I had been in Greece no more than an hour and here I was already at a water-side café. On the table in front of me was a plate of olives, a piece of feta cheese, some bread and an Amstel beer. Beyond, there were boats gently swaying in the marina. I was on my way to Samos where I would get a boat to Turkey. I wanted to visit the Roman ruins at Ephesus and then go on to the island of Rhodes. I had vowed not to spend my four-hour layover in the departure hall of the Athens airport - ugh. An on-line acquaintance suggested I wait at one of the marinas east of the airport. When I arrived, I asked at the tourist desk. They suggested I take the local bus ($0.30) and with a little guidance from friendly Greeks, I arrived. Here I could set, eat, enjoy the view and rest up from my overnight flight. This was way better than the airport cafe.
Samos, Greece
After a couple of hours at the marina, I returned to the airport for the one hour hop to Samos. It's a great flight. The small plane flies low over the Greek islands, east almost to the Turkish coast. You look down on deep blue water, rocky land and geometric white towns. When I arrived, I took a 15 minute taxi ride ($9) into Samos town and walked around looking for a hotel. I soon found the Emily ($26), a friendly, comfortable place about two block back from the harbor. By then it was getting late, so I dropped off my bags, washed my face and headed off to find dinner. It's a short walk from the Emily to the downtown pedestrian mall. Here on one of the quite side streets, lit by strings of light-bulbs, I found the El Greco. The night was mild and I choose a seat outside with a view of the bay. The house specialty was grilled meat, so I had a plate with rice, a tomato salad and another Amstel ($11).
After dinner I walked around the lively shopping area, strolled by the harbor and then found a seat in a café by the port. After listening to some ancient American rock music and drinking a couple of glasses of wine, I headed back to the Emily and bed - I was bushed. But bed would have to wait - the hotel owner wanted to talk. He found out I worked with computers: so had he. I was from America: he had been to New York City. What did I think of the hotel? How about Samos? More guests came in and joined us. After a couple of hours - and lots more wine - I finally made it to bed. My room was open to a cool evening breeze and soothing night noises - crickets chirping, distant dogs barking and the hushed voices of people walking by. I was lulled to sleep.
But the morning wasn't so soothing. Well before dawn a rooster started crowing. He sounded like he was just outside the window. Soon after that, it was kids excitedly heading to school. After all the previous night's drinking, I got up with a thick head. Luckily I hadn't planned anything more ambitious than getting my ticket to Turkey and seeing a little of Samos town - and that's exactly what I did.
After the standard continental breakfast in the Emily's sunny dining room - with their mutt dog scouring under the tables for crumbs - I headed out to see Samos town. First, I walked up the hill behind the town for a spectacular view of the bay and surrounding mountains. Then, I window shopped all around the market area and visited the immense Orthodox cathedral. Finally, I walked around the compact marina, had a great lunch and headed back for a nap - hey, I'm on vacation, right? The weather was perfect: warm, brilliantly sunny with a few fluffy clouds. In the afternoon, I bought a ticket for Kusadasi. There are many shipping offices along the harbor and it doesn't matter which one you use - there is only one boat. The ticket cost $42, of which only $18 is for the boat ride - the rest is port tax, both Greek and Turk!
Kusadasi, Turkey
Next morning at 8:00 I caught the boat for the one hour trip to Turkey. It was a pleasant ride, weaving among small islands - the sea was calm and the day warm. When I arrived, I purchased a visa ($20), went through passport control and then walked up to the main square to cash some money. It was still early and most of the shops were just starting to open up. I wanted to put my pack down, so I started looking for a hotel. I headed up the hill behind Kusadasi and after a little looking found the Stella ($30). It sits on a bluff overlooking the south part of the harbor. The rooms are large, filled with Turkish rugs and have balconies overlooking the water.
After I settled in, I headed back to the main part of town - about a 10 minute walk. Kusadasi has totally given itself over to the tourists. It's the main port of call for cruise ships that visit Ephesus - up to five a day I was told. It's all rug, leather and gold shops. English breakfast and German beer are easier to find than shish kebab. But if you poke around to the north and east you can still find the town's Turkish soul - but it's not much to look at. Well, I was here to visit Ephesus, like everybody else, so enough complaining. I walked around some more and then sat and talked to some Germans visiting on a package tour.
Next morning when I woke, the harbor was full of giant cruise ships. As I watch, spell bound, wave after wave of tourists left the ship and jumped on waiting tour buses. "All going to Ephesus," I though in horror. I had dark images of having to push through crowds of sweating tourists to see the buildings I had come so far to visit. Oh well, too late to worry - I could never beat them to Ephesus now. I went down to the dining room and sat on the balcony watching the ships. After a delicious breakfast and a second cup of tea, I headed off to see exactly how crowded Ephesus would be.
Ephesus, Turkey
During my walking the previous day I had discovered the bus station. Did I say station? Well, actually it's just a corner where the dolmus (shared taxis) stop. I walked over and asked around for the correct one. The advantage of a tourist town is that it's easy to find English speakers, so I didn't have any problems finding the one I wanted. Dolmus are large minibuses that hold about 10-12 people. As soon as mine was full - maybe 10 minutes - we were off. Rolling north along the coast we stopped frequently to let off passengers and pick up new ones. With all this activity, Turkish lira were constantly being passed up to the driver and change returned. The driver did all this and somehow still managed to stay on the road. Luckily the young man sitting next to me spoke excellent English. He helped me, and two other Americans in the dolmus, to get off at the correct stop - which was not marked.
We were dropped at the head of a dusty road that slowly climbed up hill. We started to walk and visited as we went. They were two retired schools teachers from Philadelphia and were on their way home from a sailing cruise of the Greek islands. The day was dazzlingly sunny and getting hot. Everything was bone dry and all the vegetation had turned yellow and brown.
When we reached the parking lot - a 10 minute walk - I was relieved to see that it was not full of buses. I learned later that most tours make a quick stop here, early, and than head inland. After getting our ticket ($1.50) we headed in. Ephesus was a ancient Roman trading city and is now filled with crumbling buildings. The stone streets are lined with sun-bleached columns and weathered statuary. Some of the ancient buildings have recently been reconstructed - the best of which is the spectacular Library of Celsus. The site is huge and requires a lot of walking - all under the blistering sun. Don't forget to bring a bottle of water and comfortable shoes.
Seljuk, Turkey
After a couple of hours, my new acquaintances and I parted. They returned to Kusadasi and I headed on to Seljuk. I found a taxi driver - well, actually he found me - and after some heated bargaining, we agreed on a price ($3.00). Seljuk is a few miles farther up the coast and has a neat and sleepy charm - a wonderful contrast to Kusadasi. If ever I come back this way, I will stay here instead. It's home to a couple of very interesting mosques and a delightful museum. It also has a bus station - a proper station this time - where I made arraignments to go to Marmaris the next day.
In the morning, I got up early and grabbed a dolmus back to Seljuk. I hadn't actually purchased my ticket the previous day - just checked who was going and when. In Turkey there are many different companies that run buses along the same route. From Seljuk there were four companies that went to Marmaris. I didn't care which bus I took, I just wanted the next one. When the dolmus dropped me off, I started asking around. But each office claimed the next bus was due in just a few minutes. And when I went to check at the next office, a representative of the first company followed me. Soon I had four guys following me, all claiming that their bus was next and that I should hurry or I would miss it. What to do? A this point I couldn't even remember which guy was from which company - so I just picked one.
As it worked out, the bus to Marmaris didn't even stop in the station. After I laid my money down, I was escorted out to the highway to wait for the bus. And wait I did - many buses were to go by before mine arrived. My escort, who stayed with me the whole time, finally flagged one down and I jumped aboard. A feature of Turkish buses is the on-board attendant. I took the first empty seat I came to but that wasn't good enough. As we rolled along, some rearranging was going on. Soon the attendant escorted me to the seat directly behind the driver - this, I learned later, is the seat of honor. The problem for me was that for the next four hours - on a very windy road - I couldn't stop "helping" the driver. Every time he started to pass, I felt obliged to calculate his chances of success. Sadly, we didn't often agree - but, in the end, he was always right.
I was now off the tourist path and little English was spoken. The Turks are very friendly and the guy sitting next to me tried his best to tell me - in a mix of Turkish, German and English - that he was going to visit his son. I guess he didn't have any trouble understanding that I was on vacation but beyond that our communication failed. Everyone, of course, smoked. I was offered endless cigarettes, which I politely declined. The attendant brought around plastic cups and a large bottle of mineral water. We passed through some lovely hilly country covered with green pine trees. The bus stopped twice in small towns to give us a chance to stretch and purchase food.
Marmaris, Turkey
After about four hours we reached Marmaris. The day was hot and humid as I went looking for a hotel. I had read about a hotel that sounded nice, but it was a few miles south of town, so I took a taxi ($2.50). The Lydia is a big resort-like place set back from the road along a skimpy little strip of beach. The grounds are filled with flowering plants and cats - lots of cats. The dining room and bar overlooked the bay which is surrounded by mountains - all very picturesque. It had all the creature comforts and was a real bargain at $27.00 a night. My plan was to take a quick look around and then head on to Rhodes. But the weather was unusually hot and the sea looked very inviting, so I decided to buy a bathing suit and stay a few extra days. This is one of the main advantages of solo travel - it's easy to change your plans.
Marmaris is another major tourist destination, but it hasn't completely lost all of its Turkish character. It has developed around its little harbor and then spread south along the shore. There are miles of hotels and cafes, each overlooking the sea. A constant steam of dolmus run to and from town ($0.30) so getting around is never a problem. The town has a lively covered bazaar where I headed to search for a swim suit. I hadn't brought one because, in my experience, September in Greece and Turkey is too cold for swimming - but not this year. After a little search and some bargaining ($2.50), I was ready to swim. For the next three days my schedule was comprised of swimming and reading. When I got bored, I would head into town to walk, shop, eat and visit with other tourists.
Rhodes, Greece
No matter how nice a place, after three days I'm ready to move on. So I bought a ticket on the Greek ferry that connect Marmaris and Rhodes. In the morning I arrived at the harbor and queried up with the rest of the tourists making the trip. After the usual bureaucratic mombo-jombo, I was allow to board. It's a short 30 minute trip aboard these Russian-made hydrofoils - they skim rapidly over the water. After similar formalities on the Greek side, I walked out of the harbor and into the old walled city of Rhodes. I had often read about it - either in historical account or in glowing reports from travelers - but I had avoided it until now. Along with reports of its charm were accounts of how touristy it had become. Rhodes, after all, is a year-round European vacation destination.
But it is unmistakably beautiful. Well preserved stone walls and grand building line the cobble streets. Motor traffic - a problem in most Greek towns - is keep to a minimum. Of course, there are loads of souvenir shops and restaurants - but its easy to duck down some alley that is blooming with Bougainvillea. I crossed the old town and found a taxi to take me into the nondescript new town - that's where all the modern hotels are located. I went to the Astri and took a room ($67). It's a top-of-the-line, full service place - reputed to be the best in Rhodes. It was a splurge for my last few days in Greece.
That night on my way back to the old town for dinner, I noticed a bar called the Presleys, which featured Elvis music. Now I'm a unapologetic Elvis fan - the young Elvis, for the record - I grew up in that era. I figured it would be fun to hang out there later. After the standard grilled meat, rice and tomato dinner, I headed back. The place has an open front with half the seats inside and half out. It's full of Elvis kitsch - hip gyrating clocks, painted busts and three-D pictures. For entertainment they play an unending stream of Elvis videos that are displayed on larger TVs. I took a seat outside, ordered a glass of wine and asked for an early Elvis tape.
While I was sitting enjoying the warm night, three young women came in and sat at the next table. Soon we fell into conversation. They were from Dublin and having a week holiday on Rhodes. After exchanging names, they complained that my name, Doug - they pronounced it "Dewgh" - wasn't a "proper name" and insisted on calling me "Dewghlas." The woman sitting closest to me turned out to be a quite knowledgeable Elvis fan, which surprised me, as she was half my age. When I told them I was from Detroit - actually Ann Arbor, but the differences is lost with distance - they turned out to be Motown music fans too. I commented that one of my favorite movies is The Commitments - about a group of Dubliners who form a soul band. This prompted them to claim that the Irish were the most soulful of all people - an idea I scoffed at. But later, on reflection, I tend to agree. I have always regarded Blue grass music as blue-eyed soul and it, of course, is intimately related to Irish music. (If you have doubt about Blue grass soul, listen to the Stanley Brothers Rank Stranger.)
Next day I rented a car ($44/day) for a two day tour of the island. A few miles south of Rhodes town is an entirely different world. It looks more like Greece to me - small hamlets are spread out along the coast. There is a lot of open land covered with olive trees. Inland the rugged hills are covered with refreshing green pine forests. The farther you go, the fewer the tourists, and tourist facilities, you see. I wanted to see the Crusader fortification at Monolithos near the south end of the island, so that's where I headed. It's down a dusty dirt road and then a stiff walk up. The site is grand - all in ruins without any attempt to rebuild it for it tourist value. I sat on one of the stone walls under the bright sun and enjoyed the view of the hills and sea. After, I visited a few more ruins in the area and stopped at a road side café for lunch. It overlooked a lovely coral color Orthodox Church whose walls were covered with brilliant Bougainvillea.
After lunch, I started looking for a hotel at this end of the island. I wanted to avoid the drive back and sample the rural accommodations - this turned out to be a bad idea. As I was soon to find out, rooms outside the tourist centers are few and far between. In the end I found a hotel (Asterias $18) on the beach almost back in Rhodes town. After diner, I was sitting at the hotels outside bar writing in my journal. I noticed that I was being assaulted by mosquitoes - a problem I don't usually associate with bone dry Greece. "Yes, this is an especially bad year," the waiter admitted. Well, my room had neither screen nor air conditioning and it was way too warm to keep it closed up. So I drove back into Rhodes town - remember, it wasn't far - and bought some mosquito coils. With four of them burning, I had a smoky but bite free night.
Next morning I drove over to visit Lindos - reputed to be the most picturesque town on Rhodes. Being an early riser, I had the place to myself - for a while. First, I walked up to the acropolis for a look at the ruins, and after enjoying the view, headed down to the town. But what had been an empty walk up was now full of tour groups. I tried maneuvering around them but the small twisting streets of Lindos and there sheer number eventually defeated me. I gave up, got my rental car and headed back. I stopped for a stroll on a deserted beach to refresh my spirit and then continued back to Rhodes town.
Athens, Greece
Early next morning I flew back to Athens. I had a reservation at a hotel near Syntagma Square, downtown, so I took the airport bus in. To enjoy your stay in Athens you need a quiet hotel. Look for one off the main street and with air conditioning. For some reason all the motorcycles in Athens have lost there mufflers. This can make for a poor night's sleep if you need to have the window open - the concrete city walls seem to amplify the noise. The Arethusa isn't fancy, but its centrally located, quite and relatively inexpensive ($50).
After I checked in, I walked over to Plaka. This area, just below the Acropolis, is the perfect place to stroll and shop, sit and eat, and to watch the flow of human traffic. It's a thoroughly touristed area, but has a unique charm. I love to wander there and talk with travelers from all over the world. To my mind, it's the second best place in Athens. My favorite - the Acropolis - is where I headed next. In my six visits to Greece I have never tired of the majesty of the old temples and the wonderful view of the city below. But this time the attendants were on strike. I sat on a bench outside drinking a beer and talked to other disappointed visitors. Later I had dinner at one of the delightful cafes that line the pedestrian-only streets of Plaka, did some more visiting and then headed back to bed.
Early next morning - my last full day - I walked over to the main market. It's about 15 minutes away. This place is not on any tours. It's full of Athenians buying and selling everything from produce and meat to live chickens and clothing. If you like authentic sights check this place out. It's a beehive of activity in the morning.
Later, while making inquiries at the tourist office, I learned that the Acropolis would be open for a few hours for some Greek military celebration. I headed over and sure enough it was open - and better yet, free. I went up and mingled with the tourists that were lucky enough to hear about the opening. The place was in full of activity: politicians made speeches, military honor guards stood at attention and later, a group of Greeks marched up carrying flags and singing patriotic songs. The day was warm and the air crystal-clear - you could see all the way down to the port, Piraeus. Of all my visits to the Acropolis, this was one of the best.
Next, I caught a bus out to Cape Sounion to see the Greek temple located there. It's at the end of the Attica peninsula about two hours south of Athens. The bus travels along the coast and the farther you go, the more open - and beautiful - the land becomes. Near the end are small towns and tourist camps along the shore. Finally at the very end, the ancient temple dedicated to Poseidon - the god of the sea. There are a few standing columns that overlook the water and the spectacular view of the coast. The day was sunny, windy and cool - way too cool to hang out too long, so I jumped on the next bus back to Athens.
Next day, after a four-hour delay, my TWA flight finally left. While on my way I thought, sadly, no more sitting at water-side cafes, no more exploring ruins. Well, not for a while, anyway - but I'll be back. Somehow, despite the delay, I still managed to make my connection in New York and then home.
Ann Arbor, MI
April 1996
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