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The utter craziness of this solo trip to Greece and Turkey in 2003 started before I even left the ground. Remember I booked my flight and hotel stays in February and wasn’t traveling until June. Meanwhile, I was consumed with a full-time job plus part-time graduate work at a local university. I literally was scheduled to fly out just a few days after semester finals. I took extra precautions too by photocopying my passport and leaving it with my work group’s office assistant. I decided not to bring my driver’s license with me out of fear of losing it (big mistake). Packed all the essential things and arranged my drop-off and pick-up to and from the airport. One important step that was missed was not confirming my flight in advance. Major OOPS!

My flight was scheduled as a red-eye out of Los Angeles to New York on a Friday night. A friend of mine lived in NYC at that time, so I was going to be able to visit her for the day and catch my direct flight to Athens Saturday night. I’m dropped off at the airport to find no one in line at the ticket check-in counter. This was weird? I try to check-in and the airline representative proceeds to tell me my flight left at noon that day. What?? Then why didn’t anyone here notify me? I hand over my paperwork to her and she shows me the fine print at the bottom to check my flight status 72 hours in advance of departure. She then goes to the “back” to see what she can do. So many thoughts and emotions are running through me. Certainly, she is going to book me on the next flight and upgrade me, right? Obvious answer and to my dismay, NO that did not happen. She returns to the front counter and gets on the phone with the airline reservation representative to get the flight information leaving the next day and then proceeds to tell me that I will be responsible for paying the price difference in airfare AND if I don’t book with her right then and there, I FORFEIT the money I paid. She also said the travel agent did not provide the airlines with my contact information and that is why I was not notified….it was up to my travel agent. Stunned and almost tongue-tied, I told her I would fight this with my travel agent and the airline and left the front counter.

Stranded at the airport, I managed to get a hold of my aunt to pick me up. She gets bad directions from my uncle and it takes her a couple of hours to arrive. Tried calling my friend in NYC and her phone line was turned off. Left a voicemail with my travel agent. Then called the airlines to see what I can get accomplished over the phone. The airline rep was obviously the same person the lady at the check-in counter was speaking to as he asks “is this the Athens”. He said he could get me on some plane that left Los Angeles at 1:00am – transfer to Atlanta, Georgia – transfer to Paris, France and by 2 days later I should be in Athens, Greece. I obviously declined that offer. I resolved myself that this dream trip was going to be cancelled.

Early Saturday morning I again contact the airline to see what they could possibly do. After a long hold, the airline representative said she could book me on a flight leaving Los Angeles Sunday morning with a direct connection through NYC and I would arrive to Greece on Monday at the same fare – I took it! Found out later it was my travel agent working behind the scenes that made that reservation but the airlines took the credit!

My travel agent picked me up Sunday morning and drove me to the airport as he wanted to ensure I got on a flight this time and to negotiate with the airlines to upgrade me – the airlines were unwilling but gave me a few hundred points instead for my “troubles.” Made it to NYC and caught my connection flight. Met a nice lady sitting next to me who was in the travel business. She gave a me a business card of a unique jewelry shop in the Plaka to go to when I was in Athens. She said all of the US diplomats shop there.

Couple of hours into the flight and somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, the pilot gets on the intercom and announces a passenger has just had a heart attack and we possibly might have to turn the aircraft around and land back at NYC. At this point I raise my hands and surrender. This 2003 trip is starting out like the year 2020 is so far. Amazingly, the passenger remained stabilized and was being cared for in the back of the plane and we were able to continue our flight. Landed in Athens FINALLY! I lost one day in Athens due to the whole airline fiasco, so I had to make every moment count! From Athens, I would venture to Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes and then to Turkey for the final week.

Upon arrival, it was love at first sight for me….all of that stress actually getting there disappeared. Walking major streets, modern shops and office buildings and turn corners to find ancient ruins that are thousands of years old. So amazing to actually step foot onto such ancient land and see the tall-pillared structures. My fears of not knowing the language (outside the please and thank you’s) were proved wrong as the people understood and spoke to me in English with zero attitude. Everyone was so friendly, warm and inviting. Hotel staff were extremely kind and helpful. Food was AMAZING and I just basked in the whole Greek culture. I never felt so comfortable in a foreign country and even imagined myself living there. I hired English guides for the tours I wanted to take, including, of course, the famous Parthenon. Spent the rest of my limited time in the Plaka enjoying the shops and restaurants. Found the jewelry shop the lady on the airplane recommended. Sure enough, the US Diplomats and US Embassy personnel do their shopping there and a DEA Agent happened to be there as I arrived. He was purchasing something not on display for his wife. Because I happened to be there at the right time, they opened that tray up to me. It was a tray of ancient Greek coins of Alexander the Great in BC time period wrapped in 18kt yellow gold. Pure luck for me! Bought a pendant and another “on display” pendant – oh and a gold Greek key ring too! I’m a jewelry lover and who knows when/if I would ever get to return here, right?

Caught my ferry to Mykonos, destination #2. This island was a blast. It stands up to its reputation for being the party island for the rich and famous. Again, met a bunch of wonderful people, including a nice Italian man from Genoa working there for the summer. My hotel was located along the water, but required a 10-minute shuttle bus into the main part of town. I was carrying my camera, money and passport in this little black purse; because of the camera, the purse’s snap closure wouldn’t work. Soon to find out while waiting on my ferry leaving Mykonos to Santorini, I had LOST MY PASSPORT! I suspect it might have slipped away from my purse while taking that shuttle bus (no lights at night and it was very dark) or it was straight out stolen! And just to find out my bad luck wasn’t over! Further, I had NO PHOTO ID on me, as I chose not to bring my driver’s license with me out of fear of losing it (irony). To be continued…in Part III.