So I turned in on that second day and knew I would have a good chance of making this last day work just as well. I was going to Hydra to do some hiking and just kind of...relax? I have such a hard time doing that but I figure if it was going to happen, this would be the place.
It was 730 AM and I was already set to go, even though it was way too early. I was too excited about getting to Piraeus, the harbor in Athens, to catch my high speed ferry to Hydra.
I had asked the nice man at the desk the best way to get there. His reply was "Metro Green, takes you right there."
I must have been a tad over confident, because I didn't ask for any elaboration. I said thanks in what is likely the most awful Greek accent ever and off I carry myself down the hill to victory, and hopefully the metro.
Now here is where reality reminded me I was a foreigner and didn't really know my way around.
The thought of : "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, DOPEY? WHERE THE HELL IS THE METRO!?" started to appear in my head after 15 minutes of walking.
It was very early on a Sunday so no one was about. I try to once again use my sweet detective skills to find a Metro train rail embedded in the street, and I just walk parallel to it until I found the station.
Oh, I got this.
The metro map, while in Greek, or some language, was tough to read. I did my best to figure the instructions. Take this line two stops past Syntagma Square to Omonia, and then it is Green Line all the way to the harbor.
I hope.
I get my ticket from the machine and I wait.
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?
The moment of truth as the Metro rumbles around the corner - I get on. Okay, now to listen for the stops to make sure I am going in the right direction.
Patience...here is the next stop...
Is it the one it should be on the map?
YES! SUCCESS! I am going the right way!
The next stop is Syntagma Square, two more stops, then the Green Line to immortality!
Syntagma comes up. The announcement in Greek seems to take a bit longer than normal. Bah, it is probably nothing. I won't worry about...
I won't...
Why are we moving backwards?
So, get this...
The guy at the hotel neglected to mention that on Sunday, the part of the Red Line that I caught is a secondary line and will only go between Syntagma Square and the other end of the line, never actually traveling to where I should have actually gone.
Oh, that rapscallion.
So I get out at the next stop, the one I was just at maybe 5 minutes before. I will try to hoof it to Omonia Station and hop the Green, but one look at my watch let me know this would not be a good plan.
I hailed a cab.
"NO ENGLISH!"
I get out of the cab.
I walk around and see a line of cabs and ask the first guy...
"Piraeus?"
"I am a rented cab, sorry Mac"
I was a bit taken aback by the 1940's lingo, but I said, "Thanks man, that's a pretty cool looking jacket you have - you got good taste!" and off I went. In my defense, it was a very nice jacket. I ask and get the same answer from the next 2 cabs in line.
I walk along the road and try to flag one with no success. I try slower streets but there are no cabs to flag. After a half hour it is about 835 AM and I am very doubtful I will make my 9 AM high speed ferry to Hydra.
A bit dejected I come around the corner, planning what to do with my surprise day in Athens, and hear the sound of a white knight in shining armor...
Well, it was a yellow cab and inside was a guy named Mario wearing a huge smile and a very nice looking jacket.
"You look like you really need a ride. Piraeus, 20 Euro?"
"How long to get there?"
"Maybe 20-25 minutes"
I look at my watch. 840 AM.
"Get me there in 15 and it is 20 Euro"
A bigger smile and he motions to get in. I was gonna make it.
Mario and I had a long talk - about 13 minutes worth - so now I know he was born in Athens and wants to leave, but every time he almost makes it out he gets into a relationship that keeps him here. It was, at the time, two days before the one year anniversary of his fathers death. He was starting to feel very upset and confused about things. His mother and father had left him a house on Aegina Island but he rarely went there because he needed the money here. He isn't sure he wants kids, although the new girlfriend of 3 months is starting to drop hints.
So I now know all about the lives of Geor...Mike, Nicolette, The Fat One, Umberto, and Mario.
I knew exactly where I was going. I had this super easy map I saved from the internet:
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?
I was looking for Gate E8. It is right there. Easy. Of course, in real life the harbor looks like this:
Ohhhh...yeah...um, what?
So I turn to Mario and hold up the 20 Euro.
"You're going to earn it - I need you to take me into Gate E8 because I have about 4 minutes or I miss my boat."
No expression from Mario but I think I detected a slight tightening of his grip on the wheel as we executed what can only be describes as a perfect illegal U-Turn and dipped in between buses and other cabs. Fate was on my side - I knew I would make it.
We pull up in front of E8 and he takes the money and says: "Take my card - anyone who likes my jacket is okay with me."
He drove off and I hustled around the corner to make my date with this ferry official. I got to the booth and with no words exchanged I handed over my paper tickets and got my smaller, more official paper tickets.
Saying: "It's all Greek to me" is funny until that shit is actually all Greek to you...
Funny thing about this particular high speed ferry...
That sumbitch was a half hour late.
Ah well, I had a blast getting here. I picked up some sandwiches from a lady in the booth who was checking out my order while yelling at a very old woman trying to sell tissues to people in line.
Good times.
And I wait. Then I see it come around the breakwater...my chariot...
It was nearly an empty ride in, but the view was amazing. The pictures don't do it justice because of the spray from the Aegean on the windows. I did get a few decent pics, and here was a mouthwatering prelude to where I was going. This is the harbor at Poros:
Your yacht must be 60 feet long to ride this island...
We then cruise on after a quick Poros drop-off/pick-up of people to my final destination, Hydra.
I couldn't see forward so I only got to see the town appear in through the port side bow window. The place looked, well it looked like a fort with some statues. But it turns out, once you disembark and look to your right, you see this:
Meh.
I guess that is an okay view, if you're into that sort of thing.
The sun still hung low in the sky, and I didn't know it at the time but the view would get a lot better. I grabbed a quick cup of coffee from one of the very grateful remaining shop keepers, and then I noticed something I forgot everyone said I would notice...
OH MY GOD IT'S SOME DONKEYS!
The island is reputed to have only one car, but I counted no less than 3. One fire truck - a small pick up, one ambulance, and a small white van. Lies. Damn lies. But still, DID YOU SEE THE DONKEYS!? THEY WERE EVERYWHERE!
One doesn't necessarily mentally recognize immediately why you would need donkeys. One is usually just so stoked at the thought of the donkeys, one forgets that donkeys are used to carry things and climb when it is too steep for a person.
Hydra, as it turns out, is laid out like a normal city, only instead of putting the map on a table, hold it vertically against a wall. Everything is either up, very up, holy cow that is up or the same thing in a down flavor.
On paper, it is a short climb. In reality, say goodbye to your loved ones.
My directions I printed were vague at best, because streets here are a maze at best. The first thing they said to do was start on the main street to the left of the cathedral. I asked, There is no main street to the left of the cathedral.
Son of a...
Okay, I wanted to explore the city anyway, so let's just start walking. It was a beautiful walk. Very up. Bastard kids running around like this isn't equivalent to hiking Everest. I knew they must be just as winded as me, but were too proud to show it.
Some paths go up...
Some go very up...
Some go holy cow that was really up...
It was a truly lovely city, and I saw a good portion of it. Looping around and eventually coming to the high point of the town. I stepped onto a roof of an abandoned building and got my bearings. The directions called for a horse farm and a goat path. This whole town was goat path but I scanned for the horses.
I also stopped to have a look at the harbor from the top of the town...
Places actually look like this...
I scanned and scanned - located a wall with my compass and followed it to a goat path and tried to divine which I should take. After some trial and error and trespassing I found the main road up to the top. It was a switchback, but paved with stone so it was easy to follow. I cannot stress the vertical nature of this switchback, but it was relentless and went on for a very, very long while. About 2 hours of climbing this switchback gets you to a sign:
Picked a bad day to wear this lingerie I guess...
Just past this sign a traveler must make a choice - if they know there is one. The switchbacks continue on for another mile or so and you can get to the monastery. It is supposed to be lovely - I have seen pictures and it is beautiful. Two monks live there full time. But that isn't what I was here for. I found the slightly beaten, unpaved and less traveled trail that led off to the side of the monastery.
The path was generally easy to follow until it got rocky. Lots of little hoof prints. I saw the side of the monastery and snapped a quick picture....
I would have liked to take a better picture...but...
I didn't have time to take any more of the are, because at that point I heard some frantic yelling to my left. A very small, very colorful old Greek woman with some goats, a dog and what appeared to be laundry was waving at me and yelling.
This outta be good.
You can see her just coming around the corner...
She spoke quickly and was very friendly. As someone who doesn't speak the Greek language at all I was glad to hear "MONASTERY? EROS?"
While I didn't understand the other 600 words, those I got. I brightened up and told her "Eros! Eros!"
She gave a happy sigh and a "Bravo!" and pointed. Still speaking quickly in Greek she pointed to a wall on the far side of her property, and I followed her finger to the bottom. I thanked her in my terrible Greek and was off again.
She watched me, which seemed a bit odd until it then occurred to me she was making sure I didn't get lost. Probably a lot of paperwork if I die up there.
When you get to this point, you can't be sure if you're on the right path. There are places that look like a path, but in all you kind of point yourself where you're going and try not to twist anything. I heard her yell "BRAVO (words words words) EROS, BRAVO!" as she waved at me until I hit the tree line and she disappeared from my sight.
Honestly, she was probably one of the highlights of my entire trip.
I walk and walk, curve around sharp little bushes and through rocks. I see it, finally. About 40 minutes after I left the old woman I was just about there. The views on either side were spectacular mountains, but the world seemed to drop off just ahead. I knew I was going to want to remember this, so I pulled out my camera and filmed my approach to the top, and the view that awaited me.
*Turn down the volume lest ye want an earful of my out-of-shape self breathing heavily.
Two things:
One - The town I started in is on the other side of the island, you can see where I cam from when I scroll all the way left. Far.
Two - You may have noticed the wind picking up. It hadn't been particularly windy until that moment. I felt as though I would maybe be forced to take a step forward, but I am glad I didn't as the way down was actually more steep than the way up.
Watch that first step...it's a doozy!
I stayed up there for maybe a half hour. Walking around and just taking it in. It was an amazing moment for me of accomplishment and satisfaction. I finally decided to work my way back home.
I come to the house again and my friend is waiting for me.
The way back to my friends house...not a bad view, if you're into that sort of thing.
She started waving when she saw me, then had a seat to wait for me. I climb up to her place and sit on the wall. She is talking very fast but I can make out "Eros" and "Nay" (which of course, means "yes" in Greek).
I tell her in the worst broken Greek I think she had ever heard something like: "Bravo, Eros. Ef̱charistó̱. Bravo, bravo." With my hand on my heart and my breathing starting to return to normal.
She seemed happy at my attempt, though I am not sure what she heard, or what I actually said.
She waved goodbye and I made my way back towards the town. Very happy and enjoying every downward step.
I must admit, down was easier than up. You can quote me.
The views on the way back were even better than the views on the way up, and I was glad to stop and snap a few more shots and videos.
You can see the rest of my Hydra pictures here.
Once back in town I got some water and sat down to some lunch and Greek coffee. I took my time, it would be hours before the boat returned. I ate and walked around, explored the old fortress at the harbor gate. I laid in the sun on the harbor and read for a couple hours and listened to the locals talk about...I have no clue but they sure had a good time talking about it. I pet a few dogs and cats, get a snack for the road and get on my way home.
The damn boat was even later this time.
Home finally, I hop the Green Line Metro and manage not to get mugged, then I transfer to the Red and stop at the Acropolis stop for one last night around town.
I see Nicoletta and The Fat One and stay past closing time with them, doing the usual "if I come back I will be sure to stop by" thing that customers from out of town and bartenders do on the last night. I walk around the shops and get a few trinkets for my friend's kids. I work my way back to the hotel and contemplate going to the roof bar, but decide that I shouldn't push my luck and instead decide to call it a night.
One more success of a day, and all I have to do is make it to the airport tomorrow morning...
What could go wrong?
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