Zorba Ain't Dancing Anymore

Things That Are Peculiar to Greece

First, our apologies on the lateness of this blog post.  We have no reasonable explanation. OK.  Let's just get right down to it and discuss the oddities of our latest trip.  We had prepared meticulously for our travels but, once again, events tended to overtake us.  Here were some of the challenges:
1)  That alphabet that looks so charming hanging on signs at Frat Houses is a disaster when you are trying to read road signs;
2)  Compounding that is the fact that every town has three different spellings of its name (i.e. Napflion, Napflio, Nafoli) and it appears that there are at least three towns named the exact same thing but in widely varying parts of the country.  This is not a good thing for the GPS;
3)  The Greeks may be somehow related to the Chinese because even when they are happily chatting with their neighbors (we think) they sound mad as hell.  This set us on edge in China as well;
4)  They all seem to eat the same things.  They are GOOD things but there appears to be no regional (and forget international) cuisine;
5)  They drive like they run their country -- enough said.
6) In general they are not a happy people due to Roman, Ottoman and Nazi occupations followed by years of home grown mismanagement and corruption.  There is little dancing and plate breaking.

Having issued these caveats I hasten to add that we had a marvelous time and will try to hit the highlights while not issuing a blog version of the dreaded vacation slide show.

Flying the Hostile Skies 

We met up with our sons in Boston and visited with friends and family for a few days.  We had booked a package deal (air/hotel) for the Greek Islands portion of the trip.  We were flying Air Canada (those Canadians are so nice) on the way out.  However, they failed to relay some info to us. It was not REALLY Air Canada but their cut rate version called Rouge -- which is awfully close to Rogue.  In an industry that seems to compete on horrid service Rouge set new heights.  The seats were about 11" wide, the food was not only inedible but also unidentifiable, and there was no entertainment on an 8 hour flight.  Well, there was entertainment if you had downloaded the app to connect before you got on the plane (no one told you) or you could pay $10 to "borrow" an iPad. When we met up with the rest of the family in Greece (most of whom had flown business or first class) everyone had an airline horror story to tell. Our conclusion was that the entire flying public should go on strike for a month or two and refuse to fly until "amenities" (like a seat of your own) are re-instituted. Let's get a petition going out there!

The Greek Isles  -- Sigh.....

They are beautiful.  See, a positive statement in what was devolving into an awfully whiny blog.  We flew into Santorini and spent three days there.  Within a half hour of adventuring in our rented auto we had (of course) managed to go horribly astray and found ourselves on a tiny, dirt, single lane road which culminated in a cliff (phobia #1).  It was a very small car with four large people and the slant was downhill to the cliff.  As Michael tried to back up (stick shifts take some refresher time) we rolled relentlessly forward towards the precipice.  Alex, Justin and I bailed out leaving Michael to the task at hand.  We survived but the map was taken out of Alex's hands.  Back on the road once more we headed for the Caldera which was formed when a gigantic volcanic explosion occurred.  I mean this thing is BIG and DEEP (more #1).  But we couldn't see it at first because when we got to it there were clouds wafting up and out of it.  I mean we were above them.  Not knowing any better we thought that was normal.  It's not.  We met a tour guide who had been to Santorini a zillion times and she had never seen it.  Photos to follow.

The clouds wafting above the caldera of Santorini. 

This shows the Caldera of Santorini with the islands of Nea Kameni and Therasia peaking above the clouds.

Here you see the cliffs in the foreground with the clouds creeping up the sides.

Here is Therasia on most days with no clouds in the caldera.

The white patches are houses perched on the cliffs.

I never realized that Santorini is known for its wine.  I always just pictured old fishermen swilling disgusting retsina and going slowly blind.  But NO, the wine is really good.  The white Assyrtiko in particular.  And here's another interesting thing.  They don't grow the vines the way they do in the rest of Europe or the States.  We'd be driving along and see like a low clump of vines separated from one another. They train the vines into a low basket shape and then get the grapes to grow within the basket.  Doing this protects them from the wind (quite windy there) and allows the grapes to capture and hold onto the dew (really arid there).  Works like a charm.  And you thought you never learned anything useful reading this blog.

In the background behind the Greek Orthodox church is a vineyard with the grapevines growing in the basket shape.

In Santorini we visited Akrotiri which is an archeological site.  It was an outpost of the Minoan culture and was covered by ashes from a volcanic eruption 3,600 years ago -- long before Pompeii. The Minoans were very successful traders, matriarchal and peaceful (that's what matriarchy does for you).  Their peak period was about 2,000 BC and when you see the sophistication of the ruins it is quite something.  On this trip we walked through time.  First the Minoans, then the Myceneans, then Ancient and Classical Greece and finally the Romans.  You might want to google the Minoans.  They were pretty impressive.

A scale model of the excavated Minoan settlement from the fifth millennium B.C.

The whole excavation was covered to protect it. We were very grateful since the temperature was close to 100 degrees outside.

Some of the pottery that was excavated.

The settlement was well preserved because it was covered in volcanic ash (just like Pompei) when a volcanic eruption occurred in the 16th century B.C.

We did all the normal Santorini things.  Sunset over the Caldera eating terrific food and celebrating son #1's (Justin's) birthday.  Inching our way over pebbly black beaches (think volcanic) that heat to an egg boiling degree.... etc.  And then it was off to Mykonos.

The plaza in front of the church in Oia.

Bell towers were an important part of many of the churches.

And they took many different forms.

Looking back over the town of Oia with the steep cliffs on the right in the background.

This individual dressed in his Greek outfit was soliciting business for a restaurant.  We don't think he was REALLY happy.

Deirdre & Justin resting in Fira.

A cable car brought tourists from the cruise ships up to the town of Fira.

A view of the town of Fira with the classic Greek island architecture and colors.

Alex upon his return from hiking to the point in the background. He was far more ambitious than the rest of us.

We took the ferry to Mykonos. Now THAT is a sideshow.  These ferries are really big and you have a zillion people crowding on with their luggage, children, snowmobiles, whatever.  You just stow your luggage on the deck and leave it there and hope it is there when you return.  Which it was. Which was good.

Mykonos was very different from Santorini.  Not so mountainous, white sand beaches, and way too many cruise ships.  We timed our forays into town to minimize cruise ship encounters (phobia #3) and were largely successful.  Here we went to Delos (thrived from about 1000BC through Roman times).  It started out as the religious center of Greece but also became a valuable trading center over the centuries.  We went on a tour that was WAY too long.  And there is always that guy.  We have been to sites all over Europe, Asia and Central America and there is one common thread.  There is always the guy (and it's always a GUY) who asks the tour guide, "So, what were their toilets like? Did they really have slaves sit on them to warm them up in the winter?" The guy on this tour had an inexhaustible number of follow up questions.  I am not kidding. Freud would have a field day.  We survived the tour and returned to the mainland in time to go to dinner and celebrate son #2's (Alex's) birthday. Much fun.

A windsurfer on Mikonos sailing past the rocks.

One of the many cruise ships to dock in Mikonos during our stay.

Ruins on Delos, an island off Mikonos. This is one of the most important mythological, historical and archeological sites in Greece.

Delos was inhabited from the third millennium B.C. and was a holy sanctuary.

It was amazing that the color on these walls was still visible after all this time.

Some of the mosaic floors were also well preserved.

This lion, one of many, shows obvious signs of wear from the elements....

as does this sculpture as well. WHAT were they thinking? Enough said.

It is astounding that these sculptures have survived the elements for all these years.

All that remains here is the entrance to this temple.

This area of Mikonos is known as the Venice of Mikonos, as the buildings are right on the water.

No picture of Mikonos would be complete without its famous windmills.

A Mikonos sunset as the sailboat passes.

This monastery church on Mikonos was quite ornate.

Complete with ikons...

a very ornate chair...

and the painted figure of Christ on the ceiling of the cupola.

Cats were a common theme throughout all of Greece. This cat went from relaxed...

to up the tree in a split second.

Typical Mikonos hand made ware for the tourist trade.

And another Greek Orthodox church with bell towers.

Onward to Athens

Another ferry where nobody stole our luggage.  We were on a roll.  We expected to see flotillas of refugees bobbing about to all sides of the ferry but in our entire time in Greece we never saw ONE refugee.  Our ferry went into Rafina and it appears that all the refugees were going into Pireaus.  As if the Greeks don't have problems enough, the refugee thing is just insane.  Greece is supposed to record (i.e document and finger print) all refugees entering since they are the first EU country they hit.  So far, hundreds of thousands have fled and most have come through Greece.  It appears that the Greeks have SIX men in charge at Piraeus.  They have managed to finger print about 5,000 refugees and those were paper prints -- not electronic.  The Greeks, in an unusual display of efficiency however, have managed to move the refugees straight through on ferries and buses up to the frontiers.  When those fences finally get finished all those folks may well be pushed back into Greece.  Won't be pretty.

Well, let's just go right into the whole economic thing while we are at it.  At first, particularly in the islands, you would have no idea how bad off this country is.  When you hit the mainland you begin to see it.  In Athens we did all the tourist things and you didn't see any direct economic impact.  There were some Roma working the crowd but that is usual in Europe.  People we met however said that in the rougher parts of Athens homelessness is growing and hunger is not uncommon.  When we got to the "country" you began to see many, many empty storefronts and many men of working age sitting sipping coffee or just talking. Entire sea side towns seemed to be empty in the areas where middle class Greeks would typically have been.  More on the elections and politics when we hit Marathon and recount our chats with the guy who rented us our house.

Athens is probably a 2 or 3 day city but we only had one and a half so we only hit the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum-- both of which were fantastic.  Then it was time to drop Justin and Alex at the airport for their return to the U.S. and for us to pick up the rental car for Phase II of the vacation.  Stay tuned.

The theater at the Acropolis.

The Temple of Hephaestus as seen from the top of the Acropolis. This was built before the Parthenon.

One of the Caryatids on the Acropolis.

A better view of the porch of the Caryatids, with its six beautiful maidens.

A figure of a horse and a human on the Parthenon --- still very well preserved after all these years.

The Parthenon (or what remains).

As luck would have it, our cab dropped us off in time to see the changing of the Greek guard.

The symmetry and height of the leg lift with each step was quite something.

A street display of some Greek pastry delights.

A mosaic of the Virgin and Christ child in one of the churches in Athens.

The ancient church which contained the mosaic.

Who Knows Where the Time Goes....

On The Road Again...

I promise I'll stop with the song titles.  Really.  It seems like we just got back from the last trip and we're organizing for the next.  Trust me, I'm not complaining, but it does seem that time is slip, sliding away (stop it Deirdre!).  Summer in Ajijic is a rather magical time.  It is extremely dramatic in that our always vibrant landscape kaleidoscopes into colors  normally seen only by people who have recently ingested serious mind altering drugs.  The mountains are shouting green and after the rains the streets run with water flowing down from the waterfalls and arroyos.  Everything is blooming and there are very few flowering plants here that boast pastel hues.  Magenta, fiery red, solar eruption orange, flamingo pink -- those are the colors we go for.  Slather them up against houses painted bright yellow with red trim or lime green with navy trim and you've got some serious color bombardment going on.  Summer also sees the onslaught of the Guad Squad and the Texans -- both fleeing their respective heat and congestion.  This is a societally combustible mixture.  Texans in Range Rovers battling Guads in ATVs (often driven by 10 year olds) each jockeying for position on roads the size of small suburban driveways make for an interesting trip to the Village.  Most Canadians have gone home so there are few calm people to act as an antidote.  We hope for the best.

Colorful outdoor art work appears on many houses.

The next several photos show the profusion of colors on the walls & from the flowers.

Marketing A La Mexico

Then there have been the Chicken Wars.  The main street going through our Village, the careterra, runs about five blocks through the heart of the town.  I have now counted at least five Roasted Chicken outlets.  First they were only Mom and Pops but recently the chain Pollo Feliz (why a chicken would be happy about being roasted escapes me) hit the bricks.  And the marketing wars began.  El Pechugon (The big breast-- another snappy name) first had the man in the inflatable chicken suit jumping up and down and beckoning folks.  Then Pollo Feliz got it's own giant inflatable chicken man.  Then they added humongous speakers blaring music at unbelievable decibels punctuated by a hysterical salesman yelling out specials.  Pollo Feliz upped the ante with balloons-- followed quickly by El Pechugon.  One memorable Sunday (always our peak day for lunacy) I witnessed the spectacular fight of the inflatable chickens in the middle of the road. There was little carnage due to their massive inflatability.  Meanwhile, the Moms and Pops-- with fewer marketing assets-- continue to reduce their prices while offering more and more vast portions.

The photos of the Chicken Wars will have to wait for a future blog. The Chickens were not cooperating when I went to take pictures.

The competition among taco vendors on the same strip of road is equally intense although we have yet to see an inflatable taco man.  However, I loved the approach I saw last week.  There was a very spiffy stand with a sign that featured a green crocodile and the name Tacoste.  Think.  It took me a minute too.  Yes....Lacoste.  For the upwardly mobile, discerning taco eating market. There is a statement about Mexico in all of this but I cannot determine what it is.  But it is entertaining.

La Fiesta del Membrillo

There is no event, person, or object too obscure that it does not require a fiesta.  Case in point -- the membrillo.  What, one asks, is a membrillo?  A quince.  What, one asks, is a quince?  It is a fruit.  It is kind of like a southern climate apple.  Or apple/pear combo.  When we were in Morocco we had a delicious dish featuring quince and I have been in hot pursuit ever since.  But the season is short so when I heard there was a quince festival we were on our way.  This is a three day event and there are two towns that each have their own versions.  We picked the more obscure village (of course we did) and were amply rewarded.  How obscure was the village?  As we walked to the plaza someone threw open their window and yelled in English, "Welcome to Mexico".  We were the only gringos in a crowd of a thousand or more.  Everybody was so nice and so excited that gringos came to their quince festival.  It is rather astounding what can be made out of quince.  Everything from liquor (Ponche), to pies, to salsa, to.....well, take a look at the photos.  There was dancing, singing, street food, stray dogs, the village drunk -- everything that makes this place so fun.  Next year we're bringing more gringos with us.

The house from which the greeting "Welcome to Mexico" issued forth.

While walking by the booths, an amazing voice caught our attention. We were even more surprised when we saw this very young chanteuse with the amazing voice. 

She also had an outstanding stage presence as these next few photos will demonstrate.

But the singing could only distract us for so long. We had to see and sample everything membrillos.

From membrillos just picked from the tree, to membillos baked into everything imaginable...

membrillos truffles and flan....

membrillo cakes and pies...

membrillo ponche, cubes and paste.

Every booth had an amazing display of all things membrillo.

Here the woman demonstrates what is known as "the kiss of the membrillo", which is the sweetest spot on the membrillo.

Good food is always a part of any fiesta. Here a woman is frying up freshly made potato chips.

This Membrillo sculpture is proudly displayed in the plaza.

In addition to the singing captured earlier, there was traditional dancing as well.

This is the first time we saw the males dancing with machetes...

and just hoped they were either very careful or the machetes were not very sharp as they flung them about.

The young girl's dancer's costumes were very colorful...

while the boys were more somberly dressed, with the exception of their red ties.

What the young girls are able to do when they twirl and dance is astounding as can be seen from this next series of photos.

Every town plaza has a band stand in the middle.

A picture of the Queen of the Membrillo Fiesta was also posted in the plaza.

Even the very young (although looking quite grown up) participated in the Fiesta activities, as can be seen in this series.

Another imaginative membrillos sculpture in the plaza.

It Takes A Village (Almost a cliche but at least not a song title)

We went to see the most amazing production a couple of weeks ago.  It was called "La Leyenda de la Reina Xoxhitl-Michi-Cihualli" and, once you've gotten your head around the title, I'll tell you what it's about.  No I won't.  Because the plot isn't what was so neat.  It was the production itself.  One of our local artists Antonio Lopez Vega thought it would be interesting to stage a play based on a legend that he had been told by his grandmother.  So, in connection with the Lakeside Little Theatre and the Lake Chapala Society he mustered a group of gringo and local Mexican adults to help the local kids pull it off.  For several months the volunteers and children worked to create the props and instruments and to learn the songs and dances (very tough stuff by the way) to be able to mount the performance. Hopefully Michael's photos (it was dark and no flash) will give you some idea of how impressive this was.  And for our local pals, the kids will be doing an encore performance at the Little Theatre on October  8th. You should check it out.

Oh, OK.  I'll tell you what it was about.  Well, here are the words of Antonio Lopez Vega: "This is our sacred story, our origin story.  It is the story of who we are.  We have told this story with ancient dances and instruments because we are all that came before us and we are all a part of what will come after us.  What are the stories that you must share?  This was my abuela's (grandmother's) story that she entrusted me to tell and it is the story of our lake, of our lives and the story of our village.  Now, it is your story too."  Nice.

The ceremony begins....

by pointing to the four ordinal points ...

and blowing on the conch shell at each point.

All of the instruments for the performance were hand made, including this intricately carved drum.

The children participated in making the props and costumes.

This was definitely one of the more interesting costumes...

along with this one.

Afterwards the performers posed for pictures in much better light, since flash could not be used during the performance.

This series of photos shows the intricate nature of the costumes and body paint.

I Can See What's Coming -- Oh, no I can't

Those of you who have followed our travels know that things rarely go smoothly.  Floods and horrific gastrointestinal challenges in the desert, more venomous/vicious/weird animals than you can shake a stick at, being lost in cartel country for 36 hours without a clue where we were.  What do you think? Miscalculation? Fate? Karmic payback? Quien sabe.  About a year ago we started planning a trip to Greece.  We were thinking Turkey but, now HERE we displayed SOME good judgement, things seemed to be heating up there so we bagged it and went for good, old (yet poor) Greece.  In the intervening months things have become more interesting, of course.  Strikes, bailouts, closing the banks, regime change, thousands if not millions of asylum seekers -- in short, all the things a Searles vacation is made of.  Stay tuned.  We'll be traveling with our sons, some of Michael's siblings and about 10,000 Syrian and North African illegal immigrants through this storied, ancient land.  With only our wits and a tragically flawed GPS to guide us we will sally forth.  So, have a beautiful end to summer and we will tell all upon our return.  And, please, let us know what you are up to.