NO ENGLISH NO ENGLISH and other things the Oracle at Delphi didn't prepare me for Delphi Day 2 11/5/2014

So after almost accidentally hiring a prostitute, becoming friends with 2 Greek goons, and a lot of walking, I went to sleep on day 1 feeling like day 2 was simply going  to be a complete disaster.

Was I right?

You tell me...

Alarm goes off at 530 AM.  I get up and stagger around moaning for a minute or two, and then shove myself into the shower.  I am not a small man, but even though my BMI says "obese" I still feel like I am not as fat as some people are.  The shower set up was small, but again - this is Athens and space is a premium.  I didn't have to share a bathroom with the floor like a lot of hotels - some more expensive than mine.

I clean up and get myself going.  Down to the lobby.  The night before I had asked for a cab at 630 AM.  It was ten after 6.  Perfect!  Time to walk to the corner store and grab a nope the cab was there at 611 AM.  Ah well, I read the bus station has a snack stand.

Now, just tell the driver that you want to go to Bus Terminal 2 and...and...and he doesn't know what that is.

Okay, okay, I can handle this.  I walk back towards the hotel and grab a bit of wifi.  I pull up the physical address of the place and show him.

HOW DOES A CAB DRIVER NOT KNOW WHERE A BUS STATION IS!?

Let's say the look he returned to me was not...encouraging.  We worked it out that he did know the Kato Patissa Metro Stop, I had just read before I walked down it was the closest stop, so that was where we started looking.  He looked at my phone, then at me, then my phone.

Then he did something I will never forget...

He shrugged and lit a cigarette and leaned on the hood of his car as he gazed off into the distance.

In his defense, it still wasn't 630 AM yet.

Eventually off we went.  The way was a bit backward and I feel like I passed the same bridge 3 times, but 10 euro later I was at the station.

Now, the internet said to find other people touring so you won't appear alone.  Not that it is dangerous, but when tours go they typically have a guide who knows the bus and the time and you can kind of adopt them until you get there.  No problem.  I will just find...someone...who...

Nope.  Just me and the Greeks.  The 7 AM tired, hungover, hungry, and black leather coat-wearing Greeks all not happy to be at a public bus station.

Okay, I still got this.  Up to the counters.  There are about 8 counters to choose from, each sporting a different destination.  When I stopped and looked at the each of the signs on the windows, I noticed this:

Δέλφος

I am no scientist, but yes I am.  I use Greek symbols all the time in class.  Okay, let's see what we got here...

Δ, delta is D

έ, epsilon, is E

λ, lambda, is L

φ, phi, is P

ο is just o I think...makes sense, right?

ς must be s...but I thought sigma was σ

Delphi - Delpos?

Fuck it.  I am going to some place that starts with a DELP anyway.  Hope I don't end up in downtown Delpville or Isle d. Delp.

I pay 15.5  euro to get a ticket to DELP and ask about my return ticket, if I could buy it there or if I had to wait.

The look of disgust was something I wish I could have framed.  But after 6 more seconds of work he powered through, and another 15.5 Euro and I am on my way!  Well almost.  As usual I am very early.  Which is good, because it gave me time to figure out which bus I wanted.

Here is a hint - it is one of these 9 lanes with a sign:

But picture it very dark, a few homeless people wandering around, and packed full of buses.  Whaddup, confusion?

Now, I have no clue which is my bus.  The whole lot was full of buses.  I started to get a bit anxious because I saw nothing that even began with a D.  Would I miss going to DELP?

Think...

No problem.  I leave at 730 AM.  I will just wait for the bus to start up and I will know that particular bus is mine.

At 715 AM 5 buses fired up, one of them would be mine.  At least I have narrowed it down.

New plan.  I went back inside and waited by the Δέλφος counter.  I would see who buys a ticket and follow them.  See?  Smart.

Unless no one comes in and buys a ticket to DELP.

It was almost the moment where I would have to bother someone, which I don't like to do in the US, let alone Greece.  I also didn't want to ask because I am stubborn and was determined to do this myself.  But then it happened, the last bus moved away and I saw it.  The farthest station, on a sign hidden by the now vacant bus.  One of the three words on the sign said: Δέλφος

BAM!  DELP HERE I COME!

I made a direct line for the bus, got on with no worry.  Now at this point I gained a new appreciation for non-native speakers back in the US, and even in Bahrain.  It is intimidating when no one speaks the same language as you, but they all understand one another.  Especially when there are 50 of them all locked in a metal tube on wheels with you.  The young woman in front of me said a few things to me and motioned with her hands, then laughed and laughed so we shared that moment. No clue what she said.  

"I will murder you if you fall asleep, so don't shove any badgers in your bra!"

Anything.

She could have said anything.

But the bus rumbled off and the adventure was on!

About 2/3 of the way through the bus stops at a little hotel for a ten minute bathroom and snack break.  I was finally comfortable that I was going to the right place and started snapping away with the camera.  The scenery on the way to DELP was amazing.  Cloud capped mountains, green trees and colorful expanses of farmland.  Just awesome coming from the overwhelming "tan-ness" of Bahrain.

Says KTEL, which is the bus company.  The rest of it...fuck if I know.

This is the hotel we stopped at on the way to DELP.  Full of cats.  All cats, all the places.

The view to the West of the hotel.  This was one of dozens of mountains we would eventually pass.

The view from where we stopped in DELP.  Can't explain how much better the view was in real life.

So we board the bus and I see a town ahead.  Then we pass the ruins of the Temple of Apollo!  There is the Sanctuary of Athena!  Yes!  

DELP WAS DELPHI!  WHAT ARE THE ODDS!?

There are the ruins!  Yep...there they were.  We just drove past them.  Alllllll the way back there.

Shit.

Still driving away from them...

What seemed like a mile past the site was not that far at all, and I was actually pleasantly surprised to find some almonds on the ground I could smash open and eat as I walked back down the hill to the ruins.

I got to this site early also, simply because crowds for me can ruin (HIGH FIVE) a place that really deserves quiet reflection and appreciation.  And crowds mess up everything else.

Crowds ruin everything ever.

But it was really only me and a few other people.  Once again, I won't bore you with all the photos - I will just post a few as proof.

You can see all of my pictures and videos here*  

Treasury of Athens.  10% of spoils of war would go here.

The Temple of Apollo.  The Orcale, Pythia, prophesied there.  Right freakin' there.

Tholos of Athena Pronaia.  The Temple of Apollo on the hill in the background.  Called Athena Pronaia because travelers would pass this group of monuments first on their way to Delphi.

I don't get "feelings" and stuff a lot.  But I can honestly say I had different, yet similar, feelings in Athens and then in Delphi.  I don't know if I should or how I could describe them, but it felt special. I know it is psychosomatic, and I am very logical, but I also will admit when I feel something I can't explain.

Like a boob.

All I am saying if if you have the chance to feel a boob, just go for it.

Wait...

No, that's right.

This guy's name is Giorgio A. Tsoukalos.  So I feel perfectly okay putting this in a blog about Greece.

After I did the Delphi ruins, the Sanctuary of Athena ruins, and the wonderful mueseum on the site, I wandered back to town.  My bus wasn't leaving until 430 PM, so I had some time.  The ruins took about 3 hours total, but that was with the stadium and the gymnasium being closed for excavation and restoration.

Now, the best part about visiting Greece in early November is the lack of crowds.  Of course, the flip side is there is a distinct lack of the things that are usually open for crowds as well.  As you walk past restaurants you would glance inside and see a lonely man or woman with their head in their hand, watching scrambled television.  You make eye-contact and they race for the door...just looking for a friend to serve food to...a pal to pour a beer for.

Actually that isn't always true.  That was the case about half of the time - the other half would be one Greek restaurant owner yelling and gesturing to the next door Greek restaurant owner who is yelling and gesturing to the first Greek restaurant owner..

I finally pick a place and sit down to admire the view.  Really was stunning...

As far as views go, this was alright.  And the wifi was delicious.

CHEESE POOFS!

The mousaka, however...

Let's just say when you're the only one in a place and you order, and the food is out within 2 minutes the odds are it isn't as "fresh and new" as the menu may have implied.  Still, they gave me two bowls of cheesy poofs so this guy was a happy little clam.

After I eat I decide to take a walk through town to kill some time.  I think this picture sums up the town of DELP...

THIS IS THE SUPERMARKET.  IT IS THERE.  IN THAT GUY'S HOUSE.

Oh, that reminds me...

DON'T SPEND MORE THAN A FEW HOURS IN DELP IT IS SO BORING AND DEAD OH MY GOD I ALMOST DIED OF BOREDOM WAITING FOR MY BUS I SWEAR REALLY.

But the few hours you spend will be well worth it.  So, here I am waiting for the bus.  I see a blond girl, about my age, also waiting for the bus.  I knew we were both tourists because of the nervous wait for the bus, and the big Canadian flag on her bag.  

I am basically a detective.

We chat and sit together for the ride home.  She is Canadian and living in Israel, I am American and living in Bahrain so many things to talk about!  But we spent the next 3 hours discussing her relationship and her boyfriend and her plans for the future.  I know the color the house she just bought.  I know the name of her boyfriends parents.  I know that he is a bit obsessive and wants to visit all the time.

I now know all about Nicoletta, Geor...Mike, Umberto, The Fat One, and now Alex the Canadian.

We get to the station and decide to share a cab.  Should be easy.  We have a map.  We know the names of the places.  What could go wrong?

Well what could go wrong is Nick.

We sit in the cab and Alex the Canadian points at the hotel on the map, very close to the Acropolis and a very prominent hotel.  I would ride on a bit farther and cruise the shops and night life for a while after Nick dropped her off.

He looked at the map, looked at us, the map, us, map, us, map, us...and then turned around.  I figured this was the point where we would start driving.

I was mistaken.

It was then that Nick the cabbie said : "NO ENGLISH NO NO NO!  NO ENGLISH! OUT!  NO NO!"

Well this is awkward.  He said that in English, first of all.  But the way he was waving his arms around frantically convinced me that getting out would be best.  He continued as we exited the cab, and he pulled up to the taxi stand to wait for someone else.  All the while yelling: "NO NO!  ENGLISH NO!"

At this point the other cabbies in line rush over.  I would like to say it was a sense of responsibility or compassion, but it was more likely the fact that Nick was blocking all of them in the cab lane since he was first, and no one would get into the cab of a crazed old man yelling NO ENGLISH in English. They wouldn't get any fares, so it is best to get this nut job to take these tourists where they want to go.

They get him out of the cab and he resisted mightily as they pull him, no shit - they pull him - over to us.  He gains a little composure and we all look at the map.  We wanted to go to the Acropolis Hotel, which in English is Acropolis Hotel.  But you see, in Greek it is Akropolis Hotel. So he obviously couldn't understand us.

The other cabbies convince Nick to take us, and off we go in the most aggressive atmosphere I've ever experienced in a cab.  He pretends to not understand when we point at the hotel and he rounds the block, accidentally increasing the fare.

Bad luck, Nick.

Alex the Canadian gets out and I wave goodbye.  Now Nick is pissed.  There is no damsel in distress anymore, just my dopey ass.

We peel out and head about thee blocks in towards the Acropolis.  I need to get about another half mile, but the rate at which we are buzzing corners and pedestrians is a tad disconcerting.  I will just walk, thank you.

I say "Stop here, please" and Nick laughs.

I told you I was funny.

So I say it again.  Nothing.

I make the stop motion with my hand right near his face.

Zip.

Plan B then, Nick.  I open the door.  Now it didn't open much, the rushing wind was pushing it closed, but it was enough to make Nick stop and yell at me in Greek.  The meter said 5.77 Euro.  Nick looks at me and yells: "EIGHT" while holding up eight fingers.  Shame he can't speak any English.

I get out and have a quiet dark alley walk back to the populated part of town.  I get back and decide to stop into the Hunter and see the gang.

As I get close The Fat One happens to pop outside - he notices me and laughingly brings me in.  He wants to know all about the accidental hooker.  Nicoletta may have pulled a muscle laughing at me so hard.  I tell them the story same as I told you.  I also say, "I am glad Umberto isn't here. I am still mad at him for costing me 50 eur..."

I was stopped by a gust of wind.  An eerie cold wind that carried the sound of...oh no...

"HEY EVERYONE!  IT IS UMBERTO!"

Son of a...

And laughing unison, Nicoletta and The Fat One both yell: "HI UMBERTO!"

Like a perfectly timed theater entrance he walks in.  We have a short, yet spirited discussion about not trying to buy me any more hookers, or putting any more wine on my tab.  All is sorted out and he eats his pasta and departs.

I spend the rest of the night hearing The Fat One talking about how he was almost beat up in the US at a whorehouse, and how he also hid naked in the trees another time...in the US...at a different whorehouse. I was feeling better that, at least, I had a whorehouse story of my own.  Nicolette would chime in from time to time explaining that even she knew Umberto was taking me to a hooker.  We agreed I was ignorant and stupid and next time I should remain there with her and The Fat One.   We talk about where he wants to retire.  We talk about where Nicoletta would go if she wasn't stuck at The Fat One's bar.  We often come back to have a laugh at my accidental Blond Polish Faced Accidental Prostitute.

I wander home and fall asleep quickly...a solid night sleep to get ready for another big day...

Hydra Day 3.  The Labyrinth, The Goat Lady, and the Ringtailed Feline Muse.