Sunday Morning (In the Middle of the Sea)
So funny story, I don’t know how to swim. It’s not that I am afraid of the water, it’s just that I never learned how to. Anyways, that morning I found myself on a ferry to Hydra, one of the many islands of Greece. I got on the ferry and we were off. The minute the ferry moved, I felt nauseous and I couldn’t enjoy the beautiful view. I ended up sleeping for most of it. So much for admiring the beautiful sea.
Exploring Hydra
When we arrived to Hydra, I was in awe. It was absolutely breathtaking. Our “tour guide” cautioned us there was no hospital on the island and that we should be careful. After, my friends and I broke away from the group to wander through the alleys and streets. There were beautiful pops of colors everywhere and for the first time I truly felt like a tourist. The city of Athens has a different vibe compared to Hydra and I felt that I was on two different worlds.
It felt like this the Greece I initially envisioned.
Oh, and the island is filled with tourists. Is seems to amuse the locals who find it fun that we are in such awe and to them, it’s all normal. It is easy to spot the tourists and the locals in Hydra.There were also many shops scattered around the island. We wanted to get lost but it’s very hard to that on a small island. We took a few pictures and had some food afterwards, which confirmed that I really don’t enjoy Greek food at all.
(Fun Fact: there are no cars on the island and only form of transportation is donkey? So there were so many donkeys as well as cats. Outside every restaurant was a cat laying in the sun.)
Afterwards, we wandered into a few gift shops and ended up picking up a few souvenirs. There, the evil eye is found on every corner of the island and it seemed appropriate to pick one up. I lost track of time and before I knew it, we had to go back home. I didn’t want to go back to the mainland and fell in love with the island. Plus, I had to go through the whole sea sickness thing again. The ride back was was awful and ferry rides are NOT for me. I have never been so happy to be on land before.
Feeling Accomplished
When I got home, I got ready for bed because after all, I came here to study and I had school the next morning. I fell asleep feeling accomplished because I never thought I would find myself doing something like this before. Regardless, here I am, studying abroad in the city of Athens and exploring the Greek Islands. There are so many differences between the city and the islands. I still can’t believe I got on a ferry, explored an island, and made it back in one piece without ending up in the water and potentially drowning.