this morning with blasting techno. That was fun.
Two nights I came back to someone sleeping in my bed. We still don't really know who it was. I ended up just asking for a different room for that night, just a bit worried about my things. I had a roommate today who was awesome. He came into the room and we just started talking about stuff. I think we talked for about three hours straight, and that was just the bulkiest part of the conversation. I don't think I've ever talked to someone so much in my life. The rest of the people in the hostel are... interesting. There's a Japanese roommate I have who's... odd. I think his friend was the one who took my bag. He's like, over-the-top friendly and doesn't really understand English well. There's also weird... noises I won't go into detail about, but ask me later if you're curious. Needless to say, I've never run into that in a hostel before.
Let's get on to the pictures.
Yesterday I walked around for a bit. It was raining, which was too bad, but I slept for a bit back at the hostel after getting drenched outside. (Why am I reading this in my head in an Aussie accent? hmm.... ) Anyway, the buildings look different here, at least in the nice parts of town. That's sort of a European thing I guess. I like it, but who wouldn't?
Two days ago I went to the seaside. At the time, I was having a hard time liking Athens and this cured it, for the most part. I like water a lot. I'm one of those people who just feels relaxed if around water. It wasn't even that nice of an area, but it I still had a good time. Don't mock me.
I also discovered how to use the remote on my camera my mom bought me for Christmas. Good work, Mom. I'll actually probably use this a lot. I may look a little silly, standing alone, smiling and posing several times, but whatever. I finally got a picture with me in it.
I like this one a bit better. Clearly by now I'm a bit more advanced in the technique of remote control picture composition.
If you look closely, there's a bird flying on the right side. That is no mistake. I waited for a long time to get a bird flying in the picture. There was also a couple standing on a rock just to the right of the frame. I had my camera pointed at them for quite awhile. They probably thought I was some creeper taking their picture. Oh well.
I took this while remembering that I wanted to get a picture of it to post on the blog, but I should get one that better exemplifies the graffiti in Athens. This city is a big coloring book. It's everywhere, on monuments, statues, parks, everything. I don't understand how more efforts aren't put up to stop this, but... what can you do, really? I guess it's not a big deal unless the images are obscene, which usually they're not. It just seems... I don't know.
I'm going here again in about an hour. I tried to go yesterday, but it was raining, and it wasn't free. I guess all the sites are free on Sundays. I learned this from my Aussie friend. I'm going to try to hit up all the sites that I missed, then go to Olympia tonight. I've heard really good things about Olympia. I guess we'll find out, though. If there's one thing I've learned about traveling like this, it's that nothing ever really goes as planned...
Not that it's especially nice. You know those commercials in the US that are advertising some phone company? Something about dropped calls... anyway, there's one where there are the "techno twins" and the something about how a call was missed so they went to the wrong place. Basically, the message is that in hostels you run into the crazy European people who listen to techno all the time. I used to think that was ridiculous, because I'd never run into anything like that. Well... my neighbors are the techno twins. I woke up at 5AM this morning with blasting techno. That was fun.
Two nights I came back to someone sleeping in my bed. We still don't really know who it was. I ended up just asking for a different room for that night, just a bit worried about my things. I had a roommate today who was awesome. He came into the room and we just started talking about stuff. I think we talked for about three hours straight, and that was just the bulkiest part of the conversation. I don't think I've ever talked to someone so much in my life. The rest of the people in the hostel are... interesting. There's a Japanese roommate I have who's... odd. I think his friend was the one who took my bag. He's like, over-the-top friendly and doesn't really understand English well. There's also weird... noises I won't go into detail about, but ask me later if you're curious. Needless to say, I've never run into that in a hostel before.
Let's get on to the pictures.
Yesterday I walked around for a bit. It was raining, which was too bad, but I slept for a bit back at the hostel after getting drenched outside. (Why am I reading this in my head in an Aussie accent? hmm.... ) Anyway, the buildings look different here, at least in the nice parts of town. That's sort of a European thing I guess. I like it, but who wouldn't?
Two days ago I went to the seaside. At the time, I was having a hard time liking Athens and this cured it, for the most part. I like water a lot. I'm one of those people who just feels relaxed if around water. It wasn't even that nice of an area, but it I still had a good time. Don't mock me.
I also discovered how to use the remote on my camera my mom bought me for Christmas. Good work, Mom. I'll actually probably use this a lot. I may look a little silly, standing alone, smiling and posing several times, but whatever. I finally got a picture with me in it.
I like this one a bit better. Clearly by now I'm a bit more advanced in the technique of remote control picture composition.
If you look closely, there's a bird flying on the right side. That is no mistake. I waited for a long time to get a bird flying in the picture. There was also a couple standing on a rock just to the right of the frame. I had my camera pointed at them for quite awhile. They probably thought I was some creeper taking their picture. Oh well.
I took this while remembering that I wanted to get a picture of it to post on the blog, but I should get one that better exemplifies the graffiti in Athens. This city is a big coloring book. It's everywhere, on monuments, statues, parks, everything. I don't understand how more efforts aren't put up to stop this, but... what can you do, really? I guess it's not a big deal unless the images are obscene, which usually they're not. It just seems... I don't know.
I'm going here again in about an hour. I tried to go yesterday, but it was raining, and it wasn't free. I guess all the sites are free on Sundays. I learned this from my Aussie friend. I'm going to try to hit up all the sites that I missed, then go to Olympia tonight. I've heard really good things about Olympia. I guess we'll find out, though. If there's one thing I've learned about traveling like this, it's that nothing ever really goes as planned...
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Athens Pictures!
The computers just cleared up at the hostel so I had a few minutes to upload these pictures. I didn't do much today, no sites. These were taken of stuff you can see from the side of the street. Sadly, my beautiful face graces none of them.
Attica - at a glance
I flew into Athens today... wow, this keyboard is horrible. The "shift" key actually requires physical strength to push down... anyway, I got in today and have been wandering around since.
Athens is much different than I was expecting. It's very strange walking around a city where everyone is white but speaking a different language. I also thought I'd be able to just figure out the writing because it's very close to Roman letters. That is not the case. I have no idea what's going on. Fortunately, I haven't run into anyone who doesn't speak English... yet. I've actually had two people come up to me already and ask me questions in Greek. I'm not sure why. I'm in full tourist mode with the bright red backpack, camera and map in hand... not to mention the fact that I don't look Greek. I might be able to pass, but really... they actually looked surprised when I gave them the helpless shrug and smile. For the most part, though, I still stick out when necessary. The man at this internet cafe talked to me in English before I even said anything. He may have done so because I sort of just stared at the prices for a bit before staring at him helplessly and not saying anything, but...
You know, I should really get off this thing. I stopped by really quick to find the address of a hostel/hotel. I still don't have a place to stay and it's getting dark. Note to self: simply the title of a cheap hostel is not sufficient. I must bring a street name, subway stop, or address next time. Silly me. Anyway, it was 2 euros for a half hour. That's crazy. They're going to charge me more if I don't get off now.
*added a few hours later*
I found a hostel! It wasn't the one I was looking for, but I jumped at it the first moment I saw the International Hostel logo.
Things in Athens are expensive. Well, maybe not for people who use the Euro, but I had a little meal in a small shop tonight for $7.50. The value meals at McDonalds were the US equivalent of about $7-8. I had a small sandwich. My hostel was about $20 and that was the cheapest around. They didn't even give me a key. ghetto...
I hope the rest of the country is a bit cheaper. I should have brought more than $200 with me. Eh... we'll see. I'll get a good night's sleep finally and see how I feel in the morning.
Right now I'm going to go for a walk around the area, free of my cumbersome backpack. It's a little shady around here. I may get mugged. Wish me luck!
Athens is much different than I was expecting. It's very strange walking around a city where everyone is white but speaking a different language. I also thought I'd be able to just figure out the writing because it's very close to Roman letters. That is not the case. I have no idea what's going on. Fortunately, I haven't run into anyone who doesn't speak English... yet. I've actually had two people come up to me already and ask me questions in Greek. I'm not sure why. I'm in full tourist mode with the bright red backpack, camera and map in hand... not to mention the fact that I don't look Greek. I might be able to pass, but really... they actually looked surprised when I gave them the helpless shrug and smile. For the most part, though, I still stick out when necessary. The man at this internet cafe talked to me in English before I even said anything. He may have done so because I sort of just stared at the prices for a bit before staring at him helplessly and not saying anything, but...
You know, I should really get off this thing. I stopped by really quick to find the address of a hostel/hotel. I still don't have a place to stay and it's getting dark. Note to self: simply the title of a cheap hostel is not sufficient. I must bring a street name, subway stop, or address next time. Silly me. Anyway, it was 2 euros for a half hour. That's crazy. They're going to charge me more if I don't get off now.
*added a few hours later*
I found a hostel! It wasn't the one I was looking for, but I jumped at it the first moment I saw the International Hostel logo.
Things in Athens are expensive. Well, maybe not for people who use the Euro, but I had a little meal in a small shop tonight for $7.50. The value meals at McDonalds were the US equivalent of about $7-8. I had a small sandwich. My hostel was about $20 and that was the cheapest around. They didn't even give me a key. ghetto...
I hope the rest of the country is a bit cheaper. I should have brought more than $200 with me. Eh... we'll see. I'll get a good night's sleep finally and see how I feel in the morning.
Right now I'm going to go for a walk around the area, free of my cumbersome backpack. It's a little shady around here. I may get mugged. Wish me luck!
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