Athens day 2-10th May 2008

Definitely a tiring day for me. :)

I woke up at around 8 a.m, went for breakfast near the hostel. I ate all sorts of pastries. They do have GREAT pastries honestly. LOL. I decided to join the walking tour for a fee of 13 EUR because I was too lazy to navigate by myself to the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the Ancient Agora, the Olympic stadium etc.

The tour wasn't really that great honestly. Yes, it did cover all the major sight-seeing sights that I wanted to be at but there wasn't much information provided. The guide simply brought us to the site then gave us 20-45 minutes depending on how huge the place is. That's it. But he's a nice guy. I talked to him during breaks or when I reached the meeting point earlier than scheduled and that's how I dig out stories from him. haha..

Athens in Ruins.

it's the Library of ..... Can't recall the name anymore.. hahaha..those greek names are just too complicated...

I know this is a picture from the tower which they use to determine the wind direction. It's shaped like an octagon and each side of the tower has some god-like structure.

He comes from Southern coast of US and apparently, his fiancee is Greek which explains why he is staying in Athens. He majored in Ancient Greek which explains his interest in this country.

More interesting people I met along the way....
1) Argentinian who works in London. He shared with me a lot about the state and situation Argentina is in. Of course I am interested because I have this SABF Business Forum which I am eyeing to go and he provided me with a local perspective. Everyone's getting out of the country. There's a brain drain. Why? Your income is not tiered to the level of education you get. You may have a medical degree but don't be surprised that you are working as a receptionist. :) That's Argentina!

Catch the beautiful skies of Athens! Aren't we supposed to be looking at the same sky? Why is that Singapore doesn't have such clear blue skies?? Or is it because I never bother to lift my head up to look at them. People, do it and tell me about it! :)

Not the Parthenon! It's a temple. I can't remember the name as usual.... haha.. Please forgive me

2) Family from Western coast of Australia. A family of 5 traveling in Europe for 2 months on a backpack! Gosh! That's the most adventurous thing that can ever happen. But never with my family I think. :) The dad was super energetic though he's like 55 already but the mom and daughter were restless most of the time and they left halfway on the tour. The other 2 sons apparently skipped the tour completely because they had a hangover from last night and his dad could openly tell me about it. I doubt that will ever happen in Asia?!

The Parthenonic way they call it. It's not the Acropolis from afar. It's actually the 2nd highest point in Athens (after Acropolis) where you have breath-taking sceneries. Look at those broken pieces lining the way. Apparently, there used to be a wall that leads all the way up to the Acropolis along the parthenonic way. Somehow, it was shattered into pieces by war.

Before I reach the peak. I had to climb these really slippery steps! Scary..

Yes, the Acropolis in the background. In ancient greek times, people live by the Ancient Agora while priests live at the Acropolis. The Acropolis acts as a fortress of Athens. Whenever the city is being attacked, the Acropolis acts as a shelter. During the 2 world wars, the acropolis suffered much bombing too, either by the allies or the axis powers.





3) Couple from Florida. This guy had been to Europe to backpack a year ago and he kinda like it. So this time round, he brought his girl with him. I would say he's quite meticulous. The girl was walking beside me and we were chatting about traveling and the guy will always turn behind to check on her from time to time. He would ask her questions like "Are you still doing well?", "Do you want some drink?" etc. Though I find him a bit judgmental and biased against Asians through my conversation with him, I applaud him for his concern for his girl. :)

All about the Acropolis and the Parthenon.

Back to the sites that I visited. Most of Athens is in ruins today seriously. Yes the government are making efforts to restore and preserve this heritage but frankly speaking, it's not enough. The countless invasions and wars over the years had landed the country in a devastating state. Stones lying all around, destructions etc. I believe more can be done honestly. :)

The spot to take photo. You capture the Acropolis right in the middle. :)

Oh yeah, watched the Change of Guards for the palaces. It's hilarious. The change of guards takes place every hour and each procession takes around 30 minutes. That means that each shift lasts 30 minutes. The most hilarious thing is the way the guards lift their legs and march. See the video!

See how high he lifts his legs! haha..

Last but not least, everyone knows Athens is where Olympics originated from. I went to both the Original Old Olympic Stadium and the newly built one for the 2004 Olympics when the torch returned to Athens. It's amazing! The new Olympics Stadium was not part of the tour. I went there by metro by myself.

According to the guide, the original Olympics stadium was built by some filthy rich merchant with an interest in sports. Really? I don't know if he's just bull-shitting. haha.. It's a simple ground honestly compared to all the extravagance spent on building Olympic stadiums around the world.

Where the Olympics originated.....

I would say I was pretty lucky because usually entrance into the new Olympics stadium is not available most of the time. However, there were some international games and competition going on so the stadium was opened! Sure enough, you needed a ticket to get in. I explained to the security that I am a tourist so he was kind enough to let me in for FREE and take some photos for a few minutes. :)

Football Stadium

Outdoor Swimming Pool

Indoor one.

Catch some swimming LIVE!



The new Olympic Stadium! Ongoing Basketball Match.

Headed back to the hostel by 7 because I needed to catch the night bus to Corfu. Short and Sweet day. :)

The sightseeing tram.

All the fake goods for sale. If you need one, tell me. :)

The BEST CHOCOLATE PASTRY I've EATEN in EUROPE so FAR. I don't know how to describe it but the moment you bite it, you will have the same sentiments as me. It's FREAKING DELICIOUS!

Pussy me.

I discover 2 new things about myself these few days.

1. I am a PERSISTENT person. At least that's what my roomie told me. We were revising for our exams and I actually spent 2 days revising 4 lectures because I didn't understand the content despite reading them 2-3 times. I was so fed-up! I tried different methods, asked different people (my roomie, kenneth & seng wee ) for insights but no one could enlighten me! In the end, on Fri night, when I was on the verge of giving up and decided to attend the Hungarian guy's departure party, my French neighbour talked to me. He saw me studying in the afternoon and perhaps I looked really stressed up. So he asked if I was doing well with my revision.

I was so unhappy about the whole thing and told me I am really screwed though all I need is just a pass. I casually asked him if he's good with international trade policy and he say "yeah, he's quite good with it." So in the party, when everyone was busy drinking, shouting with the music going on, we talked about INTERNATIONAL TRADE. He actually spent 10 minutes trying to explain to me some mechanics (& I sincerely appreciate that) of it but I guess I was too drained to think. Ended up, he offered to help me the next day. He told me to just go to him with my notes and book. In confusion, it ended up that he helped me that very night.

I took a bath and went to his room with my notes and book. Though he didn't physically help me out by explaining the mechanics of how the graphs shift, I must say he provided me GREAT INSIGHTS and psychological help. I guess most people will understand why. That very night, I was so motivated and I FINALLY FIGURED OUT what the 4 lectures were about!! I was so happy. Or maybe the alcohol help a bit? hahaha...

So my roomie commented that I am SO PERSISTENT. I refused to move on to the remaining 8 lectures when I am just 5 days away from my exam. :) But my persistence pay off. Now I really pray I can pass the exam!!!

If I really make it for the exam, I know who to THANK!!

2. I develop attachment to people easily. These few days or rather I should say these few weeks or past 2 months, the bond between my roomie has become so strong that I feel sad that I will be leaving her soon.

Remember how I used to whine about how untidy she is and inconsiderate blah blah.. Now that I look back at it, I think I am so CHILDISH. It's a fact that she's probably untidy etc but all it takes was for me to be more accommodating. I am glad I managed to do that after 4 months :) As exams are round the corner, we are busy studying now. But we all need a break in between some time or another so we started to talk and share a lot of things.

We chat all the time, help each other with our revision, me cooking for her, her offering her "ready-made" food etc. I started to introduce her my favourite music, Yang Zong Wei, Fish Leong, Xiao Huang Qi etc.. You guys must be really taken aback now, right? In fact when she was traveling during the past 2 weeks and I'd the whole room to myself, I felt lonely at times. I need to be around people all the time. I like interaction so when I am by myself (though I felt good about enjoying the double room to myself), I miss her presence, miss someone who's been around the past 5 months to share my stuff with me.

We even talked about our "back-to-singapore" life. We are planning to go for YOGA together if time allows or even blade together. I will miss her after I am back honestly. :)

Athens day 1-9th May 2008

Aegean Airlines: Milan-Athens.

I thought I had a really good bargain! I paid 102,02 EUR for a 2-way full flight. That means my meals are provided on the airplane! Some people will think it's very expensive but ferries to greece costs around the same price too. Greece is just expensive!

I took a lot of amazing photos from the plane honestly.

Not just blue background. it's the ocean!

I had always held Greece in awe. The Greek mythology that surrounds the country, the "Before Christ" history, the movie 300, the Turks, the Persians etc. The country has so much to offer! However, upon arrival, I was kind of disappointed. Athens is just Bangkok in a Caucasian fashion. The way the houses are lined up along the roads, the amount of traffic, the state the nation is in. But of course, the poverty level there is not as high as Bangkok, the transport system is much better too.

Right in front of the Parliament building. :)

I chose a hostel that is near to a quiet residential area but because I need to get to the hostel to connect to Corfu. I was choosing between Corfu and Santorini initially but I went for Corfu. First, Cheaper option. Second, Santorini is more like a honeymoon island. Third, I have some friends whom I'd met in Rome who are heading there.

The first day in Athens was a pretty relaxed one because by the time I tidied up myself, it was already 5p.m in the evening! So I went to check out the Flea market and of course some great Greek Food? Actually, greek food has a lot of influence from Turkish food because the Turks once occupied the land. It's Pita bread, falafel, kebabs.. Main course usually involve some meat patty, chicken, beef etc. True enough, there wasn't much pork on the menu honestly. But of course, greek salad beats everything else.

they love beads!

Greek dresses. Not the traditional greek costume though. Yet to see Toga sold on the streets.

This is the 24-hour eating alley. haha.. The restuarants here are open 24/7.

Had a good insight of how the country is like from that 3 hours of walking... I would say Athens is pretty safe because I was walking along the streets at 9p.m by myself but no one bothered me at all. Of course as a tourist, as an Asian, and as a girl walking alone, I do attract stares from people here and there but they are all harmless. In fact, greeks are rather friendly. They helped me with directions because it was getting dark and all those greek words really took a toll on me! Not to forget, greece is very much influenced by Italy too. It's amazing that they share the same kind of door knob. I forgot to take pictures of them. In addition, their taps are cute. To get water from the tap, you don't use your hands! You use your feet! There's always a "foot-pedal" by the sink and you step on it to get water. Interesting. :)

As the city goes to sleep.. it's probably about 8 when I took this photo...

The Metro station. It's equivalent to Singapore's Orchard Road. :)

Recycling Bin! SO cute!!

Pirated Sprite. I should go to all these countries and take photos of their pirated soft drinks to show you. It's not that nice. It's a little too bland compared to sprite but it's cheap. :) There's too much carbonated acid as well. haha..

I wonder if you can see the foot pedal connected to the sink? It's in RED! You have to enlarge the picture to see it.... :)