Rhodes, GreeceDec 14, 2004
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Mandraki Harbor. The Colossus of Rhodes stood where the two columns now...
Jean and Benoit-the brothers bicycling around Europe.
Windmill at the harbor.
| When the ferry arrived in Rhodes I didn't know how far the Hotel Manoussos was, but started walking thinking it was in the old town. A guy asked if I needed a place. I said no and asked if he knew how far the Manoussos was. He said in the new town and said to take a taxi. He then tried to hail one for me without much luck. Then he said to get in his van and he'd take me there. The idea was that maybe the next day I would come over to his place after my stay at the Manoussos was over. It worked. My package voucher was for one night only and I decided to go cheap the next day. His place was the Nassos Pensione and he was Nassos. I got my laundry done and walked over there in the morning. The room was big enough, but had no heat and the bathroom had a shower, or rather, was the shower. The hot and cold handles and the shower head at the end of a flex hose just came out of the wall. No curtain, door or any other separation between the shower and the rest of the bathroom-locker room style. The floor was completely covered with a rubber mat and the drain was in the middle of the floor. I guess that's the style here, but it seems that the facilities are "devolving" as I go. On the wall over the bed was a full-size, framed poster of a mink striking a heroic pose with the caption, "American Bred Ranch Mink-The World's Best". A high point in interior design. Nassos and I drove around a bit-he likes to drive, but in the summer it's too hectic for him and so he only drives in winter-and we went to the beach, the market and a gyro food stand. At the pensione I met two brothers from France, Jean and Benoit, who were travelling southern Europe and trying to get to Egypt. They had bicycles with small trailers and were having trouble finding a ferry, direct or otherwise, to Egypt. The next evening I told Nassos that I was probably going the the movies. I had seen that "Alexander" was showing in English with Greek subtitles. He said he'd like to go since he hadn't been to the cinema in five years. So we went. He drove. The movie house was modern and had a big screen with big sound and steep seating that allowed for nice viewing. He liked the show and after we went to a pastry shop and got some baklava before going back to the pensione. The next morning I found a room at Via Via for the same price, but with heat and better amenities. I walked around a bit and stopped at a small snack shop near the harbor. I ended up talking for about 30 min. to the woman who owned and ran it She had travelled a lot in this part of the world and had interesting opinions on a lot of subjects. I said I'd try to stop by again before I left for Turkey. Next day it rained. With wind. And lightining. I stayed in the room all day until the quest for food drove me out. The internet cafe was filled with young guys playing computer games. There was a wait to get a computer so I left and found a restaurant in the old town. I had a great meal and drank, listened to music and talked to the manager and whomever dropped in and got back late. Early in the morning when I went to get a ticket for Marmaris, Turkey, they said they weren't sure whether or not the boat was going because of the stormy weather. I was told just to come to the port about a half hour before the boat left (7:30 am) and then they would know if it was going. I did and it wasn't. The good news was that there was another leaving the next afternoon, not four days from then, which is what I had thought. So I bought a ticket for the next day and enjoyed the sun that had finally come out. I went back to the hotel and told Beatrice, the owner, that I needed to stay another night which was no problem. |
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