4 Acts of Random Stupidity (A.R.S)
Trip Start
Aug 09, 2008
1
19
34
Trip End
Sep 16, 2008
Athens,
Greece
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
A.R.S #1; I don't have a street map, but I know in which direction the Acropolis is, so I head in that general direction. Down a few streets, and alleys, every now and again I can see it getting closer, but in reality I'm already lost. I did notice some tourists walking up a street, so I discreetly follow them and eventually more tourists join us, and yep they are all heading to the Acropolis too. Luck is on my side, but it's already an hour later than I expected and getting hotter.
1-view from the Acropolis
The first thing you notice about the Acropolis, is that it's up high and is an impressive sight. Second, there is a lot of reconstruction work going on. Third, all the paths and steps leading to the Acropolis are made of marble. They are really impressive and smooth, which means that they can be very slippery, even on a hot day as today was.
I paid my 12 euros to get in and started walking to the top. As usual there are the hundreds of tourists coming and going, but there is plenty of room for every one. When the Acropolis came into view close up I could here the comments from the english-speaking tourists; "WOW!! Awesome, Incredible"
My first thought was "Oh my" Those two words were the first thing I said out loud (and inside of my head). I couldn't describe it any other way. To me those two words said all that the tourists said and much more. I'm blown away, just as much as I watched the Eiffel Tower Sparkle against a beautiful night sky. Just as much as the Grandeur of the Palace of Versailles. Just as much as the awesome presence of the Coliseum, and certainly just as much as the humble remains of a city long dead as is Pompeii.
Acropolis
Before you reach the Acropolis, you past the restored half circled Amphitheatre. It's marble seats are all restored to their former glory, and are impressive indeed. The backstage remains original and actually compliments the restorations. I can imagine the plays and music performed there, and I am slightly envious of anyone whom has the opportunity to witness such an event in this arena.
I must have spent at least 2 hours up top at the Acropolis taking in the breathtaking view of Athens, and the magnificent structures there. I could describe each individually, but honestly you should see it yourself. I cannot do it any justice describing what I see. You must see them with your own eyes. You will not be disappointed.
Eventually, I relented and descended from the Acropolis, and walked down to the Plakta below. More ruins, from Ancient Roman and Greek times, and nonetheless just as impressive. I believe it was a central business district, much like the Roman Forum in Rome. You need to have a bit of imagination, but the thing that gets me the most, is that this was a thriving, bustling community thousands of years ago and I imagine that in a thousand or so years from now, will our lives be looked upon in the same way
view from the Acropolis
. Will tourists be visiting 21st Century sites excavated after being lost in the mists of time. Will our important monuments of today still be standing? Will our legacies be forgotten? Or even remembered? Impossible questions to answer, food for thought anyway.The Plakta was indeed great to visit, but after an hour so so, was was definitely ready to call it a day, headed back to the hotel.
A.R.S #2; Oh yes I don't have a map. That's ok, I'll just retrace my steps back to the hotel. I was doing quite well until I came to an intersection I didn't recognize. I think this is were it all went wrong. The street was Athinas, I know this is one of the main streets and I wasn't far from the hotel at all, but I'm not sure if I turn left of right and I didn't recognize any landmarks.
A.R.S #3; I guessed right and that was wrong. An hours walking later I guessed I was wrong. I actually figured this out much earlier, but it took me ages to find a street map. By this stage, according to the map, I had wondered away from the hotel. So much so, I was actually almost entering another suburb. After a bit of map reading in greek, I figured out where I was and where I needed to go to get there
Roman house Tile floor
. The most direct route was to take these side streets, but as long as I could find various major streets I was heading in the right direction.A.R.S.#4; Don't go down the side streets. They can be ok, but some are dirty, filthy, and full of drunks or a lot of men hanging around in the street. Even I didn't feel all that comfortable walking through those streets. Nevertheless, I walked through without incident, and finally another hour later I'm safely back at the hotel.
I freshen up and then take a nana nap, before heading to the restaurant for a meal. My friend was there again, and he said "You hungry again?" I ordered my meal and a couple of beers, and then went to the roof top bar, where I could see the Acropolis lit up for all to see. It took two more beers before I was ready to retire for the night. I need to catch a taxi to the airport, by at 10am tomorrow morning, to catch my flight to Thira in Santorini.
The moral of this story, GET A MAP!! It'll save you a lot of angst!!!
Comments
Beautiful
My friend, I look at your photos, and the memories of my trip to the Acropolis come flooding back. I really want to head back to Europe now. I think you have given me a driving force. =)