What would you do?
OK, well, I'm not exactly stranded. Not really.
After I left The Pink Palace in Corfu, I ventured out into Athens
for a few days to be a proper tourist. I saw what I needed to see over there...
The Acropolis, the Parthenon, plus a whole bunch of other ruins made familiar
to me by Greek Mythology.
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| The Acropolis from my hostel balcony |
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| View of Athens from a hill with my walking tour buddies |
NAXOS
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
3 full days and a 6 hour ferry ride later, I find myself in
Naxos... A small island south of the main land, about an hour and a half away
from Santorini. I am here for yet another HelpX adventure... Well, if you can
call it that.
See, the nice thing about being in Greece in October is that it's
not too crazy, the tourists have left, and the weather is perfect. Not
scorching hot, but sunny enough to get a tan. It's nice. The downside to being
in Greece in October is that... because the tourists are gone, most of the
hotels, hostels and businesses close down shop... If you're in a big and
bustling city like Athens, you're fine. It'll just be a bit quieter but it's
still really nice.
BUT... if you're in a tiny village in a relatively less touristy
island like, Naxos... Well... it makes you come up with blog titles like,
"If You Were Stranded On A Greek Island..."
In all fairness, I was warned
by my host that it is off season, the work would be very light, and that it
will be very relaxing. I'm staying at a small hotel right in front of the
beach. There are no guests, and the only occupants are myself, my boss, and his
(very sweet) mother who doesn't speak English.
When I got here, my boss basically said that I wouldn't need to do much till the rain comes, so I should just relax. They showed me to my room, fed me some amazing Greek food, which were all pretty awesome.
After a day of staring at the clear blue Mediterranean waters... It occurred to me that I might actually not know how to "relax" properly! Seriously!
I am here in Greece... Staying at a beachfront hotel - for free... I have the sea, the sun, food, nature... I can swim for miles in the water so clear and so flat, I feel like I could just keep swimming till I hit the horizon... And yet, I'm stressed out! Because in my mind - there is absolutely nothing to do! What the hell is wrong with me?
I don't know, man. Maybe because I signed up to work... and if there's no work, I feel unproductive. I am about 2 hours away from Naxos town, so I can't really leave to go "exploring". There are no guests to talk to or entertain... No kids to drive me nuts... My boss is a little quiet, and his mother doesn't speak English.
I've had an amazing experience traveling by myself so far, but I think this is the first time I've actually felt really alone. I have discovered that I am not meant for solitary island confinement. Island living, sure… but there has to be people in the island!
I feel a little guilty for feeling this way… Especially since I know for a fact that most of the people I know back home would rather be where I am right now, instead of whichever cubicle they are in. Then again, just like everything else, I suppose there should be a good balance.
Solitary confinement in a beautiful island versus a hectic 12 hour workday in a bustling city life could hardly be compared to each other. Give me a nice island after a productive 6 hour day of work with good company and I will be as chipper as a woodpecker!
Oh well. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t make the most out of any situation… And so I will do my best to even out my tan, read as many books as I could, swim some laps in the ocean, maybe do some hiking out in the mountains – and who knows… I might come out of this gig all refreshed and healthy :)
There is a lightning storm on the island. The waves are crashing violently, all the stores are closed, and we are trapped inside the hotel for the rest of the day.
HELP.
When I got here, my boss basically said that I wouldn't need to do much till the rain comes, so I should just relax. They showed me to my room, fed me some amazing Greek food, which were all pretty awesome.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
After a day of staring at the clear blue Mediterranean waters... It occurred to me that I might actually not know how to "relax" properly! Seriously!
I am here in Greece... Staying at a beachfront hotel - for free... I have the sea, the sun, food, nature... I can swim for miles in the water so clear and so flat, I feel like I could just keep swimming till I hit the horizon... And yet, I'm stressed out! Because in my mind - there is absolutely nothing to do! What the hell is wrong with me?
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| This is where I am. The village of Apollonas, from my hotel room balcony. I am really lucky with balconies! |
I don't know, man. Maybe because I signed up to work... and if there's no work, I feel unproductive. I am about 2 hours away from Naxos town, so I can't really leave to go "exploring". There are no guests to talk to or entertain... No kids to drive me nuts... My boss is a little quiet, and his mother doesn't speak English.
I've had an amazing experience traveling by myself so far, but I think this is the first time I've actually felt really alone. I have discovered that I am not meant for solitary island confinement. Island living, sure… but there has to be people in the island!
I feel a little guilty for feeling this way… Especially since I know for a fact that most of the people I know back home would rather be where I am right now, instead of whichever cubicle they are in. Then again, just like everything else, I suppose there should be a good balance.
Solitary confinement in a beautiful island versus a hectic 12 hour workday in a bustling city life could hardly be compared to each other. Give me a nice island after a productive 6 hour day of work with good company and I will be as chipper as a woodpecker!
Oh well. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t make the most out of any situation… And so I will do my best to even out my tan, read as many books as I could, swim some laps in the ocean, maybe do some hiking out in the mountains – and who knows… I might come out of this gig all refreshed and healthy :)
Thursday, October 17, 2013
There is a lightning storm on the island. The waves are crashing violently, all the stores are closed, and we are trapped inside the hotel for the rest of the day.
HELP.
