A true path follows no plan…

I am going to have a rant…..I left Leros this morning, got up at 7am, had a taxi booked by the hotel for 8am from Alinda to Ayia Marina for the 08.55 ferry to Patmos, as instructed by the previous hotel, and booking agent in Platonas. The taxi came early, with another passenger already in, I was told to hurry up, we set off and missed the turning for Ayia Marina. When I asked where we were going I was told Lakki Port for the ferry. I explained I had been told Ayia Marina….he called Port Police, they confirmed the ferry would leave Lakki, so we continued. I was in the taxi for literally 5 minutes, maybe 6, with another passenger, and when we arrived at the port he asked for €15. I had been in a taxi from Ayia Marina to Alinda, the same distance and it had been €6! I asked about the other passenger and surely we share the fair, he said not to worry and this was normal. I negotiated €10, he wanted €15 then showed me the taxi board with prices for journeys from Lakki to Alinda. That said €14. The other lady was looking on and waiting to pay, she understand a little English and I think she was agreeing, but she pulled some notes out and paid him too! I was getting madder at this point as it seemed really unfair to charge us both the full fair, plus I was worried about which bloody boat I was going to end up on. I gave him €15 and waited for my €1 change (out of principal) and then off I stomped. I bought my €8 ticket to travel 2 hours on the ferry and bought a coffee. I was really pissed off. Then I felt bad, like I usually do if I’ve been a bit irate or rude. So I had another coffee and then went over to the taxi driver in the rank, gave him the €1 and said sorry for being angry, I was tired and needed a coffee blah blah blah. He smiled and laughed and said it was ok. So I felt a bit better.

The ferry arrived, people and cars and an army truck disembarked and then I climbed on, left my bag on the side of the roughly marked out luggage area and went upstairs to watch the hustle and bustle. The lady from the taxi came over and in broken English said to me the taxi was too much!! She paid and I paid and that was no good, but she thought this was normal. How frustrating! At least I’m here and on the right boat! I’ll update you when I reach Patmos.

I’ve left the hotel this morning to go down to Alinda bay and stay there for one or two nights by the water, finish my sightseeing, do some more walking and photography and then head to Patmos on Sunday with the ferry from Ayia Marina. Pandelli and Platonas were both nice to visit.

It has been very interesting in the hotel in Platonas, seeing all the different visitors come and go. It has also been very upsetting and sad and humbling. Yesterday morning I got up and had a coffee up on the roof. There were two ladies, refugees from Syria, with their 6 children ranging in age from 2 months to about 7 years old. The kids had nothing to play with and were causing mischief by climbing around fences and poking their heads through the gaps in railings on the section of bar area being renovated. They had nothing to do, nothing to play with so were doing the best they could to entertain themselves. I watched and they smiled and we waved at each other. I had my coffee then took myself off and found the Leros equivalent of a stationary shop and bought 10 packs of colouring pencils, 3 colouring books and a large pack of white paper and then several packs of baby wipes from the supermarket. I remember my road trips in Australia and when we couldn’t get a campsite and shower for a few days the baby wipes were the best thing ever for freshening up! I thought these might be handy for the woman.

When I got back to the hotel I was greeted by George, the Iraqi, who has been in Greece for 20 years and who is currently helping the staff by working as a translator. He was frantically telling the 5 girls to go get their Mother while he was manoeuvring the 2 month old out of the eldest girls young, weak arms. He looked frazzled! I took the baby, who was crying, and I realised she was wet through from her nappy, and one of the girls had gone to fetch their mother. The mothers arrived and we gestured to go upstairs and they helped with my bags. I shared out two packets of pencils, tore out individual sheets from the colouring book so the children all had about 3 pictures to start with and gave them a pencil sharpener. I gave each woman a pack of baby wipes too. They were all so happy! They children were a little unsure at first but excited all the same. The two oldest kept talking to me and showing me excitedly what they were doing, with great pride, and the Mum’s giggled and explained that I couldn’t understand them. Well, I guessed that’s what was being said! I gestured a lot with “thumbs up” and clapping hands and they were so content, apart from one girl, probably 5, she started to cry. I could see she was looking at the others and her Mum was trying to help her but I honestly think she was sobbing because she thought she couldn’t do it, and didn’t really know how to because she’d probably never had a colouring book before.

These small gifts from me will not change their lives, it will not stop the war, it will not stop them missing loved ones lost and left behind, but hopefully, just for that one morning, it helped to take their minds off it all. I keep telling myself I will go to Lakki and see what happens down there, where the holding camp is, but this morning George dropped me in the village and I asked how long he will stay and help. His reply was this “I do not know. I do not like what I see in Lakki”. He was a refugee, and did the same as these families 20 years ago, first time round when there was “trouble”. I know it will upset me if I go, and I also know that unfortunately there is very little I can do to help. They have supplies coming in for the refugees, there was a container full of donations of clothes and nappies and the likes on Saturday gone. They have all the volunteers they need at present. This is where the help is needed on this little island at the moment, but it is not where the answers lie to stop all the troubles. Who knows how and if this can actually be done?

The men were all sitting round tables together in the rooftop bar, looking and talking amongst themselves, and the women and girls were together, separately. All of the women here are fully clothed in long, dark overcoats or jackets. They looked hot and uncomfortable today in the warmth and when I was speaking to another lady, she explained that they all didn’t have anything else to wear. I asked what was under her long coat and she said a t-shirt. I played dumb and said why didn’t she take her coat off as she was in Greece and I had a t-shirt on and that was ok here. She laughed and said no she could not do that, it was her belief not to. She was a teacher from Iraq, travelling alone heading to Luxemburg to work and live. I wondered if she would embrace the freedom there and be able to relax a little more as well as keep a faith.

I sat for a little while longer but got tired of the men staring and talking, and started to feel a little uncomfortable. I felt a wave of sadness too. The baby never seemed to get changed and the girls were so happy with something so simple it made me realise again how lucky I have been in life. I sat wondering if these families will make it safe to their destinations and hope that they do, and the children can grow up happy, healthy, educated and not in such a dangerous, repressive environment as where they have come from.

I need to sort out more photos and catch up with yet another 4 hours of homework. I haven’t done any for a while. I have, however, bought a smaller bag and have downsized for the next leg of my journey!! This is a HUGE achievement for me as I am terrible at packing light. The thought of lugging around that large, heavy bag again was enough to put me off and be ruthless with the clothes. If these guys from the troubled countries can have their whole life in a small back pack, then surely I can manage on holiday! I mailed the huge bag back to the UK today and feel a load lighter for it, literally, and ready for the next leg of travelling.

I’ve had an energetic day today involving walking from the town square up 300+ steps to the Castle high up on the hill. Then a walk back down the other side on a winding, twisting, turning road past the windmills, back down to Pantelli. I sat on the beach at Zorba’s Restaurant for a well earned beer and lunch, then eventually made it back to the hotel.

I was hoping to get my study done and catch up with the 3 hours I need to do, however I’ve been chatting to the owner and his son, hearing about how all the refugees left today to get their papers and then the ferry across to Athens. I have then watched 2 more check-ins of Syrian and Iraqi refugee parties. I have seen several families tonight. One had a baby of 7 months, the other a baby of 2 months, another woman with a baby probably younger, and another 2 families both have little girls which I’m guessing are ranging from 2 to 7. These babies and their parents have travelled from their homeland, 1000’s of miles, across land and water, on foot and by car, then they were held in the “camp” at Lakki port until they were processed and then they were released,  free to leave the camp to find lodgings. There are more to come tonight, and more again tomorrow, as the paperwork process is very long winded and time consuming. The owner will easily be working until 12 or 1am. As he was checking the families and groups of friends in to the Hotel, his son and me have been connecting phones to the Wifi so they can contact people back home. Yes, they do have mobiles, Iphones, Galaxy’s. They were working and had a “normal” life before the troubles started. They are just like me and my family and friends, only they speak differently and dress differently. We smiled and said hello and made them feel welcome. We waved at the children and played with my new toy, the house kitten. One lady looked on the verge of tears as she was waiting for her room to be set up. The guests that left today for papers and the 10.30pm ferry, kept their rooms until late so not every room was serviced. She had that look of being emotionally and physically exhausted. After she checked in and went to find her room she was back at reception within 5 minutes asking for shampoo and towels, you could tell she was desperate for a shower and bed, and as she was so tired she’d not seen them lying out on the bed.This hotel is one of only a few hotels here who are accepting the refugees. They all have to pay for accommodation themselves. They have all had jobs and homes and money where they have come from, but they have fled because of War. They will pay their way until they arrive at their final destination, which for one Iraqi family who left today, was Finland. Another were heading to Germany. I guess anywhere is better than a country in War.