I suppose an argument could be made that today really was the start of my adventure and a what a experience it is shaping up to be.
After settling into my Airbus A300 i promptly fell asleep. 2 hours later i awoke to find myself cruising at 40000 feet over the United Arab Emirates. It turns out that i picked the best possible time to fall asleep on an aircraft... the middle of a ferocious dust storm. Thats right, after taxing to the runway our flight was delayed for 86 minutes. And i slept right through it all. Such a terrible shame.
The approach into athens is one that i'll never forget despite my brain being terribly sleep deprived. The greek islands, nothing can really describe the scene and unfortunately my camera was in the overhead lockers and the flight nazi i mean flight attendants wouldn't let me out of my seat.
The crystal clear skies were only matched by the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean. Each of Greece's famous islands where ringed in white and turquoise blue it was an amazing site to behold.
its funny how back home security is such an important issue. Visa's, customs forms, immigration forms. 4 or 5 different pieces of paper that all have to be filled out correctly before we will allow you into our country. Welcome to Europe, may i have your passport please, 1 second scan in a machine, stamp thank you next please! No paper work, no requirement for a return ticket, no security no baggage searches no metal detectors nothing. People have always said that the Greeks tend to take the path of least resistance but this was taking it to the extremes.
At this point i had a choice to make! I knew exactly where i wanted to go. The 'Students and travelers Inn' a highly recommended, and rightly so, youth hostel that was situated right in the middle of the Plaka (Athens cultural centre) but how to get there. Normally my first cry would have been 'taxi!' and away i would go. Total Cost: 15 euro. Instead i decided to follow a few other backpackers who had obviously done their homework before hand and caught the bus, or should i say the sardine tin, which dropped me 100 meters from my destination at approximately 4 in the afternoon wednesday 26th of April for the quite reasonable price of 1 euro 60.
After 24 hours spent in aircraft or airports, totally disorientated from the 120 kilometer an hour bus trip that was so packed full of people and baggage that nobody could breath. I checked into my hostel. Mumbled incoherently, stumbled into my 8 person dorm, lay down, closed my eyes and was promptly disturbed by Alicia.
If there was ever a first impression that i wish i could have had over again it would be this one. I have only the vaguest recollection about what i said but do remember 4 words. Meet, Breakfast, walking, tour. After that i have no memory....
Who knows what tomorrow will bring
Carpe Diem
Ralph Bragg