7/25
My time in Kalymnos proved to relaxing and slightly productive on the writing front. Kalymnos was a nice spot to hide out for a few days, do some reading, and catch some sun.
Every day I looked out from my balcony to Telendos. This small island captivated me with its dramatic mountain and relative isolation. Kalymnos is small, about 16,000 people. Telendos, going by population, is minuscule, with less than 60 residents. There are probably more goats. Finally, after staring at the mountain across the water for days, I headed to the island in the evening. The ferry there cost 2 euros each way and took about 10 minutes.
Telendos Necropolis
Upon landing I turned left and just walked. I walked without a goal in mind. I crossed over some hills through some trees and stumbled on an old Christian necropolis. Just a few sets of a bunch of stones stacked up. I looked around and realized I had the whole area to myself. The only other living thing was a goat grazing (I suppose that's what goats do) a couple dozen yards away.
Wandering from there I headed west towards the setting sun. As fog covered the mountain to my right, I sat on the rocks and listened to the Aegean crash gently. It was perfect respite from the rest of the world.
Looking west at sunset
After some time I got up and wandered back to shore where I had come from. I picked a spot for dinner and ordered fish. For the third time in three nights in Greece, I had seafood. This time it was a fish filet paired with a beer. The other nights I had calamari and octopus stifado (stew). Put simply, I've enjoyed the cuisine.
This morning I got up early to take the bus from the side of Kalymnos where I was staying to the other where the ferry dock is. Then I hopped a ferry to Kos. Then another bus between the two ferry docks in Kos. Then a ferry to Piraeus, the port in Athens. Finally, I took the metro from Piraeus to my hostel. It was full day of travel, but not a bad one. The ferry ride from Kos to Piraeus was about 9 hours. The ferry itself is comfortable. Lots of space to move around. Restaurants serving food, a shop, a couple bars and lounges. It even has cabins available. The ferry resembled a cruise ship more than what I would have imagined. Then again, my exposure to ferries is pretty limited.
Athens has yet to charm me. The metro was crowded and covered in graffiti. There were also a noticeable number of begging kids, prostitutes, and drug addicts at the metro station and around my hostel. These are certainly not enough to make me write off a city, but they don't help me fall in love with it either.
I expect this to be a quick trip in Athens. The plan is to see the major sights around the Acropolis tomorrow and then head out Monday or Tuesday.