| Submitted by: Mark NowakUnited States |
| Submission Date: 10 February 2005 |
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Afterwards, Anne, Erin, Tae, Luz, Nick and I went to a dance club called Mercedes in the Glifada district just southwest of Athens where the beaches and the closed military base are. Getting taxis was as simple as walking to Omonia Square where they wait in line when the demand is low. The ride cost about 2000 drachmas, but we took two taxis. Outside the club we saw very well dressed people going in and some guys being turned away at the door. Nick had to do a little talking to get us in. We were a balanced group and we got the impression they were trying to avoid too high a guy-girl ratio. The cover was 2000 drachmas but that included a drink. I had some kind of sweet Italian ouzo. It was about 12:30. A band was playing, but no one was dancing. People watching was fun enough for a while. This was definitely a place for beautiful people. The women really know how to dress to highlight their femininity. If there is such a thing as a minimum drinking age in Greece, it must not be enforced. Some of the couches were reserved -- we learned that the hard way -- by a bottle of water at the table.
At about 2:00 they switched to recorded music -- really good music. I finished off my Long Island (another 2000 drachmas) and danced with Luz for about 2 hours straight. It was a blast. We were surrounded by very loud speakers. Together with the lighting, the music was excellent to dance to. Often they wouldn't play an entire song, just part of one and then smoothly move into the next. My ears felt like they rang for days afterwards. Some Greek music was played around 4:00, and some of the girls got up on tables and danced using sensual Turkish style arm and hand motions -- very nice. I thought that this just may have spoiled my enjoyment of US clubs. Between the dancing, the music, the lights, the women and my buzz, I was pretty happy. It was interesting to watch so many people dancing with cigarettes. The Greeks do like to smoke, but they don't seem any different from the rest of Europe in that regard. Anne and Erin had this thing about dancing -- they wouldn't do it. Instead, they met men. They met lots of men.
Tae and Nick left around 3:00 or 3:30. Luz and I left around 4:00 when things were starting to die down. We looked for the girls but didn't see them. We figured they must have left. When we returned to the hotel, we found out they were still out. As it turned out, they had met someone important at the club who gave them a ride home in his van. I believe their drinks were free and they were invited to come back the next night where a table would be reserved for them and they wouldn't be charged a cover. The Blonde Effect. I think the next night was some kind of topless swimsuit contest, but I'm not sure.
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After a refreshing two hours of sleep and a shower without a shower curtain, I had breakfast with the others at the hotel. We took a chartered bus to Filopapos Hill to see the monument there and take in a spectacular view of the Acropolis. Nick gave us some of the history of the place before we went to the Acropolis itself. Athens is named after Athena, the goddess of wisdom and defensive warfare -- that's why she carries a shield, whom the Athenians chose as their protector after a contest between her and Poseidon, the god of the sea and earthquakes. At the Acropolis we walked through the Propylea and around the Parthenon, taking in views of the Herodotus Atticus Theater, the Theater of Dionysis, the Erechtheum and the Caryatids. Nick told us that the columnar architecture of basilicas is derived from ancient Greek temple architecture.
Afterwards, Tae, Mary Jane, Janet, Anne, Erin and I took taxis to a beach in the Glifada district. Since it was around two, we had trouble getting taxis, so we had to phone for them. Greece pretty much shuts down between 2:00 and 5:30 when people escape the heat by going home and napping. Then they return to work and work longer. They tend to go to the beach later when it gets a little cooler and have dinner around 9:00 or 10:00. The nightlife tends to start around midnight.
Driving in Greece is simply scary. I was riding in the front seat of the taxi, and we were driving so close to other cars I was scared to rest my arm on the open window. Stop signs seemed to be treated like yield signs, and once we went right through a red light. Lanes don't mean very much, and there are so many scooters and motorcycles everywhere that they tend to fill in any gaps between cars. Seat belts appear to be purely decorative. I'm amazed I never saw an accident during my entire stay. Nick had told us the first rule of driving in Greece: People are soft.
Nick also told us that cars in Greece are very expensive, so they are expected to last a long time. They have insurance, and the weather isn't as damaging as in the Midwest. Sometimes two guys will buy a car together to use it as a taxi. One guy will work a day shift and the other at night. To ease congestion, there are ordinances often preventing all taxis from being able to go to some places on the same day. The drivers risk stiff fines if they get caught breaking such ordinances.
Taxis can take on other passengers, but during my entire trip whenever I took a taxi, the driver would pull up to a prospective customer, hear where he wanted to go and pull away. Everything in Greece seems to be negotiable as well from wares to dinner bills to taxi fares. A fare can be negotiated before you decide to take the taxi.
The beach was a pay beach, costing 350 drachmas, but there were plenty of services and facilities once you were inside. The beach was topless, but most women wore their tops. My understanding is that all beaches in Greece are topless, but some are nude. The water was great and resting in the sun was appreciated. The water of the Mediterranean is so blue because of a lack of plankton which tends to mean a lack of fish as well. It makes the water very clear. Greece also receives plenty of sunshine but is drier and more comfortable than the humidity I'm used to. In fact, water shortages are not uncommon and people are asked to conserve.
For dinner we went to the Plaka (which means flat area) where lots of traditional tavernas can be found. These are restaurants with a band of about 5 members (including a bouzouki player) playing and singing during dinner. People will often get up out of their seats and dance to the music. The trolley we took blew a fuse, so we had to switch trolleys on the way. We ate at the Stamatopoulu Palia Plakiotiki Taverna -- it was recently mentioned in a New York Times article. I ended up sitting at the edge of or group right next to the band. They played a little too loudly for me to hear what Nick was explaining at the center of the group, and it bothered me when I was trying to eat. Oh, well. I was tired too. Later, I had some ouzo which brightened my spirits. The music was good, the food traditional and the dancing interesting and genuine. Nick was invited up to play the bouzouki, and he did for a few songs. He was quite good. Nick later explained that traditionally Greeks don't dance for anyone -- they dance for themselves. That's why sometimes it's considered improper to applaud a dancer.
Some of our group took a taxi back to the hotel, but most of us decided to walk back. Nick joined us and gave us a 2:00 AM tour of the Plaka. When we returned, Nick, Luz and I went to a cafe to talk. I had some tea and crawled into bed around 4:30 again. I was beginning to wonder how long I was going to be able to keep this up.
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In the morning, we took in the National Archeological Museum and followed that up with a souflaki lunch at a local place. This was also the place where I first tried retsina, resinated wine -- that's right, wine with pine resin. I liked it. Luz, Janet and I went to see the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier next to the Parliament building. It happens every hour and the guards looked like they appreciated it -- the sun must have been nasty to them in those uniforms.
Luz and I explored the National Gardens. Walking through them was like walking through a maze. There were cats everywhere. Some would let you pet them. Actually, I noticed lots of cats throughout Greece including the islands. Another nice aspect was that there were palm trees everywhere.
We ended up meeting two Australian girls on our way to the Monastiraki bazaar. Philly and Lillian were spending months traveling across Europe. They had just arrived and were a little unsure of themselves. We talked as we led them to the bazaar. At the bazaar I haggled myself a wool sweater for 7000 drachmas -- his original asking price was 10000. Luz haggled herself a skirt before we left the same shop. Luz and I took the subway back to our hotel (100 drachmas and it was really easy).
After dinner at the hotel, we took our chartered bus to the Acropolis Sound and Light Show. It was a pretty tacky historical overview of Athens. While fighting off sleep, I could hear others laughing at the melodramatic narration. It was kind of fun, and it didn't cost much. We then went to see the Dora Stratou Folk Dance Company in the same area. The dancing was very good.
Afterwards, Anne, Erin, Tae and I went out with two Italian guys the girls had met. We went to another Plaka taverna (choosing it was simple -- a guy up the hill called to us when he saw us passing by and then hustled us up the stairs when we approached) where we had wine, listened to a live band and talked about topics ranging from the differences in our cultures to U2. One of my favorite moments was when Erin asked me if all those B.C. numbers got smaller as time moved forward. Afterwards, when that place closed, we went on a walking search for an open bar, and we couldn't find one. This event probably marked the pathetic low of our stay. At least it was still dark when we got in.
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I slept on the bus ride to Delphi. Nick gave us some language lessons and provided us with a running narration on Greece that I didn't quite entirely catch. The first six years of school in Greece are mandatory, but the second six are optional. Going to a university is another matter. Anyone who is interested in attending in going to a university in Greece has to take national exams. I believe the exams were being given on Monday because we were told that more people would have been at Mercedes otherwise. If you do well on the exams, you are selected to go to university in Greece. Only quite wealthy people can afford to send their children out of the country.
On the way we visited Osios Lucas Monastery that dated back to the 11th century. The mosaics were especially interesting. There is no such thing as separation of church and state in Greece -- the church is on the government payroll. There are churches everywhere. Many are very small -- built by those fulfilling vows to God for some answered requests. |
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