A true path follows no plan…

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.

I eventually made it. I found away to leave Kalymnos. I have arrived on the Island of Leros. And I arrived at completely the wrong port!! Well, a different port to the one I was expecting. I didn’t really care when I rocked up at Ayia Marina this afternoon, instead of Xirokambos. I found the nearest bar and wifi and had a quick look for decent accommodation and ended up here in Platonas, up a hill, in a lovely hotel which is central for all the other interesting “worth a look places” and it has the best view of the castle and windmills.

After I arrived I chatted to Luna, the lady who owns the hotel with her husband Antonis. She gave me a map and pointed out all the places that are worth a visit, and where I’ll get some good photos too. They are all within walking distance which is nice as I can chose where I’m going each day then make my way around one or two towns in a day. I think I might stay 3 or 4 nights, knowing what is here. I haven’t even got as far as checking ferry days and times. I really can’t be bothered after all that hassle in Kalymnos!

I ventured the 10 minute walk down to the nearest beach at the village of Pantelli. It was lovely with a nice little pebbly beach and warm, clear water. I sat by the Castello Hotel and had a snack of zucchini balls and a vino and watched the sunset. I haven’t really done much else.

I wandered back up to the hotel, had a shower and am now sitting typing this in the rooftop bar and restaurant. It’s nice, not just with the fantastic view of the castle, all lit up, high on the hill looming down on us, but with the atmosphere. It’s the noise, the chattering. The owner Antonios is funny and very welcoming. He’s given me a very tasty cocktail on the house, which is always a bonus, and I’m sat at his desk using my laptop as I needed to plug it in on charge. I was starting to get a little tired of my own company in Kalymnos. There wasn’t a lot of open, friendly people. I’m enjoying just listening and watching the people around me as I type and sort out photos. I love people watching. There’s some babies and little children, and all the adults are chattering away in their own language, calling this place home for a few nights, just like me. I think I’m the only one, apart from the Greek staff, who doesn’t speak these other guests language. I’m sat amongst my new neighbours and fellow hotel guests, and it’s really nice to be surrounded by people and noise, and they just so happen to be Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

So I had the fried, fresh, Calamari, sitting by the sea waiting for the boat. It was so fresh and so tasty. I’ve had Calamari a lot since being in Greece, and I even eat the tentacles and everything – I sometimes think I should be on the I’m a Celebrity programme!

I was ready to leave Kalymnos, as you’ll remember me telling you earlier. I’d ventured down to the jetty and was sat with a beer writing….what I didn’t mention is that I’d chatted to the owner of the restaurant, Stavos, Skevos or whatever his name was, and said I was off to Leros on the 5 o’clock boat, like the timetable outside said. “Yes, yes” and “Nice, nice” were the replies and chit chat. A bloke called Richard, English, retired, came along and had a chat a while later…all good…..”yes you’ll see the refugees from different places, they bring them here on the small boat to get the larger boat from Pothia out to Athens..” The boat was, apparently, going to be a blue, ex-lifeboat, high speed, tilts up on it’s end type of thing….”you’ll hear it before you see it”… That type of conversation. So, I’d eaten, and had a beer, and updated the blog, so was ready to go, got up to leave and Stavos or Stakis or whatever, insisted I sit down and wait and relax. “You’ll hear the boat, there is lots of time…” We chatted, he told me about his family’s apartments, Richard said about where he stays when him and his wife, when she’s not working as a Head Teacher, visit for holidays, I had my camera I faffed around with and at almost 5pm I said my goodbyes and went out on to the jetty to get some photos. I waited, and waited, and waited. It seemed like the pattern for the day after the post office! I took photos of Telendhos which was sitting directly in front of me, read my book, watched the fish in the sea below my dangling legs off the jetty, and eventually an ex-lifeboat kind of vessel headed my way. I zoomed in with my camera and it did look like there were people with the typical clothing and colouring of the countries mentioned previously. It docked, people disembarked, they had babies and small children, they did look and dress differently to the Greek, but I’m not sure where exactly they would be from.

I waited for everyone to pass then made my way to the empty boat. The captain made his appearance and I asked “Leros?” To which he replied, “No! Finished. You wanna go, €100 to cover my fuel!!” I tried to communicate that the timetable at the jetty, and at my hotel, both said 17.00 to Leros. He laughed and said it had finished, a new timetable was in place!

Argh! Ok. I went back towards the restaurant and there was Stavros / Stakis / Stan heading out to me “Ah Claire, come, sit down, it ok!” Well, actually, no it’s not! I told him about the times, and he simply replied that yes, it was indeed different times now. FOR F*CKS SAKE! Why the hell didn’t he say that 4 bloody hours ago!!!!!!!! Then the best bit……spoken in a dodgy, broken English / Greek twang – “but Claire, I live with my Mother, I have spare seperate room, you stay there?” Erm, thanks, but how about NO!!!!!

I was so agitated, I’m not even sure why. But I stomped up the hill back to the main road, walked about only 50m to Poppi’s studios, found a room for €35 and dragged the f*ucking huge bag up 2 flights of stairs. I actually think that’s what I was so angry about, the fact that I’d had to drag my heavy stuff around, and now I wasn’t actually leaving. I grabbed my camera and headed straight out as it was now somewhere near 6.30pm and sunset was looming. I stormed up the street, got some nice shots and found the nearest bar. I got a large Mythos and sat down. I took a couple of nice, long, refreshing mouthfuls and sat looking out to the ocean. Then kind of laughed at myself. I had found a cheap, clean room for the night. I’d caught sunset. I was sitting on an idyllic Greek island drinking an ice cold beer. What the hell was there to be upset about? Or stressed?!! I was still unimpressed with the restaurant guy for not speaking up about the boat, but maybe it was a genuine lost in translation moment. I look back at other times in my life, with work situations, places I’ve lived, lifestyles I’ve lived and I would have been seriously 100% more aggro and upset by the whole thing back then. Yes, I was irritated. Yes, I was frustrated that the guy somehow didn’t tell me, and I worried for a short time about where I would stay, but at the end of the day it was my fault for not thoroughly checking boat times. And there was nothing I could do about it, unless I paid €100. And no one died, let’s remember that! I have another chilled evening on the island, I’ll leave tomorrow at 1pm, or at some point after that, and life is actually ok. Plus, the bar I found was ran by a lovely mainland Greek guy called Sakis, who chatted with me and laughed about general island antics, and the reason why I seemed so agitated when I first entered the bar. We had a shot together with the obligatory “Yamas”(Cheers) and I ended up having a nice evening with a good bit of company. He cheered me right up (yes, he has a wife everyone! No island romance out of this one unfortunately!) And so, here I am back in my studio, typing away and saying goodnight – and telling you to remember to stop stressing about the small shit. Life’s way too short!!