19th to 26th of March, 2022.
My host Aleko looks so much like my Sociology High School teacher, Ricardo, that it freaks me out! On my first day, he shows me the house where I am staying. It is a nice place, very cosy. It is a bit dirty but because he is hosting a party here tonight, I will clean around so it can also remain clean for my use later.
I spend some hours cleaning. The fridge is a disaster! Vegetables got some extreme mold, as I have never seen! It looked like an alien! How can someone let stuff get that bad inside the fridge? I was shocked! I also help Aleko to prepare the place for the people coming.
By the time the party started, after a shower, I was planing to spend sometime around, socializing and get to know the guests, Aleko’s friends and this kind of things. But when I realize that they are all smoking inside the house, with no open windows at all (because it is freezing outside), only using the exhaust fan, I say nope! That’s it for me! I go to my room and watch a film instead.
There is one wooden heater in the living room but that is all. My room is not heated. I knew that before hand. Aleko had told me when I asked him. My first night it was particularly bad, because I could not leave the door open (of course) to get some heat. Even with the door closed I could smell the smoke. Yuck! But at least I could sleep easily.
Next morning the house is not so bad as I thought. I clean everything and tide up the place long before I have a sign of Aleko. Yesterday, together with some stuff for the party, he did some shopping for food. So I have plenty of food. And also some traditional Greek sweets, like Lokma, Tulumba and another one.
When I finally see him, I ask for some job to do, what should I do. He says because I cleaned, I can just relax for the day, go to the beach and enjoy. I am a bit reluctant but because he says that tomorrow we can work on a schedule, I let it go.
The view from here is amazing! I could barely believe when I first saw it. It is gorgeous! You can see the beach down there, the turquoise waters, some mountains… just beautiful!
I walk to the beach and it is also very nice down there. There is absolutely nobody there, which is also great. But it gives me that sad feeling about this seasoning places. There are plenty of houses on the beach, some fancy ones, some normal ones, and some really cute. But they are all empty. No one single soul. I think it is a waste! So what is the matter that it is cold now? A lot of people leave in the cold weather! Are this houses all for renting and business? I mean, come on! Why can’t people simply be happy and leave by the beach? Is that possible that everything had always to be about money?
For the next few days I only see Aleko when he comes to drop by some water. The one from the tap is yellow, so we get water from a fountain nearby. But my point is we barely talk! Which is totally fine by me apart from the fact that I came here to learn about Greek culture! And to make it worse, he keeps not giving me anything to do! Absolutely nothing! It makes me so angry because I don’t want to stay here and eat the food for free, you know?
Aleko tells me I should go to a nearby beach, walking distance, about 1 hour, which is super cool, and take some photographs because the weather is nice. And that is my “assignment”.
It is quite windy and when I get in there, Oh, Loki! I am almost carried by the wind. Insane! The place is amazing, for sure, but definitely more enjoyable if you can stand still. This beach is called Karydi and it has beautiful rocks, flat areas where you can walk and take some nice shots, and the sand is quite white. Water colors are amazing, between some dark turquoise and dark blue.
Coming back from the beach though, I have a hard time with a strayed dog. He was crazy! Trying to attack me and barking all the time, following me for a very long time. So annoying! I love dogs but this one really pissed me off!
My next “assignment” is going to another beach, this time a bit further, about 30 Km away, and also take some photographs.
I hitchhike over there and I am astonished! It is the most beautiful place I have ever been in all my travels! In my life! Seriously! The colors of the water, a very clear and light turquoise, the beach, with a smooth and white sand, the big rocks around which gives a nice contrast, the sky… everything is perfect! And again, there is absolutely nobody else here, just me! Perfection! The whole thing is so beautiful that I don’t even know from where to start taking photographs.
The name of the main beach around here is Kavourotrypes. And by the way this region is the famous Halkidiki, or as it is also know The Three Fingers. Anyway, you can go from left to right, and explore, discover all this tiny beaches, all beautiful and amazing. There is only one bad thing thought: the rubbish. Either brought from the ocean or from the inland people, there is quite a lot of rubbish in some places. Human beings always find a way to destroy paradise.
My lift back are four hard workers, on a pick-up, coming back home. And when I say hard workers is because they were all using uniforms which were dirty and they seemed very tired. They were all drinking some beer and eating some snacks. They were very friendly and we chat a bit for the short distance drive.
I also come by walking to a place called Alexandra Beach, nearer to Vourvourou but the only place at the left side. It is a pleasant walk, and there is also beautiful views and something like a canal, a small portion of sand where you can walk barefoot within a thin layer of water. Even before you reach Alexandra Beach, there are some gorgeous, fat, white rocks which you can climb and enjoy a nice view. The color of the water in this area is also amazing!
Aleko kept promising he would give me some work to do but he never did. When I tell him that I cannot actually relax and enjoy my free time because I am always thinking that it is unfair to not help him at all, he is very surprised. Mainly when I tell him I am feeling guilty with the whole situation. I think he could not understand someone who couldn’t simply take advantage of the situation and take a vacation instead of being an actual volunteer.
On my last day he said I could moan the loan. It is OK and I do it quite well, but still, I know I could have done that and a much better job if we had simply talked about that before. I truly believe he was OK with the whole thing, after all I stay only for one week, but for me it is just not right.
On my last night, I suggested to him that we could have dinner together, perhaps prepare some Greek food. During the week I prepared for myself some stuffed vegetables, which are a very traditional Greek dish in a kind of Greek way. But I didn’t have any olive oil or feta cheese, which made me very sad. The night he came over and notice I didn’t have olive oil, he asked me why I didn’t ask him for some. Well, the real reason was because I was not helping him around, really working on something, so I didn’t feel as I could ask for anything. But of course I didn’t tell him that. It was my last night and I wanted to avoid any awkward topics.
We prepare some Kookithokfetedes, or simply, courgettes patties. It turns out delicious even though without olive oil and feta cheese. We make also potato salad and cabbage salad. Everything is nice.
We say goodbye that night because we probably will not see each other again next morning. It is very weird to me how we almost didn’t talk at all this whole week. I barely get to know him and he also get to know almost nothing about me. Some things are just not supposed to be…
