Post Contiki Greece 2011 - A Video!

 

A little something I put together to commerate this once in a lifetime trip!  Quality is very so-so, because, well, I made it lol

Contiki: Spotlight on Greece + 7 days Med cruise - Review

First thing I have to say: Take a day in between the night you fly back and going back to work. I had never experienced jet lag before, and thought that 8 hours was going to be a peanut; but I was wrong. I got so very sick when I landed in Greece, but the return to Canada was pretty brutal too. Felt like it took me a week to get a sleeping pattern somewhat decent. But it was so so worth it, I didn't care too much.

The trip itself was the experience of a lifetime, emotional at times, and something I will never forget. It changed me. I don't care if it's Cliché, it did. Greece and all it's history and Temples had been something I had dreamed about all my life, and to be able to set foot there, it's hard to explain. It woke something in me. Of course, now I have the travel bug and will have many more adventures, but Greece was my first love, it will always hold a special place in my heart. You can never forget your first ;)

As for the Contiki part of it. It is certainly not for everyone. I liked it, for a single female travelling by herself, it offered the perfect atmosphere. I love the idea of travelling alone but meeting 40 + new friends. It is well-enough organized, even though I thought the cruise part of it was lacking. My real disappointment was about the tour separating after Athens, not staying with the same group the whole time. But that's how it goes, a lot of smaller tours merge together or go their own way. (Every other Contiki I've taken have turned out like that as well...)

Would I do a Contiki again? Hell yes. (Actually, I have gone on 2 more since Greece, and still loving it!)

After Contiki - Leaving Athens / Returning Home

Monday September 18th, 2011. - Leaving Athens.


So this morning was time to say goodbye to Greece, hopefully not forever (I'm not done with you! One day I will have a significant other and we will come back, you mark my words ;) )

But anyways, I won't bore you too much with my details of getting my bags down to the front desk, in those narrow steep stairs, three floors down, nor will I tell you about my anxiety attack at waiting over an hour for my transfer to show up. (In a car, when I had booked a van, and that I had to keep my bags on me, because we were at full capacity.)  It's all part of the adventure, even though it might irritate you at first. It's all in the details and how you look at them.

The trip to the airport was uneventful, checking-in, dropping my suitcase and passing through security was normal as well, except for the extra security and the fact that you couldn't take 10 steps in one direction without someone asking to see your passport. But with all the trouble I had seen in Athens throughout the week, I wasn't that surprised. (Turns out the airport shut down the next day for a few days when everyone went on strike....)

I obviously didn't understand how airports and duty-free worked (I had never been anywhere but within Canada or the States until now.) Because I somehow thought, no need to shop right now, or go get some food at the million restaurants, I'll wait on the other side. Well yeah, DUH. I found myself stranded in a waiting area, looking in at the restaurants and duty-frees. Only a couple vending machines and that one cafe kiosk-thingy on our side. So I missed out on the exciting last-minute shopping. Which was probably a good thing, as I had bought quite a lot already. But I was hungry and didn't like feeling cooped up on such a small space.

And of course the plane was late, kept being delayed and delayed, ended up leaving almost 2 hours later than scheduled. I felt bad for my roommate Rick, who was supposed to pick me up at the airport, but I figured he'd check the schedule and see the arrival time had changed. It's not like I carried my phone with me or anything. (He didn't check departures and arrival times, and showed up an hour before we were scheduled to land, so he ended up waiting over 3 hours for me. Let's say that since then, I have booked my own transport from the airport lol)

Same drill on the flight back, lots and lots to drink, Air Transat and their +++ packages seriously rock, and after that it was back to reality. Sad but true, all good things must come to an end.!

After Contiki - Athens 3

Sunday September 17th, 2011. - Alone in Athens Part 2.


So, today was my last full day in Greece. I had to take the plane back tomorrow morning, and be back at work bright and early on Tuesday morning.

(*Trust me, allow some jet lag time-adjustment if you're not used to it... I now try to book a day in before my return and work...)

So, this morning, I had booked a half-day trip to Cape Sounion (Cap Sùnion) through my Hotel. So I packed a bag, and head out to the square for more walking around before the rendez-vous point, at a different hotel. Of, course, I had to go see the changing of the guards again, it is such a dance. Grabbed an iced coffee, I still say we don't do coffee right around here, and then started the day's adventure.

I wanted to go there, to see the Temple of Poseidon, my main purpose for visiting Greece was to see as many temples and ruins as I possibly could after all. And I was not disappointed, it was magnificent. It took close to 2 hours to get there, they let you loose with some information for about an hour (can't get lost, it's a Temple on top of a hill, surrounded by the Aegean Sea) and then they drive you back.

 

I highly recommend a visit to Sounion, the scenery is breathtaking, it is Beach-a-palooza and the Temple itself is absolutely impressive. The sound of the waves, the sun shining down on you, it is so easy to let your imagination running wild. Myself, I teared up a little, again. What? every time my mind was blown I had to check with myself that I was really here, that it was all real. Dreams do come true when you work hard.

 

 

And the drive back was just as lovely, after I've had a quick cold Mythos on the Patio of the Cafe, and of course bought a few trinkets. The sun was slowly setting over the sea, the pictures were quite awesome. But I was also worried about experiencing this trip through a lens, so I put my camera back in my bag, put on my earphones, sat back and just looked out the window, soaking it all in.

 

Back to the hotel, at the end of the day, sadly, it was time to start packing, for checking out the next morning. But not before I picked up some more gyros down the street. Then, I decided I just couldn't leave beer in the mini-fridge, and that I had to drink it all, while trying to repack my suitcase, and watching movies. I managed it all, even though the last of my night is a bit blurry, but I blame it on the tiredness, not the alcohol ;) Same goes for my suitcase, which was overflowing with stuff, and my carry-on too. Oh well.