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Its been 23 years since i last set foot here
...and now I have returned.
Greece, Land of gods & myths, ancient architectural greatness and the birth place of true Democracy.
Located in the South-East region of Europe; Greece is today home to 11.3 million people. 97% Greek Orthodox.
The language spoken here is primarily Greek. Their writings which IS the origins of your algebraic vocabulary; is essentially Greek. But not to worry, for Greece's main industry is tourism, and the people there are usually very friendly, laid back and able to converse fairly well in English.
Greece as of June 2010 is still part of the Europe Circle. Hence, the currency used in Greece is still the 'Euro'.
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Trius TIP 1:
If you are here for the famous archeological ruins of Ancient Greece. A Trius suggestion would be to plan your visit such that it coincides with the first Sunday of the month. This is because on the first Sunday of every month, museums and archeological grounds in Greece are free to enter.
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Trius Tip 2:
If you are sensitivity with the heat or cold, a perfect time to visit Greece would be around May to June. Any earlier might be cool, and any later would be sweltering.
----Hence the reason, why I chose June to be the timing of which I visit Greece. Personally, this was a tough decision chronologically, politically and geologically. Why?
Let me give you a breakdown of the issues we faced.
1) The eruption of volcano Eyjafjallajˆkull in Iceland, sent ashes flying all over the UK disrupting major flights.
2) The economical situation of Greece, sending the city into flash riots.
3) Strikes on a British airline which threaten our flight plans.
But alas, all went smoothly and the trip turned out to be a fantastic project.
Getting there
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So our period of travel was from the 1st to the 13th of June 2010. And our route was from Kuala Lumpur(KUL)- Singapore(SIN)-London(LHR)-ATHENS(ATH) and reverse.
Our main coach sponsor was British Airways.
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TRIUS Splurge Tip 1:
If you have the extra cash departing from Changi Airport. Book a flight on Business class (Club world for BA), or the First class. Changi has one of the best waiting lounges.
The British Airways Waiting lounge provides comfortable sofas, food, TV, online stations and even a showering facility for you to freshen up before your flight.
---We took a 2255 BA17 flight from Changi's International Airport on a 14 hour Journey to London Heathrow Terminal 3.
From Heathrow, we made our way to the Euro Terminal, Terminal 5 for our next flight to ATHINA.
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Trius Tip 3:
Always get a connecting flight with a connecting time of more than 1.5 hours. Any shorter and your luggage may arrive on a later flight.
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From the Arrivals
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Be sure to collect brochures from the Information and Tourism desks on your way out. Some desk attendance are quite the hottie.
There are 3 ways to get to the City or the Hotel.
1) Metro
2) Taxi
3) the Bus
Metro is the most convenient and is priced fairly close with the bus. If you are traveling light and would like convenience. Take the Metro.
Get yourself straight to the heart of the City which is the 'Syntagma Square' Station and you can connect to another line to reach your designated hotel.
The Taxi is straightforward and takes you straight to the city. It is usually about 34 Euros if you travel light. But if you have the police guy showing you to your taxi... its 50Euros.
I'd boycott the taxi if I were you.
The Bus is the other alternative. 3.50 per person on the X95 takes you straight to Syntagma Square and you can continue from there.
Even with a truck load of luggage.
The Hotel
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Once you are checked in. Check with the desk for excursions and ferry-rides. It is advisable to book early but, in June, Tours are not as packed as it seems so even a day before booking could be alright.
During this trip, we used 'Go Travels' for our excursion to Delphi and Meteora. For Ferries you can head straight to Piraeus Port to get your tickets from the shops around the Metro Station.
Next head out of your hotel and into the streets around you. Look out for Kiosks and metro station entries around you. They will be very convenient for getting your bottled waters and transportation.
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Trius Choice 1
We chose the Hotel Rio, cheap, 2.5-3 stars and at a convenient distance to the suburban rail way and the metro. Also it is just around the corner from the Hop on Hop off Bus stop which i will explain in a moment.
If however you wish to stay in a slightly more grand hotel, the Hotel Stanley is just next door to the Hotel Rio. And is a stopping point for many Tour operators.
The square that these are all situated in is called Metaxourgio.
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Also look out for the Hop on Hop Off stops for the city tour.
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Trius Tip 4
There are two operators in the city.
"Hop on Hop off Sightseeing Tour" and the "Athens City Tour" bus.
The first one costs about 15 Euros for 1 Day (24 hours), and the latter costs 18 Euros for 2 Days (48 hours).
Both take you along a similar route of which you can go down and explore at your leisure, or just ride around the city.
This may take you about 2 days to comfortably cover everything.
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Overview The Virgin Goddess Athena and her Patron City Athens
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There is a story about when the people called out for a Patron god for the city. There came two factions onto the Rock of the Acropolis. The daughter of Zeus Athena, Goddess of War and Wisdom, and the Brother of Zeus Poseidon God of the Sea. They came to a final settlement where the one that would offer the most useful gift to the city would become the Patron god. Poseidon was first and struck the earth with his Trident and out came a spring of ever flowing water. The citizens were overjoyed and thanked the god. But the water was salty as it came from the sea.
Athena, then cracked open the ground, and out came an Olive tree. With its many uses, Athena won and became the patron goddess of the city. Henceforth, the city was known as Athens (ATHINA).
In the middle of the city stands the most celebrated monument of the Ancient world. The Parthenon. Not only was it the symbol of monumental achievement that would echo throughout the world as the symbol of strength and Judicial fairness; It was also the birthplace of true democracy.
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Trius Tales 1
The Parthenon was built in 5 B.C during the leadership of Pericles. Built of Pentelic marble, this Doric peripteral temple flaunts 8 columns on the front and back and 17 columns on each side. The Parthenon was also said to house a 12-meter high statue of the patron Goddess Athena; a masterpiece by the famous sculputor Pheidias who also oversaw the construction of the Parthenon.
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| Pericles |
Unfortunately the Parthenon; which comes from the word 'parthÈnos' meaning virgin or maiden, through time was ravage by war (Ares?) , religions and greed finally arrived at the state of which we see today.
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| After opening Pandora's Box, Trius Tests out his all new Gigantic form! |
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Trius Tip 5
If you are visiting the grounds on a normal day do check to see if you have your student cards with you. Students from the UK get free entries at certain points where else students from other countries get a discounted price. A normal ticket would probably cost 12 Euros to enter where else a concession ticket would cost only 8 Euro. This would include The Parthenon and other ancient ruins around the vicinity like entrance to the Acropolis, the Temple of the Olympian God Zeus and not forgetting the Hadrian Library and Dionysus' theater. Tickets last for 4 days.
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The Acropolis is an ancient city filled with fields of ancient ruins and temples. Here one can just wonder what was it like to live in an ancient city, walking down the streets and mingling with the Athenians. Temples honoring the 12 Olympian Gods were built around the most complete and surviving temple would be the The temple honoring the lame Vulcan god of Science and technology, Hephaestus.
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| Trius & the Temple of Hephaestus |
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| Column of Zeus |
Other temples that you might be able to spot would be the Temple of the 12 Olympian gods with only a few surviving columns craved into their favorite gods, and the lawn that used to house the temple of Ares, now depicted here with a tortoise guarding a yellow mound and munching on the lawn.
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| What's left of the Temple of Ares, notice the tortoise on the right-hand corner |
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| Probably Ares' manifestation of the Ultimate defense. |
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| Stoa of Attalus |
It takes roughly 2 days to completely cover the ancient sites of the city (including the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Hadrian Library etc.)
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| Temple of the Olympian Zeus in Athens |
And just a block away from the Temple of Zeus stands the Olympic Stadium. This is not the one used in 2004 but the Olympic games before.
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Trius Tales 2
As the first day of our journey was coming to an end, we stopped by the old Olympic stadium called the Panathenaic Stadium. After brief photo stop, we waited for the tour bus. Unfortunately, we soon found out that the entire city's transportation services was on strike, except of course the Tour buses. But because of that, people were walking or driving home. And suddenly the route of the tour bus was no longer available. So we found ourselves stuck there. Hence, we, and two travel friends decided to walk home. Along the way we 'walked with the Riot Police 3 times, and a motorbike squad by chance all the way back to the hotel. For that I thank Athena for guarding us from the "riots". Pretty cool experience.
Another attraction is the changing of the guards at the Parliment situated at Syntagma Square. Done every hour, its really a sight not to be missed.
Museums of Athina
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A city of ruins would be incomplete without a collection of the ruins kept in a museum. There are 2 notice worthy museums that should be visited in Athens.
1) The National Acropolis Museum which is a modern glass building built over an ancient part of the city houses many artifacts saved from the Parthenon and within the ancient city itself.
The Museum has three levels and on the highest level houses the sculptures, freezes and reliefs of the Parthenon. It also has a video telling of the history and threats that the Parthenon had to face throughout time. Ladies do be careful where you stand especially when you are wearing skirts as you will be walking over glass and will be in plain view for all to see.
2) The National Archeological Museum
Which Houses most of the Ancient Sculptures from Greece, is World famous. Statues spanning from Meta Greece right up to the classical age.
From the Majestic Bronze Statue of Zeus/Poseidon,
to the alluring sleeping Aphrodite,
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| Aphrodite |
to the stoned expression of this unknown stoned guy... lol.
At the Lower Ground floor there is a coffee shop that sell many Greek pies that should be tried. One particular pie that i was recommended was the 'Spanakopitas' or Spinach Pie.
*) There are many other museums housing different aspects of the history of Greece. The Byzantine Museum and the Cycladic Art Museum only a 10 minute walk from the Parliament hold many interesting pieces and videos of ancient Greece and the era they represent.
Islands of Greece
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Greece is famous for it's unique Islands. Names like Santorini, Rhodes, and Mykonnos are some of many great Islands with beautiful beaches and bay views. One can spend days just Island hopping to experience their splendors. But if you are on a tight budget in terms of time, here's how to make the best out of your Islands Excursion.
Depending whether you wish to book it from your hotel, or head down to Piraeus Station via metro to shop around for deals. Look out for this famous tri-package. Its the Poros-Hydra-Aegina Island package. This allows you to visit 3 Islands in just one day!
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| Temple at Aegina |
Depending on where you stay you maybe instructed to be picked up at your hotel at about 730-800. The bus then takes you to Port Piraeus and to your cruise. Here, you will be greeted with a lunch card (which is important to keep) and a photo with the entertainers dressed in the Greek National costumes.
Departing from the port, you will be briefed on the itinerary and the rules of each stop. Lunch times for the different card colors and also the optional tours offered for your stop at Aegina Island.
Trius Tales 3
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At Hydra, we came across an International wedding held in the maritime museum. There were friends from France, Bulgaria, England, Ireland, and even a father in law from Indonesia. Interestingly, they brought with them a tub of nutella with them =) Pretty cool for something they will take for the rest of their lives.
Tours Out of Athens
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If you can spare a 2D1N out of Athens, Try the Delphi-Meteora Tour. This takes you to The famous Temple of Delphi Where the Oracle of Apollo gave predictions for the fortunes of the requester.
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| Ruins of the Temple of Delphi |
After spending a night at Meteora, you will get to visit the churches which were built 'suspended' in between the sky and the Earth, hence Meteora.
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| Church on Meteora |
What's the best part is, if you love the movie 300! You'd love visiting Thermoplyae
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| Monument of Leonidas at Thermoplyae |
Self-Excursions
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Even though Greece's transportation services isn't as sophisticated as London's or Moscow's. Their mode of public transports to the various states are effective and on time. Its a perfect mixture of professionalism and personalization. The conductor comes in for the tickets but with a very friendly attitude.
Trius Tip 6
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| Lion Gate |
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| Tomb of Agamemmon |
Shopping
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What's a tourist without souvenirs? The best place to get your souvenirs would be at the Plaka area where all of the tourist shops are situated. You don't like the pricing in one shop, bargain. Still don't like it, go to the next shop.
So what are the awesome pieces of Greece you could get. Evil eyes, statues of Gods and Goddesses, jewelery, keys chains. The Greek Key which is the symbol of longevity and is decorated on garments and accessories. There's just so many things you can find, I'm sure that you could spend a full day or two just shopping for things to buy here.
Food
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Greeks are all about food, well almost as passionate about food as we Malaysians are. Greeks have Slouvakis, kebabs,...
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| Recommended Restaurant in Meteora |
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| Moussaka!! |
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| Slouvaki |
Saying 'Antio'
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So now it's time to say goodbye. Again there are 3 ways to get your ride back to the Airport. The X95 bus, the metro or the conventional Taxi. The X95 bus can be taken from Syntagma Square. And the metro as well (the Blue Airport line). Taxis are a little bit tricky. If possible try to get one that you can call off the road. Its an extra 15 Euros if you get your hotel to call one in for you.
Trius Tip 7
Of course if they find any trouble with you at the Airport and get a police to come get more money from you? Take a stand and say that you are unhappy and will bring it up with the Tourism office at the LG floor.Well then, that wraps up the Tips and Tricks of having a great time in Greece (as well as corners that you can cut if you are on the budget).
I'd like to thank British Airways, Uncle Chris for the wonderful flights back and forth and the use of the lounge.
The staff at Hotel Rio for their kind hospitality.
The tour guides of Go Tours for their very informative and non-stopping guides of Greece.
The Crew of the 1-day cruise.
The tourist shop staff that my dad broke a souvenir vase and had to pay for it, thank you for the discount, hospitality and showed a great place to eat around the corner of Plaka Square. .
The 12 Olympian Gods,
Zeus for keeping the weather when required,
Hera for your hospitality,
Poseidon for keeping the rough seas at bay and the Volcano ashes from spreading to Greece,
Demeter (Diana) for the wonderful food, and pistachio nuts,
Apollo for your Oracle and console during the times of Great need,
Artemis For the marvelous lamb shanks and Souvlaki,
Hermes for keeping the news in check,
Ares for shifting the turmoils elsewhere,
Aphrodite for sending your son Eros to do your bidding, he's such a tease,
Hephaestus for keeping us technology users safe,
Dionysus for the humor,
and
Patron Goddess of Athens, Athena for sending your Athenian Anti-mob police to protect us all the way to the hotel,
Acquaintance with Emma, Nicole, Jo, Stephanie Huang, Rachel Tan, Jessica, Dillan, Clara and Family.
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| Trius & Stephanie Huang |
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| Trius & the Tan Family |
And last but not least I thank my parents Tony Ong and Yvonne Yeap for your presence during entire trip. This would not have been possible without the both of you.
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| Trius & Mr & Mrs Ong |
And it is now my time to sign off and say
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