A true path follows no plan…

I miss Santorini. I could have stayed forever. I have been looking through the last couple of days photos, and know that one day I will return. Maybe around May time as it won’t be rammed with tourists from the cruise ships and other travellers, but it will be warmer. Even though it was a bit cooler I saw loads of places and walked a lot, which would have been a lot harder work in the heat of summer. I also got to watch the National Day celebrations on Wednesday, which was lovely. All the children from the schools dressed in traditional costume and some in their school uniform, carrying flags, marching down the street, a band played, the army stomped past, it was nice to experience.

I am sitting at Mykonos New Port waiting for the ferry to Athens. After jumping ship yesterday, I only had an hour of sun light left after finding accommodation, so I made my away around the old port and town. It was freezing! Windy and cold! I had about 4 hours in Taverna Madoupas drinking wine (to get over my sea sickness of course) had dinner and was organising bits and pieces for my blog. I ran out of battery on my laptop after putting up the last post and I didn’t have the charger with me either, duh!

Mykonos is very quiet at the moment, which is probably a very good thing as the streets are so tiny here I really can’t imagine how you move in the height of summer in peak season. It is well known for the Gay community here and young backpackers partying in the summer, but is currently resembling a ghost town, hence the quick turnaround. One of the things that really stands out here is the feeling of an almost fakery , once you move back from the main harbour area. When you look closely at the pathways leading all around the alleys, and there’s a lot, it’s like a maze, and yes I did get lost-twice! You notice, after a very short time, that the white cobble stone paths are actually painted on. And then you feel like you’ve been cheated! I finished reading a fab book whilst on Leros (I posted it back home as I just couldn’t part with it and didn’t need to carry any extra weight…yes, yes I know I should get a Kindle, but I like picking up an actual book and opening the pages) One section of the book is set in Mykonos. The lady, Nancy (Shooting Stars & Flying Fish – read it!) tells of when her and husband Ted visit Mykonos, during their fabulous round the world sailing trip, and how all the stones are painted on. It all came back to me the instance I walked down the alley following my accommodation lady Maria, who I met at the port. It really does look odd, especially after some of the amazing Islands I have seen that are all naturally beautiful, aged and original.

Anyhow, I had a meander last night and got up early today, walked up to the windmills and took some photos, and made a couple of friends. One I named Blacky, as he was a gorgeous little black cat who took it upon himself to make my lap his bed for half an hour while I was sat idly watching the world go by and drinking my tea. The other was a young guy called Ahmed. This friend didn’t get to sit on my lap! I bumped in to him after watching a local guy play the Greek version of the bagpipes for me, let’s call him Bob because I really couldn’t spell his Greek name if I tried! He went to great efforts to get out the folded instrument, made of sheep leather and horns, and blow it up and play and sing for me. At the cost of a couple of Euro I discovered, afterwards! He offered to play while I took photos, as he’d spotted my camera, and I’m sure he was loving the attention.

As I was walking up to the windmills after saying bye to Bob the Bagpipe player, this young guy approaches me and smiles and says hi. We say a quick hello, he asks what I am doing here, says he has been working here, he’s from Pakistan and would I like to go for a coffee. I fibbed and said I couldn’t, I needed to get back to the hotel and I had a boyfriend anyway…he looked sad and we said goodbye. After walking up and around the windmills I was making my way back down to the waterfront when I met him again. He chatted some more and asked again for a coffee, and this time I got the sense he was lonely and a bit lost, not trying it on or anything like that, and I understood as it is a little bit how I have felt on some days on this journey. What was half an hour out my day? So I said yes and he showed me to the little café by the water. He told me he had left Pakistan 5 years ago, but his family were still there, that they had been trouble, and still is over there, and he missed his family. He has been back to visit though, to meet his Niece and was very proud, you could just tell! I also left Australia where I’d been living, before this journey, to visit “home” to meet my baby Niece. We looked at photos of our siblings children, chatted about how good Skype is (although I very rarely get to see my family on this, everyone is always so busy in England) how Facebook is a good way to keep in contact, and how modern technology is, in general, pretty clever! He has finished work as a cook and kitchen help now, after a very busy, long season, and so he will have a month in Athens of relax time and hopes to visit Pakistan again next year after another summer season. He gave me his Facebook name and we said goodbye, after he insisted on buying the coffees, bless him, and off he went with a nice, big smile on his face.

I made my way to the New Port and am now sat typing away, wondering what Athens will have in store for me, or, more so what the bloody boat ride has in store for me!