Contiki Day 3: Spotlight on Greece 2

Contiki Day 3. Spotlight on Greece, Athens, Tuesday September 6th 2011.

Very early wake up call this morning, before 530. I set up my alarm early to have time to repack. Bec was still sleeping so I tried to be quiet until the hotel wake up call at 545. I'm really not feeling so good, again. We took turns for showers and I got sick again. Wonderful. I drank plenty of water, wasn't able to get anything down during breakfast, but I packed a few fruits in my backpack for later. Talked to more people and then we had to walk to the main square, with our suitcases to get to the bus. The locals must have hated us, as it is very early in the morning and then you have 50 excited people talking and rolling their suitcases down the empty street.

I treated myself to a window seat on the bus and Larissa came to sit with me :)  Kelly and Julie sat across from us as well. Paola had to explain that there was no reserved seating, you can switch at every stop if you want. I think people pretty much stuck to similar arrangements though. I know Larissa and I managed to kept the exact same seats the 4 days. (But I was always one of the firsts on the bus too.) If you've ever heard or been on a Contiki trip, you'll know that they always a song. I've read about Day song and the wake up song, but since we were on a short 4 days trip, we only got the one song, that Paola would play every morning. Imagine my surprise, and complete delight when I hear the familiar notes of "Don't stop believing" Glee style. I sang at the top of my lungs, along with Larissa. Funnily enough, that's how I met Lewis. (I LOVED Lewis) Since I'd been singing so hard, seeing this adorable little Asian guy turned around in his seat, I thought I'd be told to be quiet, but no, he was excited that I loved Glee and said I could really sing. (Lol not really but I like it all the same.) We became fast friends and promised each other we would sing on the cruise ship, he was doing the 7 days too.

We picked up a local guide, a very nice and knowledgeable lady. We got a quick bus tour and we stopped at the Olympic Stadium for a few minutes, for a picture, since there is no other buses there. Then we went to the Acropolis. This was a dream come true for me, I was very emotional, but unfortunately, I was also very sick. I wasn't dealing with the 36 degrees very well. Gulping down water barely helps and I regretted not buying a hat yet. The site/sights were absolutely breathtaking and I loved the tour with all the explanations. I was home. I was miserable but still so excited. I took lots of pictures, but that day is a bit of a blur, I was feeling so sick. I had to go up and down the mountain several times for water and bathroom breaks. I was disappointed we were not going to all the sites, nor the museum.

When we got back to the bus, Paola had to give us a lesson in tipping. I had no idea it was so important to tip your guides, it just never occurred to me. But the trick is you have to be real quick about it because they don't linger, they're done, they say thanks and they leave. We would make up for it with the next guides. Now the plan is to drive to Olympia for the night, but we have many stops on the way.  The first one was the Corinth canal, where we took a break and could get some food and souvenirs.

The view was pretty insane, but as I don't really like heights, I couldn't stay on that tiny platform for more than a few pictures. Still couldn't eat, so more water, 7up and an apple. I also bought myself a nice shawl/skirt/blanket lol Very amazing colors and I swear, to this day, it still smells like Greece.

After that, we headed to Mycenae, the see the Palace of Agamemnon. I love everything about the story of Troy, I've the Iliad both in French and in English, so to be here, at this site was very exciting. The guide was great, she knew so many stories and I couldn't get enough. Turned out that I was the only one in the group who had read the Iliad, I was very surprised. We visited these giants tombs, got to see the ruins of the Palace and the Lioness's Gate (without the golden heads who were stolen a long long time ago) It was very nice, I really enjoyed it, even though I was always going back and forth for water and washrooms. This being sick business was seriously not fun. I also remembered to tip this time. So far, it had been a lot of walking, and I wondered if my foot would last the entire trip. (I had cracked 2 bones in my left foot a few months before.)

Back on the bus, we had time before we would stop again for Lunch at 2pm. Paola put a movie on "My life in ruins" I loved it. I had to go and buy once the trip was over, because it was just the best, especially if you're or going on a tour in Greece. So we stopped at this nice little restaurant, to eat outside. I had a Greek salad (mainly ate the cucumbers) some bread and about an Ocean's worth of water. But the smell of the rest of the food made feel sick all over again. Paola was worried for me, she was such a sweetheart. I decided maybe it was time to take some medication and see if it helped. After Lunch, we had so more driving to do until we stopped for a gelato break. So we played the introduction game. Everyone had to go to the front of the bus, you say your name, your age, where you're from, what you do and what color you are in the romantic dpt. (Green, yellow, red.) It was very funny, and we got to know everyone. (I'll always remember Scott, "Hi, I'm Scott, I'm Aussie and I really have to pee-pee."  He ended up using the bus's bathroom and we all assumed he fell or something, he was a bit drunk and we all heard this big "Thump" noise.)

Stopped for a quick gelato break in Napflion, delicious, and as we were by the bus, those 2-3 little girls started chasing each other around us. Paola warned us they were probably trying to pickpocket us. They were grabbing people and everything. Nobody got fooled and then they started begging us for money. It kinda broke my heart, but they were wearing nice clothes so I doubt they were really starving. Gelato was nice (I had meringue) and they also had a few stores there, to Julie's delight. (See, with all the delays she she had coming in, somehow her suitcase didn't make it. She had to buy clothes for the next few days, until we got back to Athens. She was such a trooper though, I would have been so pissed off.) I also found out it was Mike's bday, thank you free wi-fi and Facebook, so we decided to tell Paola so we could do something about it at the hotel. After that, another long drive and we would be at the hotel. I dozed on and off and took pictures, while listening to "Mamma Mia" in the background.

The Hotel looked more like a big cottage, but it was nice enough and had a big outdoor pool. I was rooming with Bec again. She went straight to the pool while I relaxed in the shower and then plugged in all my stuff and got ready for dinner. (My hair straightener never worked. I had the plug converter thingy and everything else worked, except that evil device of mine. Even back home afterwards, it was still dead.) Of course, by the end of the day I'm feeling fine, hungry and even willing to have a few drinks. Went downstairs, grabbed a Mythos at the bar (Excellent greek beer) sat down with some people for a bit and then went outside to see the pool. Dinner was a very decent buffet, it was quite tasty. We even managed to get the kitchen to prepare some kind of special dessert for Mike. It had been a very long day and we were tired, but a dozen of us or so decided to go sit outside and have a drink or two. And of course we all wanted to buy Mike a drink. They had a souvenir shop, so the girls and I stopped by and bought a few things. The rest of the evening was pretty fun, made a big table outside, it was so warm out, and we all sat there and drank and talked.

That's really when the "Free Stuff" started. I think the beers were like 3 euros each, so I would generally leave 1 or 1.5 as a tip and apparently that was really generous. It was a big enough bar inside, completely empty as we were all outside and the bartender was kinda bored. Every time I'd go in for a drink, he was offering me wine, like small bottles, if I stayed in and sat with him. No thank you. He was nice, but I didn't want wine and I wanted to stay outside. After a while a while, he realized that by giving me free drinks I'd feel obligated to stay in for a few minutes and talk to him. sigh. Remember, being polite, smiling and tipping in Greece will get you a lot of free stuff, trust me :)

I was among the last few ones to go to bed, around 2am that night and we had an early start again the next morning. But it's vacation!

Contiki Day 2: Spotlight on Greece 1

Contiki  Day 2. Arrival in Athens, Monday September 5th, 2011.

So I made it. Landed safely, waited in an extremely long line for customs (Got my first stamps, nobody asked me no questions lol) then waited for my suitcase. Then it hit me. I was in freaking Athens. I had booked a shuttle service online from the airport, and they sent me an email saying they would wait for me at the arrivals, with my name on a sign. I'm a silly girl, so I was very excited about that. I looked everywhere in the crowd, walking around for like 15 min and didn't see my weird name anywhere. After worrying a lot, I found the counter where that shuttle said they operated from. Turned out it was a different company, but the lady was able to call the driver for me. He was very late and I would have to wait 45 min for him. I sat down with a bottle of water and waited, people-watching.

By the time finally he showed up, I was hungry and feeling sick. I guessed it was the excitement, the hung-over and the non-sleeping, but especially the heat and the jet lag. The shuttle was very cheap, there was barely any A/C and it was 34 degrees  and he made me wait for a big family with screaming kids for another 20 min at least. But I didn't care, I could see mountains. I was in Greece. I teared up.

It was a long shuttle ride, close to an hour, and I was starting to feel really sick. I went through my water real fast. I got dropped off 2 blocks from the hotel, as the street was very narrow and the driver said he couldn't go there. I think normally it would not have mattered but at that time I thought I was going to die. I was going to be sick right there. I took big calming breaths and soldiered up. Walked down the street to the hotel. A display of fish at a mini market 2 buildings from the hotel so did not help, but I made it. It was about 930 am, I was afraid the room would not be available yet, even if i sent an email requesting an early check-in. As I feared, the lobby is filled with people and their suitcases, sitting on the floor and waiting. The guy at reception said the rooms were not ready. I almost cried when I heard that, and decided I would have to ask him for the nearest restroom anyways, when he asked for my name. He said I was very lucky, that it turned out my roommate actually checked-in last night so I was one of the lucky ones who could go right up. Thank the Goddess. He also gave me a message. Weird. I made my way to the mini elevator, seriously after me and my suitcase it was full. I don't see how 3 people could have fitted in there.

I got to my room, my roommate was on the patio outside, having a smoke and speaking on her cell phone. I forgot all about being shy and nervous and whatnot, I had only one intend, introducing myself and then making a dash for the bathroom. Turned out my roommate was Bec, a nice Australian girl I had spoken to online before. And she was with me for the entire trip, for the 7 days cruise too! I survived a few minutes of polite chit-chat and then I started sweating like crazy and just lost it. How embarrassing! I locked myself in the bathroom and I was SO sick. I honestly thought I was going to die. I had my shots before the trip so I wasn't sure what happened. Poor Bec! How nightmarish for her. I was sick for hours that day. I decided to sleep, with a wet wash cloth over my face. The problem was that our single beds were pushed together and that it was morning so Bec had things to do and errands to run and whatnot. She was coming in and out of the room and I was dozing on and off in between trips to the bathroom. I must have apologized to her about a million times for being such a horrible roomie, good thing she was very understanding.

Technically, we didn't have to meet with the group and Tour manager until 6pm. But, we had set up a meeting between ourselves around noon, since a lot of us had flown in early that day. We wanted to maybe walk around the city and do some stuff, and get to know each other. I had pretty much set that up, and I was the one with the list of everybody's arrival times and whatnot. And I had received a message from Julie, another online friend, who got delayed and wouldn't be in until later on that night. So, I showered, changed and went downstairs. I met for a few people who were there early, Kelly, Tina, Laura/Tony and Mike. But I didn't last long. I couldn't stay, so I apologized (again!) and went down the street to buy more water (so effing cheap) and 7up and crawled back to bed. I was still very sick. I cried a bit, not impressed at all so far.

I took a very long nap and woke up again around 430pm. I was feeling a bit better. I knew it must have had something to do with the jet lag as the time back home was now like 10am. It was a very unpleasant experience. I showered again, in this weird, no curtain just a half piece of glass/window thingy shower. I went back out, needed more water and for a calling card, as I promised my mom I would call her. Saw more people from my group on the way, bought my stuff, spoke to my mom (bought the wrong kind of calling card, had to call collect) I'm literally 2-blocks from the Hotel and I'm sure I know my way back as I have only made a few turns. Yeah, I got lost. As in completely and absolutely lost. I'm very stubborn and I've had a bad day as it is so I refuse to admit defeat and keep walking around for 30 min, trying to find my way. When I finally give up (I'm going to be late for the meeting if I don't get my butt back to the Hotel) and I grab a cab. Nice driver, doesn't speak much English and... doesn't know where my hotel is. I don't have the address with me, I went out empty handed except for a bit of money. We drove around for about 15 min, he tried really hard to ask me questions so we could figure out where it was (Apparently, the street name I gave him is in every neighborhood.) He finally got me there, I can't thank him enough and he never started the meter. I try to give him money but he refused. Nothing I said or tried to give him could change his mind. He said he was just helping. That was my first Greek freebie, I didn't know yet, but I was going to get so much free stuff on this trip.

6pm, Official Contiki meeting. (My friend Julie left me another message, she got even more delayed and wouldn't get in until very late at night.) We met our Tour Manager for the first 4 days, the Spotlight on Greece tour, and her name was Paola, very lovely Spanish girl. There is 49 of us, 26 will do the 3 days cruise and 12 on the 7 days (the rest were in between other travels) Looks like an awesome group. The meeting is a bit boring, as we need to fill out paperwork (Why did I check-in online with the same information then?) blah blah blah. Then, we had an optional dinner for 35 euros and almost everyone is joining. (I absolutely recommend to go on this dinner, it is one of the best we had all trip!!!!) It's about 10 min away, so I did try to meet as many people as possible. I was still tired, but amazingly feeling great considering I was sick all day. I did my best not to sit down right away with the people I've been walking with. I sat down at the last table, along with Helenka, Jessica/Justin, Larissa and Shawna. It was such a good dinner, delicious food, awesome atmosphere and incredible show. We were siting right in front of the entertainment, the musicians and the dancers. It was insane. I had such a great time. And the food, oh my. Lots of appetizers (Fried Zucchinis) and then a nice plate of souvlakis with lots of wine and desert. I was surprised I could eat and drink and we had a wonderful time.

After the meal, I left with Shawna and Larissa, 2 lovely young girls from Australia (Larissa was to become my seat and sometime picture buddy on the trip) It was almost 10 pm, and we bumped into Mike, Greg and Rick on their way out of the Hotel, going out for drinks. It sounded like a good idea and I wasn't tired, so Shawna and I went with them. (Greg and Rick were from Australia as well and very very hot.) It was a lot of fun, I really liked Greek beer, but we only had 2, as we had a super early wake-up call at 545, and it was almost midnight. On the way back, I found out I didn't speak "Hottie Australian" as I was walking with Greg and somehow I wasn't able to understand him at all. And by the way, there's only so many times you can make someone repeat and then just nod and smile before you look like a total idiot. I would have to be careful around these guys lol Got back to the room, Bec was asleep but she left a light on for me, I thought that was very thoughtful. I fell asleep right away, with my wet cloth, just in case.