Copyright © 1998 David C. Hay
VIII. Athens, London, and Home
Time for my flight from Athens was approaching, and I did want to see that city. So, after four days, it was time to leave Istanbul. It happened that you could buy a student train ticket for about $7.00. For a trip of nearly a thousand miles, that seemed like a bargain.
Boy did I get what I paid for!
This was not first class. This was steerage in a very crowded train. Finding a place to sit, let alone lie down, was a real challenge.
And it took forever! This was two nights and three days. On one
train. That is, you had the first afternoon on the train. With no place
to sit or lie down. Then you had the night. A long night! Four hours of
which were spent motionless at the Turkish/Greek border. With no place
to sit or lie down.
Then you had a very long day. With no place to sit or lie down. And, lo, another night! This was as much fun as the first night. Only it seemed even longer! With no place to sit or lie down. That is a very long time to spend on a crowded train when you can't stretch out.
At one point I did manage to score some horizontal space in a luggage rack, and I borrowed Jurgen's sleeping bag to lie down on. I felt lucky! Then I thought about it. If I thought I was lucky because I got to lie down in a luggage rack — I had been travelling way too long!
Istanbul to Athens
Map copyright © National Geographic Society
Eventually, after what seemed like weeks, we did get to Athens. The most distinctive characteristic of that city is its whiteness. Everything is painted brilliant white. Oh, it has its dumpy buildings (one of which was my hotel), but this isn't apparent to the casual observer.
It was wonderful to wander around the Parthenon. Since then I understand much of it has been fenced off, but at that time I was able to go anywhere I wanted around the ancient structures. I communed with the ancient Greeks in the main temple and some smaller ones. There was also an amphitheater, and — most significantly — an incredible view of the city.
The Parthenon
This city, which once I would have considered incredibly exotic, was even
more familiar and Americanized than Istanbul. At one point I was in the
American Express office, wondering if perhaps someone had written to me.
(No one had.) The large mail room was crowded with young Americans.
(It was strange to see that many Americans again), and I was
absent-mindedly looking around it. Then I heard, at the top of his lungs
from across the room: "OH, FUCK!"
I was home again.
London and Home
After this trip, flying to London was like flying home. I have always felt very comfortable in that city, and never more than this time. I have friends there I hung out with, and enjoyed more than one pub beer.
The Whole Trip
Map copyright © National Geographic Society
After traveling for two months, however, the real culture shock happened when I returned to New York. A friend of mine thought it was time to take a vacation, so he met me at the airport, and spirited me off directly to Lake George in upstate New York. We had planned two days of camping and relaxing in the woods. After my two months on the road, I was looking forward to it.
Now, understand that for two months, all my worldly possessions had been contained in a modest sized canvas suitcase and a Pan Am travel bag. I had a polyester sport coat and a pair of slacks that got me into dress situations, and a pair of jeans and four sport shirts for everything else. Moreover, none of the lands I traveled through was particularly wealthy.
So, when I got back to America, I didn't think about what "roughing it"
might mean. I was not prepared for what I saw when my friend took me to
the car: It was full! Not only the trunk, but the back seat was also
bursting with camping equipment and groceries. It took two canoe trips
each in two canoes to cart all the stuff from the parking lot to the
island where we were camping. This was obscene.
"Roughing it" back in the States
But the worst part was the fact that we weren't even the worst offenders! As I wandered around the island, I found "campers" in tents bigger than my apartment in New York. And several even had generators, so they wouldn't have to be deprived of their favorite television sitcoms.
This was more bizarre than anything I saw on my trip.