Friday – May 29, 2009
Note: 1 Euro = $1.40 US.
I arrive Syros at 2:30am. There is no place to sleep at the port, so I hike into town a few streets and find an out of the way corner and attempt to sleep.
Doesn’t go so well. After almost falling asleep, I start getting Mosquito Bit. After 4 bites, I am out of there! I hike back to the port and find that there is no one in sight. So I get into the waiting area and make myself comfortable. I manage to crash out for a 1/2 hour here and an hour there. At 7:30 am I am woke up by workers pressure spraying the waiting area floor. So I’m booted out again……
I move my bags to another part of the port and slowly wake up.
At 8am, a coffee place across the street opens up and I get a big coffee and a big Donut for (E3.50). I sit outside and eat and read for 4 hours until the Ferry arrives at 11:00 for Tinos! I finish reading “Rag Doll” by Simon Cooper (Copy Right 1968 – 317 pages 3 stars out of 5).
The Ferry leaves Syros at 11:35 and we arrive in Tinos at a little after noon. I hike into town and check out a hotel (They want E45 a night! Hah!) I walk another 50 yards and find “Rooms for Rent Yiannis” and get a great room for (E15.00) per night. (Shared Bath and shower, but a nice big airy room with 2 beds and a sink). I pay for 2 nights and toss my bags.
Then out to check out the town, book my Ferry ticket to Athens and see about a day trip to Delos Island. First thing I do is buy a Ferry ticket to Athens for 3pm on the 31st (Sunday). (E28.00) Arrives Athens at 7:30pm. At the Ticket office I asked about a day cruise to Delos, but the guy said that the day trips were permanently canceled. Crap. I also checked into a Moped, it will be E15.00 for a day. IF they take my US license! If not tomorrow will be a walking day.
I hike out of town and up into the Golden Brown Hillside. No Mountains on Tinos, just big hills with dried grasses mostly. Some of the gullies have water and there are some palm, Pine, Plane and maybe other types of trees.
I hike to the Big Church here in Tinos. Apparently Pilgrims come from all over the world to this church. The port Capital is called Tinos also. They have installed a 1/2 mile long 1 yard wide carpet path up the big hill to the church….. Pilgrims crawl on their hands and knees with a HUGH (Some are 5 feet tall) candle, up the hill to the church. The church is called “Church of the Annunciation or Church of Panagia Evangelistria) There are dozens of Pilgrim shops selling candles, holy water and all kinds of other religious crap. Weird.
For lunch I get a HUGE Chefs Salad and a Coke for (E6.00). I eat under a nice shady tree right on the water edge. I can only eat 1/2, and I put the other 1/2 in the fridge here at the Yiannis.
Next I walk 3 buildings over and get an iced Frappe Coffee. (E2.00) at an little Café that has free WiFi. I spend 1 1/2 hours interneting and enjoying my yummy coffee! Then back to Yiannis to nap, read and write.
For dinner I go back down to Main street and the port. I get a Chicken Pita and Coke for (E 6.2). I sit and watch the sun set and the hustle/bustle of Tinos. After dinner I go back to the Internet Café and internet until 11pm.
Back to Yiannis, read and crash out at Midnight.
Spyder