Athens.. Night 1

So I don't think I was completely prepared for Athens... but first I'll update what I did before I got here.

After the internet cafe, Jen, Sage, and I walked around the shops and got dinner and a free desert, and I ordered my first liter of beer haha. While we were sitting at dinner, a huge explosion went off about 50 meters from where we were sitting.. just around the corner. Everyone freaked out and craned their heads to look. Our waitress's heart stopped for a second I think. But then like nothing had happened, everyone went back to business as usual. (We were still totally confused.) Within 5 minutes, a police officer let the crowd continue down the street, and we realized it had just been another one of those unattended bags that cops often use robots to cover and blow up all around Jerusalem. I guess you can't be too careful here.

We ran back to out hotel and made it to the bus station JUST in time to catch one of the last busses to Modi'in to stay with Sage's friend from camp. In the morning, we explored Tel Aviv a little more, visiting Shuk Carmel (the big market) and then Old Jafo, which is an ancient port city at the southern end of Tel Aviv. Very beautiful. We had lunch in a really nice white washed restaurant sitting up on the top of the wall overlooking the sea and the main city courtyard, with a nice Mediterranean breeze blowing through the window (which they forced us to close... just because.. gotta love Israel). I imagined Greece would be a lot like this, and it made me pretty excited. We said goodbye to Jen, and Sage and I explored Jafo for a little while longer.

I left Sage and made my way to the airport, where Israeli security interrogated me to the fullest extent. When I got to the gate, I found out my flight had been delayed an hour, which sucked because it meant I probably wouldn't be able to go out much when I got to the hostel in Athens.

The flight was fine, but once I got to the airport I began to realize Greece was a pretty big contrast from Israel, and I needed some serious adjusting. First of all, the customs signs were all in Greek, and even though the words were all the same, apparently they meant different things. Some lines were for Greeks, some for Europeans, some for diplomats, and some for everyone else (me). It was purely guess and check.

I also realized that I didn't know how to get to my hostel. My printout had the street address and the number of a bus line. This could help, or it could mean nothing, depending on who I could find to ask. (I also didn't have a phone, or money, so I couldn't call the hostel to ask them.) Luckily, I found a map of the bus line, and it did take me to Syntagma Square, where I remembered my hostel was near. I took the map with me, and went to the ATM to get some euros. My pockets were FULL of Israeli shekels (they feel the need to make most denominations coins instead of bills, making for a HEAVY wallet... once again... very Israeli). The ATM machine rejected my card. I hadn't told the company I was going to Greece, so they blocked my account. Shit! Once again, I didn't have money, so I couldn't use a pay phone to call the company to get it reactivated. I ended up converting some shekels, and I got on a bus headed for Syntagma Square.

Then began my language crisis... I was still thinking in Hebrew phrases and I was used to reading all the signs in Hebrew. But here, everything is in Greek. When I saw signs with a foreign alphabet from English, I expected it to be Hebrew, so I would try to read it, but couldn't. The people behind me on the bus were Israeli, and they were pretty lost. They asked me if I spoke English and something about Syntagma, but I had no idea what they were talking about, so I answered them in Hebrew, and they were VERY grateful. Using the map I got at the airport, I helped them figure out where to go. Then the guy sitting next to me was from China, and also needed directions, so between broken Chinese mixed with English, I helped him find where he needed to go.

At this point, between Hebrew, Chinese, and trying to remember how to read Greek so I could figure out which stop I needed to get off at, I think I forgot English for a couple minutes. My brain shut down haha. I did get off at the right stop though, and I made it to my hostel in the Plaka at about 11:30. It's a really nice place in the middle of the ancient old city district with worn down, polished cobble stones streets and cafes everywhere.

This morning I met a girl from Newcastle at breakfast, and we chatted for a while, but now I am headed out to explore a little more and fine my parents hotel where they will be later on today.

And so the adventure continues..

Gia hara!