2nd of April, 2022.
Dear Loki, help me! Hitchhiking in Greece is a nightmare already, but outside Athens can be even worse! I stand there for many hours, and I am going to Thessanoliki, not to a very remote, unknown direction. Perhaps I should have heard the traffic police guy and the police officers who told me I should go down the road, where the cars park, and not stay near the gates. I just thought that down there the numbers of car which could see me would be much less, plus I would be too far away… (?).
Anyway, all the hours waiting and for what? For a fucking pervert old man to pick me up and a few kilometres later, tell me he didn’t have money with him now, but he could withdraw some in Thessaloniki and give to me, you know, for sex. Writing now it sounds funny, even absurd! How on Earth somebody could conceive that something so disgusting could simply happen, you know, just like that? When we were putting my backpack on the car, by the way he was looking at me, I had the feeling that he had second intentions, but because he was so old and with white hair, I though that perhaps I was mistaken and he was just curious. Pfff, yeah! Men can not be trusted at any age! Don’t you be fooled also by their white hairs!
The worst part is that he drop me off in a parking lot in the middle of the highway. Only very few cars stopping by. The first three cars people would almost not even hear me out. Do I look like a criminal or something? But finally, at some point, I got some good luck again and an angel was sent to save me. His name is Kostis.
I am pretty honest with Kostis when I first approach him and only ask if he could drop me off in the next gas station. He agrees. But when we start to drive and talk, and I tell him about my travels, he tells me he is driving to Volos, a small town some good kilometres from here, so even without talking about it, we kind of agree that he will drop me by his exit. Kostis has ambitions of travelling the world too. He seems to me like a very nice and sweet guy.
In another gas station, also with a restaurant, I stand put by the restaurant. It does not take long until Nick and Asterios to call me to their car. A bright mustard yellow car. Laugh.
Nick and Asterios are also very sweet and nice guys. We chat a lot all the way to Thessaloniki. Nick even tells me that the bright mustard yellow car should be a dark blue one, but the company messed up the orders, but because he liked this one too, he kept. I like it too! It looks just like my sweater! Laugh. They have a band together and just recently were touring around Greece. Nick reminds me of the actor Oliver Platt, from Doctor Dollitle. But in a much younger and thinner version.
In Thessaloniki, we drop Asterios off but not before taking a photograph. We have called Panos from the car before, and Nick talked to him about where would be the best place for him to drop me off. Luckily, Panos leaves nearby where Nick leaves, so they make up a meeting point, in a restaurant. I say goodbye to Nick and wait for Panos to come. He arrives in some minutes. Oh, yeah! I forgot to tell you! I have decided to spend my last two days in Greece with Panos (the man who drove me across Thessaloniki the last time I was here) and his family. He seems like a real nice guy, I could see a little of Thessaloniki, I could learn a bit more about Greek culture and I could use the rest!