Exploring and Sharing the World!
The Himalayas sound remote and far away? Well, the Andes are ALMOST as tall and with spectacular views too.
You can take a VERY short flight from Santiago, Chile to Mendoza, Argentina (for peanuts if you buy the ticket in Chile) and you get this impressive view. I fell in love with the view in 1991 and it took 19 yrs to see it again. But I did. God’s wonderful work on display!
Steve Jobs’ passing should come as no surprise. We are all going to die someday. What seems is so different about his is that it is about someone who in the span of sort of 30-35 years brought about a revolution in how technology fits into our lives. Or better said, of how our lives are enabled by the technology around us.
Let’s not overstate it (e.g., he didn’t invent microwaves, cable TV, remote controls, cell phone technology). Yet, nothing in technology has become so ubiquitous and so TRANSFORMATIVE as the personal computer and the derivative devices that made him so iconic (iPad, iPod, iPhone). Yes, the microwave transformed a potential kitchen slave into a cooking-slacker. No small contribution there and this writer is especially thankful.
Yet, the technology that we now live with and cannot live without – and which a generation ALREADY ALIVE will not understand how the world operated without it – was brought forth by innovation and a wave of creativity that Steve Jobs helped unleash.
The power of technology to transform our lives is evident to all of us and we can all think about how it has made our lives easier. I think about how travel has been made so much easier because of how technology has revolutionized just about every aspect of our lives…
Back in 1991 I was sent to Chile to work for a few months. Some of the ways I had to operate and live were so much harder due to being abroad.
I am glad I have been alive to see these improvements which have greatly enabled me to enjoy my travels even more!
So Steve Jobs (or his company) may not have invented all these things but he was a catalyst for bringing computing power and technology into the consumer’s hands – literally. His influence has shaped our world and helped improved how we live. He and other innovators and creators have transformed the world during my lifetime through technology. He was the most visible of these and, as the icon of this technology revolution, he will be missed. RIP.
Who has not learned about Athens and ancient Greece in school? Who has not wanted to see the famous Parthenon in person? I have left writing about Athens for last, no particular reason. I guess if it has been there a couple of millenia without me writing about it, what’s a couple more weeks, right? But I absolutely would write about this most ancient of modern cities, a open textbook waiting to be explored so the lessons of yore come to life! As I did not get to spend a lot of time there, I will share what to do in a quick visit to Athens as that is precisely what I did!
Landing in Athens, I was immediately thrown back to landing in Santiago, Chile from the vantage point of my airplane seat. Seemingly, the same semi-arid look to the hills around the airport and the fact that there were hills in the landing path of the plane…
Upon landing, I was not leaving the airport since I had a flight to Mykonos in 3 hrs. I had carried all my luggage on board as I didn’t want to risk lost luggage in the 3 flights I had to take to get to Mykonos. A small roller bag and a backpack were all I had so that was good. I went through immigration and then went to check in for the flight to Mykonos since I would have to check the roller bag as it was too big for the smaller plane’s cabin compartments. Once that was done, my step was just a bit faster as I was freed from the bag.
I went to a café at the airport, ate something and promptly discovered that it offers free wi fi for 60 minutes. I had not brought my laptop but had by nice Android with me so I was able to leave some messages about having gotten there safely, etc. The Athens airport was clean, well organized, with signage in English for everything – much better than some airports in the States, as a matter of fact. [Since this writing, things have improved a good bit in terms of free wi-fi, airport signage, etc.!]
I returned to Athens 4 days later after my visit to Mykonos and headed to the suburb of Athens named Kifissia. I already wrote about the wedding events that led me to stay there, and how I later moved to downtown Athens proper after the wedding events were over to start the quick visit to Athens.
Downtown Athens, I found, was again well signed for tourists, and there was plenty of info (for example, at the airport or kiosks) about the city. As most cities, it has the Hop On/Hop Off type of buses which is a great way to get your bearings. I used them to go take a peek at the port town of Piraeus and generally move about town as the buses stopped at my hotel. I don’t mind walking, which I did, but it was sometimes more about getting to and from faster than walking.
View of my hotel from the Acropolis
And the reverse… view of the Acropolis from my hotel room
Downtown Athens has a LOT to see and experience. Experience being a key thing since I imagine most of us visitors jam pack seeing every possible sight (I don’t blame us!) and forget to just feel Athens. I tried to do both and I am pleased with what I got to do on both counts though I certainly did not have enough time to do both well.
Of course, first stop was the Acropolis. If nothing else, that stop has to be made. I had read that it was better to go early to avoid the afternoon sun but I also discovered that the volume of tour buses is greater later in the day. Pictures I took when I arrived and when I left of the entrance to the Acropolis show a marked increase in the number of people coming in. Though there were a lot of people when I got there, it wasn’t too bad. One could manage.
Along the way up to the Parthenon
Acropolis supporting walls – massive!
The ticket to get into the Acropolis serves to enter other historic sites in that neighborhood so the 12euros was well worth it. I walked it up and it was cool to observe the outside walls holding up the top of the Acropolis!
A bit of Athens from the Acropolis
Unfortunately, the scaffolding in parts of the Parthenon detract from it but it still is an impressive structure considering its size, age, and location. I was even more impressed with the great walls around the hill of the Acropolis. The walls on the side of the hill were very high at some points – how did they manage to build those back when?! The views from the Acropolis were very nice. As one walks around, one gets a view of all of Athens. The Temple of Zeus this way, Piraeus that way, etc.
Parthenon, front and center – and tourists everywhere…
Parthenon top corner detail
Side wall meets the front
The Acropolis has more than the Parthenon, of course. I especially like the Erechtheion and the Porch of the Caryatids – the latter being the object of MANY pictures I took. 
Porch of Caryatids
At the foot of the Acropolis are a couple of amphitheater-like sites that you can view from above and, one of which, you can actually visit when you get back down to street level. It is amazing to think of the key historical figures and events that took place around these sites. A good guide or good reference material will cite examples for these places. Incredible to see firsthand that which we learned in high school (much as I had forgotten a good bit of whatever it was I learned!).
Theater of Dyonisos
One key place to see at the feet of the Acropolis is the NEW Acropolis Museum http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/. Unfortunately, poor planning left it on my to do list as the day I thought of going, my last day in Athens, was the day the museum was closed… It was very highly recommended so I regret my mistake.
Also at the feet of the Acropolis are the areas of Plaka and Monestariki. The former seemed to be more about cafés, local and tourist shopping, and real life. The latter seemed more a nexus of transportation (train station is there), eateries and the flea market. However, I do them a disfavor as there are beautiful and old churches as well as very old sites like the Ancient Agora. So these areas are both for sightseeing and experiencing Athens.
Rooftops of the Plaka district
Old but charming building
Old windows are so cool
I greatly enjoyed sitting at a side street café on a wide pedestrian street (off Ermou St.) and drinking a Greek frappé (a must have!). I did this in the same café two days in a row – that’s how much I liked observing life and sipping my frappé. These areas also made for great photo opps with all the people walking by.
Street scenes – 1. Friendly table game on a sidewalk. 2. Tourist movement through Plaka – lots and fast
Greek frappe
I cannot do Athens justice, nor will I try. Of the many other places to check out, some that may be worth seeing during a quick visit to Athens are:
Olympic Stadium
Athens impressed me as did the overall visit to this ancient land. I am eager to go back and keep exploring all that was left to be seen AND experienced by me in Athens, the Isles and the rest of the country!
Pin this image to your travel board for your own quick visit to Athens!
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