Archive for May 25th, 2009

The bus drops me in Kalabaka around 11pm. Once again I’m hitting a city that’s been closed since five. I chuckle and wander down the middle of the dusty street. to my left jutting from the earth stand the great natural monuments upon which the monasterys of Meteora lie.

I wander up a small side street following signs to the hotel astoria. it seemed like the best choice considering it was the only sign I saw walking the length of the main road. I find the owners sitting out front with a bottle of Ouzo and smoking cigaretts, the woman nudges her husband who rustles himself out of his chair and leads me inside. I motion I’d like a room for 1 night, and then ask him about price, rubbing my index finger with my middle and ring fingers, bus – by honking an air horn and motorboating to make the sound effects and then Meteora by pointing up to the flood lights casting an eerie glow on the rockface. 20 euro spent and a room and clean shower found with information on the bus to Meteora and to Trikala the next day I crashed exausted and ready for a break.

I oversleep my alarm and miss the 8:30 bus. The next one is at 2:30. I decide to walk. its 9:15 when I start and I make my way across the city. I find the bus depot and bargin with a cabby, he’ll take me to the top for 7 euro. frustrated but not knowing how far I decide to go for it. I hop in and off we go. 2km and some curvey roads behind us we make it to the top of the Meteora. I pay him and make the mental decision to walk back down when I’m finished.

the first monastery I enter is beautiful, with freshly painted fresco’s (the monks repaint them much to Unesco’s displeasure) and perfectly kept grounds… sitting hundreds of feet abouve the valley floor on pillars of sedementary rock. Its beautiful, magnificent… what a treat. I walk between four of the five (skipped the nunnery because it was on a flat jutt of rock not on a pillar) and experience the beauty and spiritual energy of the place. Orthodox priests abound, skirts are obliged and each monastery is 2 euro. a small price to pay for something so beautiful.

walking between the different monasterys I get a feel for the land as well. it’s so beautiful here, although Its also hot and sweaty!

Each Monastery has it’s own rope and pulley system, developed to keep the monks safe from war and violence of heathens. Each monastery is a fortress, beautiful, isolated, and easily defended.

The view from the first Monastery:

Rope Pulley:

Holy Monastery of the Meteora: Transfiguration of Christ: this is the biggest and most ornate of the monasterys and it also houses the monk’s Ossuary,

The Ossuary:

As I hiked back down toward the city I came to the final Monastery of my decent:

And I passed an overlook where I took some Boot shot in Honor of Virtual Wayfarer

Having doused my head in the spring waters rising from within the monoliths, I started my decent, a thumb stuck up and one foot pressing infront of the other. A car passed with an Orthodox priest and his driver, they stopped and took me about a 1/4 of a kilometer before they turned off the main road and headed back toward the monasterys, as I continued on my walk a Biker on a Harley passed and stopped. I hopped on the back and caught a ride almost half way back to Kalabaka, the curving and perilous roads taken at a good clip on the back of a Harley is an experience not easily or quickly forgotten.

I then caught a ride back with a greek couple who dropped me in the city. I collected my bags and started the journey to Trikala, and eventually that night to Thessoloniki.

P.S. Traveling on a sunday is a bad idea. three times now I’ve told myself not to do it, hahahah!

Metsovo: A natural beauty in the northern mountains of Greece. Gorgeous, with spring showers and wood and stone houses lining narrow cobblestone streets. Fog rising from the valley into the city and best of all, A bear statue!

I get off the bus to the square containing that bear statue and from there begin walking the streets. Both packs on and struggling against the slick stone I make my way to an open park built into a plateau in the center of the city. from there reach gorgeous views of the green valleys and the exquisite nature of Metsovo. It’s beautiful and tranquil here and I sit for hours lying against my pack enjoying the sun and smells. then the weather turns and I get another treat – a spring shower comes and inundates the city in fog and water. I pick up my umbrella and head up to the head of the city. a 20 minute climb through winding streets:

But with a gorgeous payoff at the top:

And the reaching view down on the city:

I take in the view as the rain subsides and then start snapping foto’s. minutes later I catch the first glimpse of fog rising up through the valley. I take in the atmosphere and then start the hike down into the city.

From Metsovo there are two buses, back to Ioannina… Not wanting to backtrack I hired a taxi for 4.50 euro to take me to the highway, got him to call the bus station and at 8pm waited on the side of the highway for a bus that may or may not have gotten the order to pick me up. Buses here don’t really stop for flag fares. I wait for an hour until 9 pm rolls by and then start putting my hand out looking to hitchhike. a car stops around 9:15 but they’re headed to Trikala not Kalabaka. I’m losing hope, the bus was supposed to arrive around 8:15. It roars out of the corner and heads stright for me at 9:45. Relieved and startled I grab my bags and jump on. I’m off to Kalabaka.

I caught a 10:00 night bus headed to Athens from the bus station down at the base of Gjirokastra. After figuring out how to pay in euro (I wanted to get rid of my Leke but the bus driver would have none of it), I managed to grab a ticket and stuff myself on board. Wedged into the seat I got comfortable and began the journey across the southern edge of Albania into northern greece, away from the coast and in toward th heartlands. I managed some broken english conversations with a few greeks on the bus and found a good conversation to join. we talked about Crete, Patras, and the ocean. sharing swigs of Rocky from an old 2 liter coke bottle. the alcohol was strong and the conversation passionate. To hear a greek speak of their home with such fervor was excellent. forty minutes later we reached the border and passed through customs, albania searched the bus with dogs and went through our bags, greece checked our passports and did a glance through before waving us on. the customs agent bothered me about where I’d been traveling and what citys I went to in Albania. I described where I’d gone and explained what I was doing. he stamped my passport and we were off. unbeknownst to be the big buses that head to athens don’t actually enter Ioannina… they drop off on the furthest outskirt of the city on the ring road next to the airport.

midnight, midnight 20, midnight 30…. long walk. the airport was closed, the taxi stands dark, the buses shut down for the night. I began my walk toward the city center… I hoped. I just had to guess that the brighter lights up ahead represented the city. There was very little traffic. that was a nice releif at least I didn’t have to worry about being hit. walking along the side of the road I heard a car roar to life and turned to see a taxi screaming by. I stuck out my hand instinctivley and he squealed into a lower gear and slowed the vehicle about 10 meters ahead of me. rolling to a stop he waved me up to the taxi. 4 euro to the center. Alright better than walking. I hopped in and we rolled along to a hotel a friend had suggested in Tirane. Hotel paris… not great, but clean.

Bed’s too damned small, but the price is right 28 euro. Greece is damned expensive. Had my own bathroom, tv, bed, closet… alright that’ll do. I crashed and woke up early the next morning at 8. gotta walk this city i thought to myself. took a shower and rolled back into bed… half an hour I mumbled.

10:15 – Alright I’m up. searching for information desk, internet cafe, computer repair shop, get some walking down. spend friday walking the city, find information… closed, internet cafe – get online and get my first uploads in weeks in. That’s exciting finally got some pictures up. head to a repair shop, leave my computer for the day for him to check out. Call at 8:30pm says he can fix it… on Tuesday. that options out. I keep walking. wander down to the lake, through the old city, get a good Gyro… mmmmn so good.

Back to the hotel, computer in hand, the evenings starting but I’m exausted.

Saturday morning, wander the city, make a decision to get out. walk to the bus station and take off, I’m headed to Metsovo and then Kalabaka to see Meteora!