"Cut Off One Head, Two More Shall Take Its Place"

Crystal blue waters.

Hydrofoils are a neat idea and lots of fun, but upon initially boarding the Flying Dolphin II, I was transported back to one of the more traumatic memories of my childhood. During my first visit to Australia, we took a high powered, speedy yacht called the Quicksilver out into the Great Barrier Reef. Being only 9 years old and highly prone to motion sickness, I quickly was incapacitated by the rough seas off the Australian coast leading me to head for the railing of the ship. As a 9 year old, I wasn't quite yet familiar with the natural mechanics of "physics" and released that morning's breakfast over the side of the ship. A few seconds later the bile is caught by the wind and strewn all over the large glass windows of the cruiser's main deck, sending other passengers running for their own respective railing. While not as prone to motion sickness as I once was, the choppy waters of the open seas can still cause the faint twinge of nausea every now and again, as well as the painful essence of nostalgia. Thankfully, a 6 AM wake up after getting less than two hours of sleep easily cures potential nausea by causing a complete loss of consciousness over the hydrofoil's entire journey. I woke to turquoise waters and the whitewashed buildings of our destination, the isle of Hydra.

Hydra.

Hydra is a unique Greek island via the fact that it has no cars save a garbage truck and a fire truck; the only true way to navigate this mountainous island is on foot or by donkey. Compared to Athens, Hydra is serene and peaceful, with the ceaseless noise of traffic replaced by the gentle lapping of the turquoise water against the docks. The small coastal village that we arrived at was once the home of revolutionary pirates and the cannons that used to adorn the fort at the harbor's mouth still remain, albeit dormant from lack of use across the centuries. Hydra's buildings scale up the side of the hilly terrain and the white washed buildings give the entire locale a distinct look that is postcard worthy. Though this quiet village and island have eventually succumbed to the relentless plague of tourism, it still holds its small town charms once you are able to stray off the beaten path.

More boats than cars.

This day was purely a relaxation day with no educational obligations. After a brief tour of the village and some historical perspective on the island, we were freed for almost five hours to do whatever we liked. Naturally, all of us immediately rounded the pedestrian path along the cliff line and headed for the nearest beach. The waters of the Saronic Gulf are as cool as the Aegean if not calmer. Which provided a much more relaxing swim than Sounion. I have grown accustomed over this trip to the notoriously rocky "beaches" of Greece and having to stumble and wince over scalding stones to reach the water becomes quite the nuisance after several trips. The group roasted under the sun until it was time to leave and enjoyed a marvelous lunch back in the village and were once again freed to do as we pleased. During this time, I spoke to a few villagers and shopkeepers briefly and became very curious about Hydra's development.

Lounging in the cool waters of the Saronic.

Hydra is obviously geographically separated from the mainland but there are no significant cultural differences to speak of. It is a Greek island like all the rest with inhabitants that possess a fierce sense of national pride; except here at Hydra, that pride seemed almost doubled. Hydra was once a powerful, independent fortress that controlled the narrow strait of the gulf with powerful cannons and swift ships. According to our guide, Hydra was an economic and naval powerhouse leading up to and throughout the Greek War of Independence. The pirate ships of Hydra became notorious harassers of Turkish shipping lines and their naval skills were unmatched. Walking around Hydra, you see evidence of this maritime history everywhere. Cannons, anchors, and replicas of ancient ships can be seen across the island, but the most curious piece of evidence is the flag. Alongside the blue and white Greek flag fluttering in the breeze; is a strange design of blue and red, coated with several maritime emblems. I learned later that this flag is the official flag of the island, designed during the Greek War for Independence. It adorned all of the ships, buildings and shops of the island and you could sense that Hydra still recognized its own independence and value in some way. Such separate national pride from a well established territory was shocking and would akin to Mississippi or Virginia still flying the Confederate flag today. Little things like these cultural developments intrigue me more so than any column or ruin because they relate to the people, and the greatest measurement of a nation's history is the development of its citizens.

Hydra flag, Greek flag, EU flag.

Hail Hydra!