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I have traveled a lot and want to tell you about each of the places I have been to. But instead of recalling all the adventures the old-fashioned way, I want to experiment and write them as lessons.
You really learn a lot when you are traveling. More than you would ever imagine, especially if you are alone and stuck in crazy places. It’s inevitable to think deep, have ideas, learn, etc. It’s part of the odyssey.
This time I’ll speak about the lessons I learned while I was traveling around Greece, the last leg of my gigantic trip around Eastern Europe.
Lesson #1: LOVE Mediterranean Culture.
Thessaloniki, Macedonia.
The journey from Sibiu to Thessaloniki was a bit better than the rollercoaster ride from L’viv into the Transylvanian city. Nevertheless, it was still a big pain: 30+ hours, albeit with just one stop, this time in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. The train got delayed a few couple of hours, but in the end I got to final destination from the trip: Greece.
I was really looking forward to Greece: sun, beaches, blue sea, hot girls, good food and lots of archaeological ruins. Paradise, no less. After thousands of miles in the road I was ready for some fun. My body needed it. Greece was there to offer it!
So I arrived to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second city and the capital of the real Macedonia. People shouting all around, passionately discussing and the evident disorganization made clear that I was at last in the Mediterranean. Loved it.
Just like in Romania and Russia, I stayed with a friend again. And Greek hospitality proved to be the best. My friend and her sister made my day-and-half in Thessaloniki a time I’ll never forget. They were attentive, dedicated and made all their efforts possible to make me have a great time. And I did!
I can’t take credit off my friends in Russia and Romania, for they tried everything to make me enjoy their cities too. But in Greece it was different: we were in the same sync. I’m used to and love Mediterranean culture. The way of living, talking and doing things around the middle sea is the way I like it most. For much cool Russia is, it doesn’t have Greeks, nor it has Italians or Spanish people.
And you see this in the smallest details. I just feel good there and I am comfortable around. The people shouting, the way conversations develop and the food all make the Mediterranean the place I want to be at.
It happened in Italy, in Spain and also in Greece. Which is your place? As basic as it sounds, you have to know where in the world you are most comfortable at. Maybe it’s not your home and, on the contrary, it’s thousands of kilometers away. Look for it, for knowing where to live and where to be will have a huge impact on whether you live a happy life or not.
Lesson #2: Drinking is Insane.
Corfu, Ionian Islands.
I didn’t know where to go after Thessaloniki. I was supposed to go to Athens sooner or later, but with both cities being quite distant from each other I was willing to give something in between a try. Somehow, then, I ended up in Corfu.
It was a good choice. Corfu, with outstanding beaches and fascinating history, was definitely a place I was going to like. But, after having big trouble trying to find a place to sleep in the capital of the island (and thus, ending up sleeping in the streets one more time) I, following the recommendation of the English-speaking (thank god!) locals and tourists, took a bus and ended up in a “hostel” called Pink Palace, just a few dozen miles off the big town.
The Pink Palace is spectacular. It has, among other things: its own buzz cruise, army of four-wheelers, its own club, beach, and endless supply of cheap food and drinks. If you want to go and party, the Pink Palace is the place to go.
I never met people who drank so much. It was unbelievable! It is part of the backpacker’s rules to drink and party, but the Pink Palace was something else. It was a circus of drunken people 24/7. No day off: everyday there was something going on. Toga parties, party at the beach, the drinking ship. It was even more than when I was an Erasmus Student.
It was not exactly what I was looking for, but whatever. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow. My liver aged a few years on those days I stayed in Corfu, but the experience was something awesome. I was tremendously fun, from the kayak-excursions to cliff jumping and more. It was super!
It was one more last-hurray to my long list of goodbye-Europe parties. And it was one of the craziest: I got a plate broken in my head in the traditional Greek fashion and drank for joy and love with a big number of new friends.
Maybe you wonder… Is this that different from other hostels in Europe? People drink loads at every stop, after all. But honestly, this was something else: far and beyond all other hostels I had been at. The beach, its own club and the cheap alcohol and crazy parties in-situ made the Pink Palace worth to remember.
Lesson #3: Don’t Let Yourself Be Bullied.
Athens, Attica.
Central Athens is not the best Greece has to offer. It’s loud, grey and dirty. That is where my hostel was. Again, the only thing I could find and it had decent reviews on most Internet cities. But it was fine: I just needed an ok place to crash while I went around the Acropolis and organized day trips to Delphi and Mycenae.
The first day was quiet. I made a few friends, wandered around the city and visited the most popular museum. Fun enough, the drama came the second day. That day the ugly and smelly daytime receptionist, after a question or remark I made, started yelling at me.
Especially when abroad, I watch my language. I try not to annoy people and I speak with the calm and respect that will avoid me most problems. It was not enough with this guy: he started raging and shouting at me without any reason. I had not agreed with something he had said and it was enough to start with all that theater.
After being told “idiot” and “ignorant” multiple times it was very tempting to throw a strong right and break his nose. But, after all, with little time left in Greece and with more to lose than to win, I stayed quiet and left the guy alone.
But avoiding the fists doesn’t spell the end of a fight. I will never allow an idiot as this to ruin my stay. Nor should you: strike where you are most likely to succeed. In my case, I settled up a winning strategy. I stayed quiet, heard all he had to say and left, with an “ok” as my last word. Nothing fancy, no insults, no warnings: nothing. Just left the guy alone, for now.
As soon as his shift ended I started my counter-attack. I asked the night’s receptionist if he could contact me with the hostel’s owner. He asked why: to let him know all the troubles, insults and bad times I had to go through because of the smelly morning guy. They told me that I was not the first who asked for that… Many people seemed to have been attacked and insulted by that asshole already.
I couldn’t get to the owner at first, but left him a message in his telephone. Of course, that was not enough. I ripped off a few blank pages from my notebook and wrote a very pissed, yet serious and respectful complaint letter addressed to the owner and with a focus on this morning guy. I signed it and asked everyone hostel to sign it too and leave their comments.
Most people agreed and after an hour or so I had multiple pages and signatures of people who were loving the place but were pissed with the same guy I was. I was not the only one insulted for no reason, it seemed. I made sure that these pages got to the owner.
Few days later I get an email straight from him: the asshole was fired. It was good news. For much of a good guy that I am, I will never leave any idiot as this one start treating me as shit. Nor should you; stay calm and do what you have to do. Just make sure to act with wisdom. Punches would have only gotten me trouble, the letter and signatures achieved exactly what I was waiting for.
Lesson #4: Embrace Randomness.
Paros, Cyclades Islands.
After the Athens incident came the funniest part of the trip. As much exciting Corfu was, the Cyclades are where the real deal is. I had always dreamed about visiting that side of Greece and I was finally there. It’s paradise (at least in summer!)
So I left for Piraeus and took a ride in a super cruiser bound to Paros. Paros is perfect: spectacular beaches, lovely small towns, excellent wine and is not as commercial and touristy as Mykonos, for instance. Cool place.
Either way, I needed a place to stay in Paros and had no better idea than to start asking when in the port. There were dozens of Greeks enthusiastic to take me to their hostels and camping sites, so I looked for the best offer. At that moment in time the best offer didn’t mean a comfortable bed or the best seaside view, no. It meant a good kitchen where I could cook myself a good home-made pizza. Sometimes food is that important!
And I found more than I was looking for. After telling my pizza plans to one camping-site owner he started shouting “YOU HAVE TO BE THE NEW CHEF IN MY PLACE!” It appears that the last chef had left and the whole camping staff was starving until a new cook was found. And there’s where I came in. Funny. I obviously accepted the job, albeit told the staff I couldn’t stay long.
And so I ended working in Paros. It was lots of fun. Instead of a place in an uncomfortable tent I found one in the staff’s building and for free. A winner from anywhere you looked. All I had to do is cook just once a day a delicious meal for the 10-man staff, all while I also fed myself. Brilliant!
The days in Paros were a lot of fun. I gained the trust and confidence of the staff fast and they tried their best to make me have an excellent time there. They took me to the best places, parties and made me meet lots of great people. They made me have the best memories of my trip in Greece. I, obviously, made sure to cook things as delicious and varied as possible!
And all out of the blue. It was not planned: somehow I had run into that camping guy who was precisely looking for a cook and at that exact time. I took the chance and will never forget it!
Lesson #5: Live The Good Life
Santorini, Cyclades Islands.
To hell with minimalism and calls for an austere lifestyle: money matters. It won’t make you happy overnight, but it will give you a lot of freedom. Freedom to be in Santorini, a paradise on Earth, and to be at the best places in the island, something few can afford.
Santorini is as spectacular as the world can get. It’s an archipelago of the remains of what was one of the most destructive and biggest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. It’s now composed of a few islands surrounding an impressive caldera, one of the most amazing sights the world has to offer. Trust me: it was not easy to impress someone who had been to 170+ cities and Santorini did exactly that. I was overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the place.
I was stunned when the cruiser was sailing to the port and said: this is paradise. And I want to live it as a king. I’m not rich (yet) and don’t have too much money to spare, even less when I’m backpacking around the world. I pay attention even to the smallest of the details: saving money matters.
But sometimes it’s good to spend. If it can really upgrade your experience, go ahead. On this island to maximize the experience meant two things: staying in a top, caldera-view hotel and taking a ride in the exclusive sunset boat. I made sure to take both. And I will never be sorry for that, on the contrary. It was an excellent choice.
Few things in the world are as awesome as a good breakfast while you are sitting in your balcony watching this caldera. I can’t put in down to words: it’s crazy. The hotel was great, and not really that expensive. Often backpackers omit hotels on purpose, but sometimes the prizes don’t go beyond 3-4x of a cheap dorm. Sometimes is worth it, especially if it’s the last spot of your trip as Santorini was for me.
The boat was just as cool. The sunset in Santorini is one of the most beautiful I have seen, and that boat took me to the prime spot and best location in the whole world to see it. Everyone was watching it and I was one of the few who were straight in the middle of the caldera. Awesome as life can get.
Couple that with some thermal waters before and a huge buffet after the sun’s ceremony and you got one of the prime experiences life has to offer. Cost? Just 60 Euros. Cheap!
Backpackers and people alike, think beyond the low-budget. 60 Euros for a few hours excursion may sound too much, but it was worth it. The buffet itself was already worth half of that. And the whole experience is a one memory that will never be erased: it’s priceless, making 60 Euros sound very cheap.
Go and enjoy life, for is exactly that what we are meant to do here in this world.
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