Although I'm a few days behind in posting my last couple of entries, our class took a trip to the islands of Delos and Mykonos, for a combination of historical site seeing (Delos) and plain old tourism (Mykonos).
An 8 AM boat ride in marginally rough seas normally sounds terrible, at least to a land-lubber like me. Although I sometimes wish I was a fisherman or sea boat captain of some sort, the truth is that I will probably always be a mere passenger. If the appearance of the sea wasn't enough, one of the professors was handing out Dramamine (or something like it) to anyone even slightly concerned about motion sickness. Despite all of that, most of us were actually in good spirits.
The ferry we took to Delos was considerably smaller than the car ferry we took from Athens to Paros. This boat was perhaps 70' long, and held maybe 150 or 200 passengers (assuming all the seats are ever filled). I thought smugly when boarding 'this boat is a catamaran design, it doesn't matter what the ocean is like, we'll be fine!' Somehow Greece has a way of working any hubris right out of me, because that boat rocked like a bucking bronco. From the lower (inside) deck, the keeling was significant enough to fill the view from one side's view entirely with sky, while simultaneously filling the other side with a view of waves. The top deck, maybe 15 or 20 feet from the surface of the water, we were splashed on multiple occasions. Amazingly, despite the fact that I didn't take Dramamine, and that all but perhaps two of our group are certified land lubbers, only one person out of 30 got seasick. Most of us actually enjoyed the ride, as long as we didn't try to walk while the boat was under way.
Arriving at Delos was a strange experience. The place has been uninhabited for centuries, yet miles of low stone walls still criss cross the extremities of the island. As we neared the sacred harbor, dozens of ruins of buildings and temples came into view, extending from the base of mount Kynthos all the way to the sea (there are actually some columns whose bases are still lapped by the surf). There is a significant ancient neighborhood, remarkably intact, near the debarkation point for the ferries. Within the walls of the homes, interior plaster is still visible in places, and a few of the more opulent homes still show beautiful mosaic floors. One displays some rather devious looking dolphins, others resemble rugs, and others have various nautical or religious themes.
The effect of so many remarkably intact ruins is eerie. It would seem more appropriate for the island to have been abandoned 50 years ago, not several times that number. Some of the streets and alleys still seem to cling to the liveliness and bustle they held when Delos was a trading city, filled with rich merchants and foreign travelers. I almost expected to see a child duck his head from one of the doorways, or to see someone draw water from the cisterns located in each home.
Since the 5th Century BC, two specific acts have been forbidden on the island - birth and death. Due to the sanctity of the island, as the mythical birthplace of Apollo and (sometimes) Artemis, much of its most ancient history is purely religious or ceremonial. Thus there is a disproportionate number of temple ruins on Delos. It has also been the site of pilgrimages for centuries - Homer even composed his "Hymns" here, on the top of Mount Kynthos. The spot is marked with a short concrete pillar, which also happens to be my favorite part of the island. The view here, ruins aside, is astounding - and the intensity with which the wind buffets you there is both entertaining and frightening - it almost seems as though an angry god is attempting to cast you from his mountaintop.
The island is as barren now as it was in ancient times, but it still carries an odd beauty all its own. Looking over the Aegean to Mykonos from atop Mount Kynthos, I can begin to understand what inspired Homer so many centuries back. It would be hard not to at least try to write hymns to the deity responsible for such a sight.
Mykonos was somewhat more typical of the Cyclades - a beautiful island, a picturesque town, filled to the brim with tourists. Mykonos features a harbor deep enough for massive cruise liners, and there were three there on Sunday. Like Naoussa on Paros, Mykonos seems to have at least something of a fishing community still thriving, and seafood was definitely prominent on every menu there. After lunch, I conned a few fellow students (Marissa, Drew, Alex) into wandering in the general direction of 'up, and away from the tourists.' We got to follow a mountain road with a view of the sea the entire way - and along the way we saw homes with what must be some of the best views in the world.
I believe that's about enough for now, it's nearing 6 AM here and I have noticed that there is an exponential relationship between sleep deprivation and stupid typos/grammatical errors in my blogging.
Pictures will be added soon!
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