Wojciech's Travel log

You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Log entries 2051 - 2060 of 3148

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Oct 07, 2011 02:00 PM I am so happy to be the Distinguish Member (for a month!) :) Wow! I am the Globosapiens Member of the Month again... What a pleasant surprise! It was worth to go to in the evenings to look for the internet cafe in some outback places! I will thell you the true: sometimes after the long and tiring day on the trail I have the temptation just to take the shower and go to the bed... But I know that my friends worldwide are waiting for the news from the trail... It is good to have such friends! Thank you so much to all of you who sent me congratulations. I promise to pack my backpack within a month again, so you will be able to read the new portion of my adventures.

Oct 04, 2011 02:00 PM Back to Gdansk! I took the long-distance bus from Ouranopolis to Thessaloniki - they offer 5 departures per day and there is no need to buy ticket in advance. In Thessaloniki I had a problem how to get from the Chalkidiki Bus Station to the airport. Someone suggested a taxi, but it is not the solution for the budget traveler like me. I found out that the best way is to take the bus 36 to IKEA terminal and then bus 79 to the airport. Your single ticket (0,80 euro) is valid for unlimited transfers within 1,5 hours! Malev flight was on time, but the temperature on the plane - freezing... I like Hungarians very much but they serve only little snack and a glass of juice during the flight - bring you sandwich with you!. It was also cold on the second flight Budapest - Warsaw. As a result in Gdansk I was already sneezing... But what an interesting voyage!

Oct 03, 2011 02:00 PM Four days without the ladies... Depressing! I took a walk via Xeropotamu Monastery to Daphni, where the ferries with the supply for the Republic of the Monks arrive. Waiting for "Agia Anna" I recognized that since four days I did not see any single lady... So sad! The Monks here poetically call the Athos Peninsula "The garden of the Mother of the God" But this is the garden without flowers! (Dear ladies - you are the flowers of our life, aren't you?) The monks are very strict. They say that even female animals are not allowed in their republic... Sun was shining when we sailed along the coast to Ouranoupolis. On the departure from the republic there is customs control! I expected it rather on arrival - to check if somebody is not smuggling into Athos female cat or chicken :) Our ferry sailed at 3.45 pm. I paid for the ride aboard - 7.80 euro. Then I enjoyed again the views the huge Russian Monastery of St. Panteleimon, Xenofontos and others. At 6 pm we approached the jetty in Ouranoupolis. A group of ladies were waiting at the coast for their husbands - pilgrims coming from Athos. They were smiling and waving hands... Thanks God! I am in the normal world again!

Oct 02, 2011 02:00 PM The capital: one street 200 m long! Today I was walking from Sravronikita Monastery to the "capital city" of Mount Athos - Karies. Along the trails there are arrows pointing the destinations but the text is in Greek... Do you remember alfa, beta, gamma from the lessons of maths? It is the time to refresh the knowledge! After 1,5 hours of the walk I reached Karies. The capital of the Monk's Republic has in fact one street where the only shops of the republic are located. There is an old and famous church with a another holy icon and close by - the building of the "government" - in fact the council of 20 abotts from 20 monasteries. I took my chance to take the pictures of the monks here. They normally are not happy to be photographed... :) Then I was walking through the mountains to the Monastery of Xeropotamou - it took me some 2 hours. Not so pleasant walk since it was all on dusty, gravel road - they build such a roads on Athos recently, changing the landscape. Sorry. I had enough time to drink one more ouzo+water+lukumi at the monastery gate and then it was already the time to go down to the jetty in Dafni (some 40 minutes walk). Little ferry "Agia Anna" arrived on time (3.45 pm) to take me back - along the picturesque, sunny coast to Ouranoupolis. My 4-days permit is over. I am happy and satisfied: I had a chance to visit one of the most isolated and exotic places in Europe. Great architecture, strange behaviours :), wonderful landscapes - it is all on Athos!

Oct 01, 2011 02:00 PM Holy icon, coastal walk, romantic castles... The next monastery on my Athos trail was Ivirion where I had a chance to see the holy icon of Our Lady of the Gate. They believe that this icon sailed from the Constantinopole by the see to be find here in the Athos water by the fisherman... Long story... They offered me a meal when I was resting in the shady courtyard. The meals are similar every day: a plate of maccaroni with little cheese on the top, tomato salad, bread, water, apple, sometimes also a glass of local wine... The problem is that you must eat fast. They start the meal on a signal. Silence. No talks. One of the monks is reading a holy story in Greek. When he will finish it means that the meal is over! So hurry up! I missed today my desert ( a piece of watermelon)! From Ivirion I took a walk along the coast to the other two picturesque monasteries: Pantokrator and Stavronikita. Great views, ang the monasteries are lovely - like medieval castles... I spent the night in the little,cozy Stavronikita. They do not have electricity here. Praing with the oil lamps like thousand years ago....

Sep 30, 2011 02:00 PM Non-snoring dorm please! There were some 20 pilgrims sleeping in the monastery. Two foreign tourist were treated as the Greek pilgrims... The monks encouraged us to wake up fo the 4 am liturgy. Sorry, I did not. Why? The Greek fellows were snorig loudly all night and I slept a little bit only. When they went to the church it was a good time to sleep in the silence... But all hospitality is free of charge here: since one thousand years when monasteries were founded the monks accept pilgrims fo the night, offer simple meals (they eat only twice a day, no meat or eggs) and pray... This was my hardest day: the rough trail to Megiste Lavra Monastery goes at the bottom of Mt Athos. I was a bit afraid if I will manage this 6 to 7 hours mountain walk... I did! The begginning was the hardest part - almost 2 hours uphill with all my stuff... Then from the cross located on the ridge I enjoyed great view... After hours at the end of the trail from the little pass I saw down there unexpected Romanian Monastery. It was great temptation - to make a detour (1,5 hours) and to visit this place. It was worth. But when I reached Lavra after 8 hours on the trail I was really tired, true. No shop to buy food or drinks! And to get the afternoon meal in the huge, ornate reflectory you must go first to the church to attend the service. It is very, very interesting but my reception after this hard walk through the mountains was so... so... Finally after all ceremonies I got my plate and my bed. Lavra is a big monastery. Ane chance for the non-snoring dorm?

Sep 29, 2011 02:00 PM Republic of the Monks - day one (posted four days later) It was still dark at the Ouranopolis jetty when I was looking there for somebody with my travel permit to Mt Athos. They are not well organized... Finally I found a gentelman in the car speaking with the people through the window. We (all men) were staying in the long line. He checked my passport, asked for 30 euro fee and gave me this valuable paper... I embarked little ferry "Agia Anna" they charged from me 9,80 euro for the trip to Agia Anna jetty and we departed soon. Everybody was waiting for the sunrise to see the scenery. After an hour I saw the first monastery on the coast. Few people including the monks in black disembarked and we sailed onward. Second monastery, the third. Some of the like castles on the coast. The main port is Dafni - all suppy for the republic goes this way. But I sailed further, knowing from the literature that the most picturesque landscapes and monasteries I can see after Dafni. It was true... Disembarking at little Santa Anna jetty I was surprised. -Where is skete (sub-monastery) Agia Anna I am booked for the night? They showed me a little chapel up on the hill some 250 m above the sea level. Uff... It was sweaty walk up and up. But at the little monastery courtyard friendly monk treated me on traditional way: I got a glass of spring water, glass of ouzo (local alcohol), lukumi cake and a little cup of the strong coffee! I got my bed in the 6-bed dormitory and in the afternoon I took a walk to the monastery of St Paul. Back in Agia Anna we attended the service in the church and then we got a simple meal. What a view from this eagle's nest!

Sep 29, 2011 02:00 PM Republic of the Monks - day one (posted four days later) It was still dark at the Ouranopolis jetty when I was looking there for somebody with my travel permit to Mt Athos. They are not well organized... Finally I found a gentelman in the car speaking with the people through the window. We (all men) were staying in the long line. He checked my passport, asked for 30 euro fee and gave me this valuable paper... I embarked little ferry "Agia Anna" they charged from me 9,80 euro for the trip to Agia Anna jetty and we departed soon. Everybody was waiting for the sunrise to see the scenery. After an hour I saw the first monastery on the coast. Few people including the monks in black disembarked and we sailed onward. Second monastery, the third. Some of the like castles on the coast. The main port is Dafni - all suppy for the republic goes this way. But I sailed further, knowing from the literature that the most picturesque landscapes and monasteries I can see after Dafni. It was true... Disembarking at little Santa Anna jetty I was surprised. -Where is skete (sub-monastery) Agia Anna I am booked for the night? They showed me a little chapel up on the hill some 250 m above the sea level. Uff... It was sweaty walk up and up. But at the little monastery courtyard friendly monk treated me on traditional way: I got a glass of spring water, glass of ouzo (local alcohol), lukumi cake and a little cup of the strong coffee! I got my bed in the 6-bed dormitory and in the afternoon I took a walk to the monastery of St Paul. Back in Agia Anna we attended the service in the church and then we got a simple meal. What a view from this eagle's nest!

Sep 28, 2011 02:00 PM Sorry... For men only! There are 20 monasteries and 12 sketes (submonasteries) on Mount Athos peninsula. The monk's republic separated from the world exists already more then thousand years... From the beginning women are not allowed to enter their terittory. Men have to apply for the permit - your chances will be better if you will do it 6 months in advance. If you are lucky (10 permists per day only for the foreigners) leave home your vidoo camera and your shorts (strictly prohibited) and report the day before your term in their office in Ouranoupolis. I feel like a chosen one... You can enter the republic on the speedboat (the decks are closed - not for me!) or by ferry. Big ferry is broken, but there is also a little one "Agia Anna" departing tomorrow before sunrise. This is my choice! I know that there is no electricity in some monasteries so I do not expect internet to be available. Do not panic, if I will not write during next 4 days. New adventure starts tomorrow!

Sep 27, 2011 02:00 PM Closer to Mt Athos Few buses per day depart from Chalkidiki Bus Station to Ouranopolis. You will save few euro buying round-trip ticket for 22 euro. Just at the door of my Atlantis Hotel I have a bus stop for the bus 45A going directly to this station... "Entering the bus do not forget to validate your ticket"- that's all in English you can hear aboard. But your stop is the last stop so do not worry... The long distance bus is departing at 8.30. It is off-season time -there were only 5 of us - the passengers aboard. It took us 2,5 hours via the side roads and small villages spread out in the green mountains to come to Ouranopolis - little village on the coast. Ouranopolis is practically the only gateway to the Republic of the Monks on Mt Athos. The village is sleepy. I found the room in the Cosy Makedonia Hotel. Now I am going tho check my permit for the republic. I noticed on arrival that the ferry going daily to Daphni at 9.45 is broken. I hope to find the other solution... The sun is strong and I see the bue sea from my balcony...

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