Hola amigos! I am writing this post from a beach somewhere in south America (Ok- it’s Colombia) so my adventures continued. Yes indeed! And before I start this post I want to add that since I wrote the UK post- I have in fact visited and worked in Wales! And that’s all I can say about it really… Alright, let me try and think of a few things to say about Wales… Well, they have very strange and cool language (but no more strange than mine) and a lot of them are missing a tooth or two. Hmmm anything else?… No, that sounds about right.
But today I’m leaving Latin America in my mind for a few hours and going back to the time I quite my job and life-more than 2 years ago. After being in a goat farm in the desert for 3 months I decided I want to start explore again. My friends told me to go to the European Rainbow gathering that was in Greece that month. And so I went, and it was one of the most amazing things I did. I really don’t want to make this post about rainbow gatherings, so if you don’t know what it is- shame on you! Google it.
🙂 I was naive. I thought- July in Greece? Wow it’s gonna be so hot! These are our Mediterranean neighbors!! My friend came to help me pack a day before I left and just took out half of my stuff and said I don’t need them. He told me it’s July, Greece, gonna be so hot! , You know- Mediterranean bla bla.. So I arrived to Greece and I learned a simple truth: hippies love mountains. So make a long story short (it shrank from the cold) it was freezing there at night. But still, I managed to survive and experience a magical event. And I still do love my friend even though now I don’t have to listen to his tips about packing- now it’s the other way around! So: it doesn’t matter where you go- bring something warm if you go to a place where hippies are involved.
After the rainbow we went down from the mountain and just slept in the center of the town of Kastoria. By the way- from what I experienced in the north of Greece- the people are really friendly and in a lot of places they don’t freaking care if you put a tent in the middle of the city. Which is good news for dirty hippies.
🙂 I have to tell you a story that is ranked very high in my memory under the category “what the f%^#?? Craziest hitchhiking stories- Volume 1”. So my friend Lia and I were HH from Kastoria- very west of Greece, to Alexandroupolis-take east… You have more east…. Yes more more….almost Turkey? Hopa you’re there! Anyway the HH went good. Got nice rides, funny stories, going on the highway ’cause it’s faster etc. Then we went with a man who said he is going to Thesalonniki. Ok, the smart thing to do would be to go with him until a gas station cause it’s a big city on the way and it will be stupid to go in. The smart thing…. Yea…. Lia was sleeping in the back so I can’t blame her. It was my fault…. Even I make stupid mistakes. I don’t exactly remember what was I thinking but he said (in half Greek half English) he could drop us next to Thessaloniki. I said yes. So he did…. He dropped us on the highway next to the exit to Thessaloniki. A confused girl and one who just woken up and did not like what she saw…. Can’t blame her really…
“Anat, what are we going to do?? One side is people driving more than 100km/h and the other is people driving 50 and going inside a big city…. We are fucked!” Now I have to calm her even though I think exactly the same thing…. Not even 5 minutes have passed and two cars stopped next to us. Now, please understand- we didn’t do anything to make them stop! No thumbs, signs or nothing. We were just quietly panicking to ourselves when those cars came. “Huh?!” We think- “what’s going on here?” As we see 2 couples coming out of the cars.
“Excuse me, do you know the way to Corfu?” They ask us with a heavy Russian accent and show us a map with Cyrillic letters Of Greece. Uhhh what?? We don’t understand what’s going on here… Do they think we are locals? Hey but someone stopped in the middle of the highway next to us! Could you please take us?? No no it doesn’t matter where, just out of here, please! What? Baby in the car? It’s ok so I’ll go in your car and Lia will go with the other couple… Please! Thank you thank you spasibo!
I got in the car (the baby was a 8 year old girl sleeping in the back but never mind) and off we went. Olga and Vadim were really nice and now I can think more clearly about their question. Now I don’t really know the geography of Greece, but for some reason I do know that Corfu island is in the west. Far far west. And As I said before- we were heading east. “Guys, I think you’re going the wrong way….” “No, no, Curfo this direction” and Olga shows me the Cyrillic map again. “I think Corfu is west and you’re going east now”… After about 15 min of fast Russian, talking on the phone to the other couple, trying their GPS, maps whatever, I heard the “Blat” coming….”shit we drive wrong way”. They stopped in a gas station after almost half an hour driving east. They felt so sorry and bad that they drop us there but they have to go back. And we were like: are you crazy?You don’t need to say sorry- we have to thank you for that! You got us out of a dead- end situation! So really, thanks for Russians everywhere who don’t care and just stops in the middle of the highway to get directions- you saved our lives!
🙂 The “Pulp fiction” theme music we all know and love is actually Greek. Well, also Turkish or Egyptian but it’s very old and it’s not for sure so let’s say it’s Greek. There is something so magical being in a car that takes us through the amazing coastline of Greece, and the original version (probably from the 50’s) comes on the radio. It’s a bit like this: for 3 minutes or so, everything makes sense in the world…. I highly recommend to listen to this song- it’s beautiful.
🙂 The food in Greece is a amazing. We used to buy a block of Feta cheese almost everyday and it’s just vanished by night time…. And man those olives…. The Mediterranean is indeed the best place in the world to eat olives. I actually really miss olives all the time- ooops I went back to south america for a second- where olives don’t exist….
So finally we arrive to Samothraki island. One of the most beautiful and powerful places I’ve ever experienced in my life. It’s a very spiritual place and a lot of stories from the Greek mythology took place there. But beside that- that place is just freakin crazy! Ok, so what do you want in your Greek island fantasy? Clear blue sea- check. Amazing rivers with little ponds- check. Crazy waterfalls- check. Freaking hot springs!! Check and check (where the free ones are- really easy to find). Villages that look like they came out from a Greek postcard, painted blue and white- check. Ohh yea- and you can camp wherever you want- nobody cares! I know it’s a lot of photos- but I just had to….
When you walk there, you actually feel like a figure from the Greek mythology will jump from behind a tree and spook you! Does anyone know how to say “Boo” in Greek?
So, to conclude- If you like sun, good food and a bit of myth magic, go to Greece!. Tip: try to remember all your physics classes from school- it will help when you try read the Street signs!
So remember- Don’t take life too seriously ’cause life doesn’t take you seriously. Trust me- life called and said you’re bumming them out…. Love, Peace, Harmony and a Smile!
Up Up and Away! 