Initiation
Once sister mentioned that she can travel with me, only two of us. I think she didn't mean it because how could she desert her husband and 4 years old son especially his son attaches to her very much. They are never apart for one night.
Ticket
When she came back to Taiwan, she mentioned that again and asked where we can go. However, she's busy at gatherings with friends and entertaining his son while in Taiwan. We don't have time to talk about that. I just heard from friends that Greece is friendly to tourists. And there are 9 days off during the Chinese New Year. So I proposed we can go to Greece around that time. I didn't move to further step since she didn't say yes or no. And then I got her email that she's booked the ticket to Athens on 12/26 after her back to NJ. How could she be so efficiency! Then, I started checking internet and at least 10 travel agencies on 12/27. Some replied to me with checking that discount tickets for Chinese New Year are all sold out. Only tickets for NT 60K something left. It sounds that all Taiwanese would fly out around that time. Isn't the global market so worse? How this could be? Some travel agencies are off due to Saturday. All I can do is to leave messages. Finally I got a reservation from Eztravel with the date from 1/21-1/30. Since the date that sister booked is 1/26-2/1 and she didn't think that's a good idea that I stay in Greece alone from 1/22-1/25. Maybe it's really too late to book ticket (less than one month from the departure date) and Chinese New Year is a peak season for travel. We can not help but gave up the Greece trip. This kind of feeling is so bad, when you thought things gonna go well but failed in the end. When I was depressed, one travel agent "節省網" called me back. The dates match to sister and my schedule and the price is acceptable although later I heard from my friend who got the ticket for NT10K cheaper. Well, the ticket was decided in a hustle and bustle finally. Once ticket thing is done, others are easier. It seems we will make the trip definitely and I feel better. ^_^
Hotel
I asked travel agent "節省網" for hotels quotation. Found out the price they quote is double than the price listed in the hotel's official website. When I challenged them for the price, they just said it's impossible. Anyway, this travel agent is not trustful at all. Now I know why my ticket is NT 10K more expensive than my friend's.
Then we decide to do it on our own- surfing on the internet for many travel websites and checking where to stay in Greece. Because we are apart from different places and there's time lag, sister and I have different ideas with hotels and it's hard for us to discuss. Finally we booked hotels and got confirmations in the middle January- 10 days from departure. Then the next step is where to visit.
Itinerary
1/25 Departure
It's Chinese New Year Eve. I finished dinner in a rush and headed to airport. I took Thai airline and transferred in Bangkok. Wasn't this where I was four months ago- the wonderful memory of Koh Samui. I spent 30-40 mins walking from arrival site to transferred site and waited for security check for 20 mins. I almost missed my transferred flight. Anyway, the Thai airplane to Athens is very lovely. It's new and clean. The seats are in different colors. The lights are in pink, blue, yellow and orange. The cabinet is so colorful. No wonder some people were taking pics.
1/26 Arrived Athens international airport
Since sister's flight is 3 hours late than mine. I have waited for her in a café and figured out how to take metro to hotels. When sister walked out from the gate I was so glad and excited to see her.
Because the weather was so great, we decided to go to Sounion where is the southern part the mainland to see the sunset. The views on the way to Sounion are very beautiful. On the right side, it's the sea. There are mountains and some small towns on the left side. Taking 2 hours bus to get there. We ordered the famous Greek salad and small variety for our late lunch. There are a lot of tomatoes, a little bit cucumbers and lettuce and feta cheese in the Greek salad. I don't like it because there are too many tomatoes. The small variety includes some famous traditional Greek dishes in small portion. It's not bad. I didn't know is it because of cold there, the food is not hot. We walked to Temple of Posidon around 5 pm to wait for the sunset. The sunset is much prettier in that environment.
1/27 We went to almost all the sceneries.
The guidebook says there's only 5 to 10 mins from the metro station to the archaeological site- Ancient Agora. We got lost for more than one hour after asking some local people how to get there. We learned a lesson that Greek people are nice and friendly. They are very willing to talk us where to go, but what they said is not always correct. Maybe because they misunderstood or...When we were lost, we found a lovely pastry shop where I got a cheese pie and sister got a Spanish pie. They are all very yummy. Sometimes getting lost is not a bad thing. Anyway, we arrived Ancient Agora finally. The most famous site in Ancient Agora is Temple of Hephaistos- the best preserved of its type on Greek world. Not like others temples, there are only some columns left. After Ancient Angola, we went to the most famous archaeological site in Athens- Acropolis which is next to Ancient Agora. The most famous in Acropolis is Parthenon. There are also- Herod Atticus Odeon, and Dionysus Theatre there. Maybe we spent too much time reviewing photos after taking each photo. The digital camera is running out of battery at this time. We tried to save more power by turning off the camera right away after taking each picture. However, it's totally dead when we went to Temple of the Olympian Zeus- where there are only 15 columns left. Thanks that our hotel is not far from these sites. We decided to go back hotel to charge the battery and got I-phone for a substitute. Then, we went to Syntagma Square, Parliament where we saw the guards changing turns. Then, to National Garden and Zapion which is an international conference place, not that impressive. The last site is Athens Stadium. Then we went to Plaka area for dinner.
1/28 Fly to dream island- Santorini.
On the way to airport, some accident happened- sister lost my backpack. Oh my god! Anything is important in the backpack? There are water bottle, our lunch, my travel pillow and My Cell Phone! I insisted to go back to the metro station to find it. Thanks Buddha that it was in the ticket office after we asked the guy in the metro office. It's unbelievable that sister forgot it on the platform when we transferred another metro. And the flight to Santorini delayed for one hour due to strike. When we arrived the island, it's more than 4 pm. We had to run to Oia where's famous for its sunset. Unfortunately we didn't see the sunset because it's too cloudy. Due to off-peak season, there are very few visitors in Oia, almost none. We walked up and down in lanes of the hill and around little lovely houses and got nice shot of the blue roof cathedral.
1/29 originally we plan to take one day local tour to other places in the island. Unfortunately due to off-peak season, there's no local tour at all. So we have to plan our own bus tour- checking limited bus schedules, we went to Kamari for black beach. Actually there are not sand in the beach, but small black pebbles. Then, we went to Akrotiri to see red beach. It's not bad. Today ended with stuffed tomato/pepper and chicken souvlaki.
1/30 walking around Fira. Eating the best Gyero in my trip for lunch.
Took air flight back to Athens. It's almost evening when we arrived. Went to central market to buy some fruits and olives.
1/31 went to Rome Agora, tower of wind. The weather is so bad, raining heavily.
Looking for places for our last dinner in Athens. I ordered my favorite grill calamari. It's so yummy! Sister ordered pork with celery. The taste is familiar, like some Chinese dish. Since sister gonna go back to US the following day, we planned to go shopping after dinner. Unfortunately, all shops are closed at six. We just walked around in Plaka and went back to hotel for rest.
2/1 originally I plan to go shopping after saying goodbye to sister. However, all shops close on Sunday. I have to continue my last day trip alone. In metro station, sister turned right to the line to airport and I turned left to another archaeological site- Keramikos. We waved in the opposite platforms. Keramikos is a historical cemetery, kind of weird to go there, especially alone. One female asked me to take photo for her with those stone coffins, and offered to take photos for me as well. However, I am not interested to take photos with coffins or grave stones. Then I went to Kolonaki Square, Academy of Arts, Athens University and National Library. Since I am alone and many black guys selling fake stuff on the street, I only took some photos and left. It's only 2 pm and I don't know what to go. Then I decided to go to Acropolis again. It's the most famous site in Athens after all. After exited from Acropolis, I was wandering around in Plaka. The lanes are so complicated in that area. I have no idea where I was. When evening is coming, I asked one shop owner the way back to hotel.
2/2 Since I can not shop on Sunday, my flight is in the afternoon and I have to checked out at 12 pm, I went shopping for two hours in the morning. In the rush, I got one dress and a pair shoes. Running back to hotel at 11:50 and checked out in time. I Since I still had 50 Euro left, I bought a coat in the airport. Haha~ finally I spent all the money. What a happy ending~
Look forward to the next trip!
Yeah~ this is the first time that I finish the trip diary although I have no idea what I am writing for the last half. Anyway, the Spain diary is still stopped on the 3rd day. >_<
留言列表
