Istanbul to Athens

It’s only a one hour and five minute flight from Istanbul to Athens. I was up at 4am, and arrived at my Athens hotel at 3pm. Another long day!

I’d set the alarm for 4.30, but woke up earlier and thought I might as well get up.  For the first time in my life, I was dressed and in the lobby by 4.30! Unfortunately, the breakfast room wasn’t open yet, but a lovely waiter brought me a much-appreciated cup of piping hot tea, without my even asking, and stayed to chat about Australia. I had wifi so started to post photos but I had forgotten how to do it! I blame sleep deprivation.

The minibus driver had to park around the corner, so quickly grabbed my suitcase and backpack and rushed out into the cold rain. I was glad I had on all my warm gear because that bus was freezing. It was packed and I had to sit with my right arm on the cold metal. The cold seeped through my 4 layers of clothes. Fortunately, we arrived at the airport in less than an hour.

As I walked through the doors, I saw the first step was to put everything through a scanner including my big suitcase. Check-in wasn’t open yet so I ate my bread roll and egg while I waited. Check-in was fast and very efficient; the complete opposite to the Pegasus team in Paris. My suitcase was overweight by 2 kgs, and I think I had to pay 18 euro, better than the 30 euro I prepaid on my flight in to Istanbul. While waiting for customs, a guy standing in line behind me started chatting. He had seen my Australian passport and asked me where I was from. I recognized his accent immediately so answered Brisbane. He’s travelling with his dad. At the second security check, they lined up behind me again and kept talking. I let them go first, while I took laptop etc out of backpack, but they waited for me, then asked if I’d like a coffee.  Would I?! I had another two and a half hour wait! I explained I had no lira left as I’d spent it all at the bar last night. He laughed and said he’d shout me a coffee. He was happy I’d spent the last of my money in true Aussie style! I sat down with his dad, Bruce, who’s a primary music teacher in Perth, and had never been out of Australia before. Jesse, however, sounds like he’s travelled a lot; he’s probably a travel writer. We sat chatting for an hour before heading off to our respective gates. They’re off to Barcelona.

When I checked my boarding pass, I found I’d been given the exact same seat I’d paid 19 euro for last flight. Not doing that again! I explained to the hostess that I couldn’t fit in the seat and she laughed and said go back and choose another. I thought I might as well sit next to the window. I read the whole Pegasus magazine while waiting for take off.  As we started to accelerate, I looked out the window and saw 6 planes lined up behind us; five of them being Pegasus! They have hundreds, all 737s I think.

I wished I’d videoed the safety talk on the flight over showing air hostesses doing belly dancing moves which was very funny. This one showed Turkish kids doing the safety demonstration. So cute! I watched the food cart go by, and then extricated my sweet rolls and boiled eggs from the depths of my carry-bag. They curbed the hunger and didn’t cost me 11 euro either! You learn from your mistakes.

We came in to land over the sea which looked very strange.  It was black with paler spots like suburban swimming pools scattered around, and a few random waves in the middle of the ocean. I wished I could have taken a photograph. I’ve never seen anything like it.

We’d been given a landing card on the plane, but I didn’t have a pen handy so started to fill it out at a table. I hadn’t finished and a guy came and took it off me and told me to go show my passport. They seem very casual here. I think tourism is keeping the country going, so they’re not putting tourists through the third degree like other countries do.

I fond the ticket office for the Metro, bought a return ticket, and went to wait on the platform in the freezing cold- really freezing! Twenty minutes later, the train appeared and everyone rushed to pile in. I don’t know how, but I managed to get a seat, because every seat was taken and the train was packed with standers, who all waited another ten minutes for the train to leave. It wouldn’t have been to bad except they didn’t close the doors, and the cold wind was making my back turn to ice.

At Monastaraki, I dragged everything off the train and headed up the escalators, following the signs to the square. I loaded my maps and managed to find my hotel without too much difficulty- well, apart from the wheels on my suitcase getting stuck on the part of the footpath designed for blind people! I didn’t see any shops or cafes opened, and remembered it was New Year’s Day.

I settled into my room, and went foraging for food lust like an Athens alley cat. I hadn’t walked far when I found a restaurant open, and didn’t even check the price board before walking in and ordering the Christmas special: stuffed pork with roast potatoes! My stomach must have shrunk over he past few days, because I couldn’t finish it. What sacrilege!

With my hunger satiated, I managed to find my way back to the hotel, and settle in for the night. I’m missing my roommates, but it’s lovely to have some room to move!