Greece

After an eleven hour flight from Bangkok, I enter Athens exhausted but happy. A cool breeze accompanies me as I walk from Syngatma square to my hostel, Athens Backpackers. I check in and pick up the letter containing my new ATM card. I'm so happy it made it safe and sound!

I walk along a pedestrian street lined with cafes, shops, and street musicians to the Acropolis. It is wonderful and strange to be standing in the middle of such lauded history. Below me, I see the Theater of Herod Atticus, a beautiful space still used for concerts today. The Temple of Olympian Zeus rises in the distance. I stroll around the Parthenon. This structure is amazing in that the columns are specifically curved in such a way that they look perfectly straight. The sprawling city of Athens looks beautiful from this vantage point, a sea of white buildings ringed by lush green hills. The only downside to a site like the Acropolis is you have to share it with droves of tour groups, teenagers on school trips, tired children, etc. Like my experience at Angkor Wat, I realize this traffic is par for the course and just accept this is part of such a world-renowned site. Other highlights of Athens include wandering through the markets of Monastiraki and visiting a bouzouki shop. The bouzouki is a pear-shaped instrument similar to a mandolin popular in Greek music. Andy shows me bouzoukis in various sizes, styles, and colors and plays a little for me. Cool!

After two days in Athens, I've had enough of the big city and long for nature. Six hours on a KTEL bus brings me to Trikala. Another short ride and I reach Meteora where rock formations dominate the morning sky. Meteora is famous for its Byzantine monasteries perched atop pillars of rock. It is comprised of two villages--Kalambaka is the larger one while Kastriki is tiny and closer to the mountains. I ask to be dropped in Kastriki's town center so I can scope out my lodging options on foot. The air is chilly and silent as I walk along the winding until I see a campground called Camping the Cave. "Yasas," I call inside an open door. A man answers "Hello!" I'm excited someone speaks enough English to communicate! Apostolos offers me cake and a magenta hard boiled egg.

me: "Mmm, what is this called?" I ask munching the crumbly dessert.
Apostolos: "Cake."
me: "I mean, what kind of cake is it?"
Apostolos: "Greek cake"

I never do find out the name but its delicious and Apostolos will offer it to me every day. I decide to stay in a defunct camper on the premises for 10 euros a night. It's a little musty inside but comes equipped with six fluffy blankets to keep me warm during the chilly nights. The campground is an odd place with a chatty macaw parrot, a pony for riding, and several dogs in residence. A sign reads "Please keep the pool clean. Don't use sun oil. Not spit. Don't pee. Be quiet. Not nose blowing."

"Well, I'm off to explore" I tell Apostolos. "Wait 20 minutes. I call Yannis; he will drive you." I say I don't have much money to pay for such a service but thanks anyway. "It's free, he does work for me sometime." So I end up having my own personal driver to The Monastery of the Holy Trinity (Agia Triada in Greek). Fun Fact: this monastery was used as the base by villain Aris Kristasos in the James Bond flick For Your Eyes Only. I thank Yannis for the ride and we agree to meet up later. It's a lovely structure with its terra cotta tiled floors, arched doorways and wood beam ceilings. One room is covered in frescos which surround thirteen intricately carved wood chairs. I large brass candle holder hangs from the dome ceiling. A light blue cable car ferries the two monks in residence to and from the entrance. Unfortunately, visitors are forbidden to use it.

The evening before Easter, Yannis takes me to Kastriki's town square where everyone gathers at the base of the church. Everyone holds candles and listens to the priest perform some kind of ceremony. At midnight the church bells clang and fireworks crackle across the night sky. What a magical way to ring in Easter!

When I open the camper door on Easter morning, it is already smoky from the villagers cooking their lamb. I follow Yannis's directions to the path that leads to Holy Spirit mountain. Walk past the church and turn right behind the old white school. Follow path to rose-colored house where it becomes a dirt path behind it. Climb over rocks and trail continues all the way up the mountain. I hike to the top of Holy Spirit mountain where the summit offers a panoramic view. In front of me the snow-covered Pindos mountains rise in the distance. Behind me, sunlight shines through pillars of rock. And below, music wafts up from the villages on a cool and soft wind. I am flooded with complete happiness! I meditate, journal, and laze in the sunshine until I feel like coming down. Later on, I fill my hungry belly with lamb, greek salad, yogurt, and crusty bread. I usually do not include much meat in my diet but for some reason it appeals to me here!

I spend four blissful days in Meteora. I trail run the outskirts of the villages. I laugh with Apostolos's son, Bill, who loves to listen to Michael Jackson on my ipod and tell me about his favorite movie "the Shrek." I visit two more gorgeous monasteries--Rousanou and St. Nicholas. I eat zucchini with garlic dip and Greek salads filled with juicy tomatoes and crispy cucumbers at Taverna Gardenia. I roam the streets of Kalambaka and people watch from my perch near the fountains. I drink too much wine and call friends from the All Time cafe. Meteora means "in the heavens above." It certainly felt like it.