Yesterday was a busy, busy day with sporadic internet access, so no chance to blog. Here is some catch-up while on the boat from Piraeus to Chania.
After getting ripped off by the taxi driver (quote from my cousin: "All Greek taxi drivers are crooks!") I arrived at the Fivos Hostel at around 10pm Athens time. My cousin Manolis has been warning me that there have been problems with cleanliness and theft at this place, so I'm on my guard. Lessons learned:
...but I'm not there yet, because:
...more steps! And there's no light, so I need to use my flashlight app to see where the keyhole is and open the door.
That's the view after opening the door. What you can't smell is the wall of stale cigarettes. This may be a none-smoking room -- but just since yesterday. No Wi-Fi here: the signal doesn't reach, so to update FB or send messages I have to go out to the hallway. I put in a request for a move, but there are no open private rooms tonight; tomorrow I must talk at the desk. They did switch me, and that room was *much* nicer: no cigarette smell, Wi-Fi reaches, heater works, room isn't freezing (the infamous room 47 was the same temp as outside: around 40 degrees F (4 C). So many things we take for granted!
After getting ripped off by the taxi driver (quote from my cousin: "All Greek taxi drivers are crooks!") I arrived at the Fivos Hostel at around 10pm Athens time. My cousin Manolis has been warning me that there have been problems with cleanliness and theft at this place, so I'm on my guard. Lessons learned:
- Don't take the taxi (at least not in Greece, if you can help it)
- Get a suitcase with rollers
- Pay a few more euros and stay at the "Jason Hotel" or "A for Athens Hotel" (I remember having a nice stay there last time I was in Athens)
...but I'm not there yet, because:
...more steps! And there's no light, so I need to use my flashlight app to see where the keyhole is and open the door.
That's the view after opening the door. What you can't smell is the wall of stale cigarettes. This may be a none-smoking room -- but just since yesterday. No Wi-Fi here: the signal doesn't reach, so to update FB or send messages I have to go out to the hallway. I put in a request for a move, but there are no open private rooms tonight; tomorrow I must talk at the desk. They did switch me, and that room was *much* nicer: no cigarette smell, Wi-Fi reaches, heater works, room isn't freezing (the infamous room 47 was the same temp as outside: around 40 degrees F (4 C). So many things we take for granted!
Home Sweet Home!
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