Charlie Timpany & Oscar Zambuto
The first day of the trip had been interesting to say the least. Touching down in Dubai airport onboard the large Airbus A380, we explored the gargantuan expanse of the airports duty free area which mainly consisted of cigarettes and expensive brands to suit the wealthy travellers that pass through. Getting on the bus to take us to our aircraft to Athens, we were met by disgustingly hot and dusty Dubai heat in excess of at least 40 degrees. Oscar says that it was the closest thing he had felt to being in an oven. I agreed with him. I saw a boy wearing a fleece and jeans and pitied him. The plane ride to Athens was a very fun as we were able to watch the first the first Lions test live, much to the delight of the boys on board, whilst complimented by the confusion of the rest of the plane consisting of Greeks and Chinese nationals. A highlight of the plane ride was flying over Cairo and seeing the Pyramids of Giza, a sight that I had been willing to see. We arrived in Athens to 35 degree heat and took a 45 minute bus trip to Syntagma Square with most boys only having around 5-7 sleep on the plane. We saw the changing of the guards outside the parliament building which was entertaining solely because the guards we're telling off tourists, and also because the guards had tap shoes with fluffy pom-poms . After Syntagma we went to Monastiraiki Square which would become the main place to buy food and cheap wares. Monastiraiki was filled with Greek locals and African scammers, who would entice you by acting enticing ("Don't worry be happy", "boomchakalaca" and "feel the love" to name a few of their punchlines used), then offer/put string on your wrist supposedly for free and then charge exorbitant amounts (20 euro plus). Safe to say we avoided them. Our hotel was quite basic however quite nice at the same time, regardless of the district we happened to be in. After we dropped our bags off we walked up Mount Lykevittos, which is a steeply inclined hill in the centre of Athens. We made it to the top exhausted, however the view was definitely worth it, as was the little byzantine church at the top as well. Some of the general observations from the first day include that Greek girls are very attractive and model like, but very short. The drivers, especially taxi drivers in their Mercedes AMG's, are horrendous at driving. Helmets are non existent for motorbike/moped drivers as they drive with one hand and a cigarette in the other hand. Our hotel is surrounded by sex shops. Stop signs do not mean 'stop', neither do red lights mean stop as well. The final observation is that I would consider Athens to be a 'second world' city. For me this means that some aspects are first world like the infrastructure and museums, whilst the buildings are completely covered in graffiti and animal excrement, which for me I consider slightly third world. However my impression after one day of Athens had been positive. As Oscar will write below, we are currently on the tour bus headed towards Mycenae and Patras. I am looking forward to the next day when we arrive in Rome, with some of the sights going to be highlights for the boys. Unsure what the protocol is with blog writing, however I hope to write again sometime during the trip.
-Charlie
On the 25th of June, we were woken up at 7AM by the waking signal for the first time - a horrid siren coming from the telephone, although for this reason it is very effective. Many of us were so tired from the 30 hours of travelling that we fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the rather hard pillows. Breakfast is at 7.30 - a pleasant array of cereals, fruits, toast, and a very frequently utilised coffee machine for maximum caffeination. We then left for the National Archaeological Museum, with many of the Classics students of the group enjoying seeing statues and artefacts relevant to their respective courses. Then, we were off for the Acropolis. The Parthenon is grand and very impressive; however, it was unfortunately covered in scaffolding. We then visited the Acropolis museum after some en-masse photography, particularly interested in the reconstructions of the original sculpture included on the Parthenon - reproduced in small scale marble. After we return to the hotel, we are released for dinner. My group opts for the 'Jack Daniels Burger', the sauce of which stained many a shirt - we much preferred the souvlaki the previous night and the giros. Food is quite cheap taking into consideration how touristy our location is - for example, a sandwich described by Jack Seton as "one of the best things I have ever eaten" was a mere 3 euros. We return to the hotel, knackered once more, and mostly relax for a tiring trip to Delphi the next day.
Bartering is not quite a refined skill in the group yet, with Alex Harris paying an exorbitant 20 euros for a fake 'Supreme' shirt, while bartering for fidget spinners is also frequently ignored by vendors. On the day of the Delphi trip, many of us do washing for the first time. My rooming group used the rather deep shower base as our washing basin, and then hung out our clothes on the balcony like true Greeks. Of course this was dry when we got home due to the ridiculous heat. After breakfast, we leave for Delphi, on a three hour bus trip. We stop at both a cafè and a cute little ski town, while the former provides me with the best chocolate ice cream I've ever had. We also stop at a bakery in the small town; the owners and workers at shops and markets appear to be quite aggressive and don't seem to like serving tourists. However, I have managed to use my quarter-Greek heritage to barter a few items down, such as the classic album '12 Songs To Listen To When You're Eating Greek Cuisine' which is a necessity of anyone's music collection, and is complete with recipes as well. I definitely do not regret this purchase. Delphi turns out to be a great place, and we even drink from a 2000-year-old fountain, refreshing us after a long day of looking at monuments including the Temple of Apollo. The long bus rides serve as a great opportunity to socialise with and get to know other students from other year-levels and even from my own. I suspect that by the end of the trip, we will all know everything there is to know about each other. Having returned to the hotel, we depart for an evening walk, viewing many monuments including Hadrian's Library and the Temple of Zeus. An African street-salesman joins us for one of Mr Buckingham's speeches, and then proceeds to mock Mr Buckingham after he had previously told him to be quiet. Athens as a whole has been an excellent city in which to live and explore, as many of the monuments are relevant to our studies, and the difference in culture is also very fascinating. As Charlie and I are writing this, we are on the bus to Mycenae, after previously having bought food for the 24 hour ferry to Rome, and a tour of Corinthian ruins. Personally, I am looking to forward to Rome, as many of the edifices and artefacts are more intact; while painting and art galleries will be introduced to the tour, and the tour continues at a frantic but exhilarating pace.
-Oscar
-Charlie
On the 25th of June, we were woken up at 7AM by the waking signal for the first time - a horrid siren coming from the telephone, although for this reason it is very effective. Many of us were so tired from the 30 hours of travelling that we fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the rather hard pillows. Breakfast is at 7.30 - a pleasant array of cereals, fruits, toast, and a very frequently utilised coffee machine for maximum caffeination. We then left for the National Archaeological Museum, with many of the Classics students of the group enjoying seeing statues and artefacts relevant to their respective courses. Then, we were off for the Acropolis. The Parthenon is grand and very impressive; however, it was unfortunately covered in scaffolding. We then visited the Acropolis museum after some en-masse photography, particularly interested in the reconstructions of the original sculpture included on the Parthenon - reproduced in small scale marble. After we return to the hotel, we are released for dinner. My group opts for the 'Jack Daniels Burger', the sauce of which stained many a shirt - we much preferred the souvlaki the previous night and the giros. Food is quite cheap taking into consideration how touristy our location is - for example, a sandwich described by Jack Seton as "one of the best things I have ever eaten" was a mere 3 euros. We return to the hotel, knackered once more, and mostly relax for a tiring trip to Delphi the next day.
Bartering is not quite a refined skill in the group yet, with Alex Harris paying an exorbitant 20 euros for a fake 'Supreme' shirt, while bartering for fidget spinners is also frequently ignored by vendors. On the day of the Delphi trip, many of us do washing for the first time. My rooming group used the rather deep shower base as our washing basin, and then hung out our clothes on the balcony like true Greeks. Of course this was dry when we got home due to the ridiculous heat. After breakfast, we leave for Delphi, on a three hour bus trip. We stop at both a cafè and a cute little ski town, while the former provides me with the best chocolate ice cream I've ever had. We also stop at a bakery in the small town; the owners and workers at shops and markets appear to be quite aggressive and don't seem to like serving tourists. However, I have managed to use my quarter-Greek heritage to barter a few items down, such as the classic album '12 Songs To Listen To When You're Eating Greek Cuisine' which is a necessity of anyone's music collection, and is complete with recipes as well. I definitely do not regret this purchase. Delphi turns out to be a great place, and we even drink from a 2000-year-old fountain, refreshing us after a long day of looking at monuments including the Temple of Apollo. The long bus rides serve as a great opportunity to socialise with and get to know other students from other year-levels and even from my own. I suspect that by the end of the trip, we will all know everything there is to know about each other. Having returned to the hotel, we depart for an evening walk, viewing many monuments including Hadrian's Library and the Temple of Zeus. An African street-salesman joins us for one of Mr Buckingham's speeches, and then proceeds to mock Mr Buckingham after he had previously told him to be quiet. Athens as a whole has been an excellent city in which to live and explore, as many of the monuments are relevant to our studies, and the difference in culture is also very fascinating. As Charlie and I are writing this, we are on the bus to Mycenae, after previously having bought food for the 24 hour ferry to Rome, and a tour of Corinthian ruins. Personally, I am looking to forward to Rome, as many of the edifices and artefacts are more intact; while painting and art galleries will be introduced to the tour, and the tour continues at a frantic but exhilarating pace.
-Oscar