It was April 1995. Our Easter trip to Greece had finally arrived. It was my senior year. The long, long wait was over. It was time to fly to Greece with my high school peers. At least five seniors including myself were amongst the group. We were accompanied by a swarm of sophomores and juniors. A small brave group of freshmen managed to join the adventure. Five teachers came along with us a chaperones, including the leader of the pack. I couldn’t stop thinking about this trip. Since November of that school year, the anticipation was growing. The day finally arrived. It was time to work our elbow “Greece”.
It was a cloudy Wednesday morning. My dad dropped me off at school. I had my suitcase in hand. That morning, I was approached by a bunch of my peers. They saw me walking in through the gym lobby. When they saw me dragging my suitcase, one of them asked “Kriso, what’s up? Running away from home?”. I turned around and just said, “I heard you were coming with us too, but you were flying on FedEx.” I knew how to take jokes from my peers, but I knew how to humor them back. All day long, none of the guys in the group would stop talking about this trip. Nobody! The Italy trip was leaving the same day. They were clamoring about what great pizza Italy has, while we were talking about the Aegean Sea cruise we were going on in addition to tripping over ruins. At an all boys high school, there’s always that back and forth talk going on. There was never a day no one bragged about big occasions.
When the half day was over, we all went home to get ready for the trip. When we all returned back to the school, the bus was right there in the lot. We took one of our school’s buses to Kennedy Airport. We packed our luggage in the back of the bus. Gosh, it looked like an episode of “The Partridge Family”. When we arrived at JFK, we unloaded our bags and headed inside. We arrived at the airport a good three hours prior to our flight. We checked in our bags at no other airline than Olympic Airways. Let me tell you, it was really nice airline. One of my teachers and I hung out for over an hour, checking out all of the duty-free stores in the terminal. I do remember buying a toy commercial airliner in one of the stores. I played with it all trip long. At the gate, we were playing cards, listening to our CD players, and catching up on our reading. Finally, it was boarding time!
When the boarding started, we were getting a little restless. When our rows were finally called, a whole bunch of the guys went crazy. What can you expect from an all boys high school! When we got on board the plane, we made ourselves at home. For a nine hour flight, we did what we could to make it happen. If I could recall, we used every last blanket available on the plane. At departure time, everyone was asleep. We left the gate at five minutes of eleven. Fifteen minutes later, we were on the runway. Once airborne, I was out for the count. Two hours later, it was time to eat. I didn’t care for the pasta, but I ate the chocolate cake and chased it down with some coffee. Once dinner was over, the movie came on. They showed the film, “Junior”, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito. I don’t remember much of the film at all. So far, the flight was a piece of cake.
Unbelievably, morning came. We were flying over the Swiss Alps. The sky was clear, and I could see every patch of snow on the mountain tops. It was so beautiful, you just have to imagine it. I still have the slides. Four more hours to go, and landing time! During the flight, we were allowed to visit the flight deck. I have never been to the flight deck while in flight. It was really neat. In those days prior to the events of 9/11, it was allowed. The flight was a lot of fun. The four remaining hours of flying time went by really fast. Like we thought the moment would never come, we started our decent into the Athens area. As we made our approach into Athens-Hellinikon Airport, I couldn’t believe how crystal blue the ocean was. It was the Mediterranean Sea we were flying over. I couldn’t get over how far we had flown in just one night. You know what they say, “Time flies while having fun.”.
Touchdown! We landed in Athens, Greece. I had landed in another foreign country. The year before, I traveled through six countries on a motor coach. This time, we were in the middle of one of the most gorgeous countries in Europe. Once off the plane, we boarded shuttle buses to the luggage claim and customs area. Once out of customs, we were greeted by our tour leader. We weren’t headed to our hotel just yet. We had to wait for our traveling companions to arrive. We had to wait for a girls high school group to arrive from Boston. Even with them on our bus, we still slept. We sat in traffic for over two hours. The traffic in the inner-city area was unreal. It seemed that everyone in the whole country drove to and from work. The blanket of smog covering the city was unimaginable. In some areas, it looked very light, and in other areas it was a shade of grayish black. Culture shock indeed!
Our hotel in Athens was very nice. The view from the top floor was one to behold. The Parthenon was right there, about three hundred yards away. It was a beautiful afternoon. We could still get a little whiff of the smog, but we got used to it in no time. We didn’t unpack completely. The next day, we were boarding our Aegean Sea cruise. I couldn’t wait for that! An hour later, we went downstairs for dinner. While at dinner, our tour leader handed out our stateroom assignments. A few hours later, we boarded our tour bus to attend the light and sound show at the Acropolis. That was awesome!! On the cliff across from the Acropolis, we were given lawn chairs to sit on. Boy, did I need that! I was falling asleep all over again. I stayed awake as much as I could, but I managed to stay up a good ninety percent of the way. What an incredible show it was. The recorded narration, along with the colored lighting effects, made it all look surreal. By the show’s end, it was time to head back to the hotel and rest up for cruising time.
The following morning, it was time to head for the port of Piraeus, the busiest port in Greece. While en route to the port, we were given a background on Greek terminology. We were taught how to say, “Hello!”, “Thank you!”, “Good morning!”, and “Good night!”. Other expressions followed during our half hour bus ride. The trip was very educational. I was truthfully taking it all in. A short time later, we arrived at the port of Piraeus. We sailed on Epirotiki Cruise Line. Our ship was the Triton. The ship was not the size of cruisers we all know of today, but it was really nice. The cabins were very comfortable, the public areas on board were modern looking, and the onboard staff was very welcoming. After getting settled in our cabins, it was time to put on our life jackets and head upstairs for the life boat drill. I completely forgot what cabin I was in. Was it V-11A, or VO-11A? It took a member of the muster drill team to jog my memory. Bingo, my cabin number came to mind! Phew! An hour later, it was cast off time. Greek Isles, here we come!
Sailing on the Aegean Sea was absolutely unforgettable. The water was crystal blue. At the time, my family and I had a vacation place on St. Croix. I remember seeing the ocean right in the background outside our door. I had never seen ocean water so blue. The sun was shining right down on us while we were at sea. The water had a shimmering look to it. You can never find a more incredible view than that. Back inside the ship, we sat down for lunch in the main dining room. The food was excellent. I don’t remember what I ordered, but it was truly fabulous. Later on, the teachers were trying their luck in the casino. I couldn’t go in there. I was one month away from turning eighteen. DARN! Our leading teacher was already racking up his winnings, or so I heard. I hung out with a bunch of my peers in one of the public lounges. Since we were not going to be drinking any alcohol onboard, we took a vote on who was going to pay the cabin bill. It worked out without a hitch.
Late in the afternoon, we arrived at our first port-of-call, Mykonos. Of all the ports of call, Mykonos was my favorite. The tenders were little wooden boats with outboard motors. On land, one of our teachers rented a 4x4 jeep. Many of the roads were dirt, and really rough. Many of the guys rented mopeds. I couldn’t imagine how cheap the price was. As it grew darker and darker, we drove to one end of the island nearest to where our ship was anchored. The ships were all lit up. It was so beautiful, they looked like a trio of necklaces twinkling in the dark. There, from the cliff, we watched the sun set on one side of the island and the moon rising on the other. To this day, I share that same moment with my former teachers, college professors, and anyone I have coffee with. That moment is well-chiseled in my memory. It’s just plain fun talking about it. A short time later, it was time to head back on board the Triton. Before midnight, the anchor was lifted and we were off to our next port-of-call, Rhodes.
The next morning, we arrived in Rhodes. It was absolutely gorgeous out. We all had to pry ourselves out of bed after a long night of dancing in the ship’s lounge. We boarded our tour bus on the pier and we were off to see the sights. Our first stop was the Castle of the Crusaders. What an incredible place it was! I don’t remember much of it, but I do remember the image of Medusa painted in the floor in one of the castle’s wings. We walked around the hallways of the castle and we were just impressed by how the place had stood the test of time. It looked like the forces of nature never imposed a speck of wear or tear on it. Back onboard the bus, we headed to another end of the island to visit the town of Lindos. Together we walked to up to a watch castle on top of a hill. Whoa! What a climb! We had to climb steep stairwells, a steep foot trail, and then on cobble stone steps to get there. I sure got my exercise! The view from the castle was absolutely majestic. You could see the whole Aegean Sea from atop the castle. I can imagine the experience of the lookouts back in those days. About those steep steps we had to climb to get to the top....it was challenging going up, but it was sure fun going down. As we were heading down the hill, we noticed a beach at the foot of the hill. When we got to the bottom, we thought it would be best to walk off the muscle aches a bit. Little did we know that the beach we were walking on turned out to be a nude beach. One of our teachers said to us, “Guys, turn off the cameras before we go any further.” Culture shock hit us once again. There were young adults walking around, young kids walking around, and older people were there. What was so shocking that it was April, and they were already at the beach. In New Jersey, we don’t go to the beach until June. Oh well, the Europeans love the beach anytime. We then visited a pottery factory. Pottery is a huge commodity in Greece, and a huge part of their culture. I bought a small vase with fancy designs on it. It sits inside the china cabinet in my dining room. To this day, I take extra care of it. Great memories do last forever.
Back aboard the Triton, we sat down to have tea on deck. We all took an hour or so to catch some fresh air near the pool. Before we knew it, we were off again. Our next port-of-call was Kusadasi, Turkey. It was a fun night on board. I was so tired from all the sight seeing and walking, I hit the hay early. My roommates didn’t come back until three o’clock in the morning. Early the next morning, we arrived in Kusadasi. We received our wake up call. We dragged ourselves out of bed, washed up, got dressed, and we all met near the gangway. We all looked like zombies. We boarded our tour bus and we headed for our destination, Ephesus, the birthplace of the Virgin Mary. We walked past a huge field of ruins, many of them symbolic. Our tour guide showed us around, and explained to us some of the hidden patterns imprinted in the stepping stones. Later on, we paid our respects to the home of the Virgin Mary. It was decorated with statues, with candles all around. We all entered and left quietly. It was quite the place to be. Once again, we boarded our bus and headed back to the port area. There, we visited a rug manufacturer, and he treated us to hot cider. He showed us an array of rugs of countless styles and designs. They were all too expensive for any of us to buy, or to take home as luggage. We were very appreciative of the demonstration, and we tipped him well for his presentation.
We boarded the Triton once again, and we went upstairs for tea. With everyone aboard, we were off again, en route to our final port-of-call, Patmos. The ride to Patmos took four hours. That afternoon, while everyone was minding their business, I went upstairs to take some pictures. Boy was it cold and windy at sea! My hands nearly stuck to the ship’s railings. When I went back to my cabin, my hands were shaking. After putting my camera away, I went upstairs to the lounge with the gang for tea. I needed ten cups to knock out the chills. A short time later, the announcement was made that we were tying up at the island of Patmos. We went back to our cabins and got our cameras and stuff together. Our tour bus was waiting outside the ship. We visited a historic Greek orthodox church and monastery up on the hill. It was so peaceful. From the edge of the hill, we could see our ship. It was so quiet, I wish northern New Jersey was the same. Our tour guide took us around the church and showed us many priceless artifacts. Some of the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling dated back hundreds of years. Some of the statues dated back even further. Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the ship. Our cruise was nearing its end. When we arrived back at the pier, it started to rain. Not just rain, it was a torrential downpour. Boy, did it come down! We left Patmos while we were at dinner. The torrential downpour had developed into a thunderstorm. The waves got a bit choppy. Our dining room chairs had casters on them. Every time the ship rolled to either side, we would be rolling away from the table. Later on, we were dancing in the lounge upstairs. The rocking of the ship made it a bit challenging to keep our balance. All in all, we were having a blast. We were having a good time like no other, as if the cruise had another week left to it. Of all the cruises I’ve been on, it was definitely one to remember for a long time.
The following morning, we arrived back in Piraeus. It was a gloomy morning. We were all so physically spent from dancing the night before, none of us wanted to get up. When I got up, I kindly knocked on the rest of the guys’ cabin doors. Hey, when you’re a senior, you have “seniority” over the rest. I even knocked on the teachers’ cabin doors. They too had a blast the night before. We ate breakfast together in the dining room before disembarking. As we were leaving the vessel, we were all singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”. When we boarded our tour bus to head back to the hotel, we all fell asleep again. When we arrived back at the hotel, we were given a few hours to unwind and rest up. Late in the day, we boarded our tour bus to visit the ruins at Sunion. It looked like the Lincoln Memorial without a roof. The view was absolutely incredible. The Mediterranean Sea was less than three miles away. The world looked so peaceful from where we were standing. Throughout the remainder of the week, we visited the ruins at Delphi and Corinth. We even visited the Corinth Canal. We couldn’t believe how deep the canyon was, with the canal more than two hundred feet below us. One of the guys asked out loud, “Why didn’t they think of taking us bungy jumping?”. Good times, definitely!
One of the most fun activities during our trip was visiting those dinner and dance places known as tavernas. They were so much fun. We ate, sang along, danced, and every time the singers turned to us and said “Opa!”, we all responded loudly, “OPA!”. We visited two tavernas, and we were shouting “Opa!” all week long. As we all know, all good things have to come to an end. The final night we were all very sad that the trip was drawing to a close. I was graduating two months from then. I knew it would be a while before I would be flying overseas again. That evening, we packed our bags. The next day, we boarded our bus for the airport. During our two hour layover, we did some final duty-free shopping before boarding. Finally, the boarding had begun. We boarded the shuttle buses to go to our plane. As I walked up the stairs, I took one last look around before going inside the plane. A tear had dripped down my face as I began walking toward my seat. Half an hour later, we were airborne en route back to New York.
On our way home, I could not believe the atmosphere on board. There was another high school group flying home with us. They were from Long Island. They too were onboard the Triton with us. It seemed that the plane became “The Love Boat”. Everywhere I looked, the guys were chilling out with the girls from the Long Island group. I met this one girl from that same group, and gave her my phone number. We never spoke again after landing. Later on in college, I met her brother. Talk about it being a small world after all! He was in the class below me. It was a long flight home; nine hours and fifty minutes. It didn’t bother me at all. We already had a social club going on. Around 4pm, we began our decent into Kennedy Airport. We touched down a little past 4:30. Just as we touched down, a few of the guys shouted “Opa!”. Everyone else in our group followed suit. For the remainder of the school year, “Opa!” became the official quote at school. It was an ugly and foggy afternoon in New York. We came off the plane, and I then said, “Can we turn around and go back?”. In the luggage claim area, we were all plain tired from the flight. The luggage took forever to be unloaded. One of the guys commented saying, “Who’s unloading the bags? The one-armed guy from “The Fugitive”?”. Culture shock, INDEED! I plainly responded, “Hey, there’s no place like home.”.
No comments:
Post a Comment