Traversing the Isthmus

My eyes snap open at the sound of the alarm, and though it is pitch black and my iTouch is several feet from my grasp, I know what it says; "It is too damn early to be going to Corinth" it screams at me with every increasingly annoying beep. The nuclear missile silo alarm ripped right out of WarGames is an appropriate metaphor for the pure exhaustion I feel, but I remind myself to change it when I get back anyway. It is 6 AM and our weary band of travelers is off again to see more shards of history scattered about the land. Today, we were off to the famous Peloponnesian Peninsula, the site of many famous wars, battles, massacres and ancient civilizations. Needless to say, I was pretty excited once I got past the initial grogginess of the morning. Corinth was a much shorter trip than Delphi and one pleasure I get from being on the bus that early is being able to see Greece before she wakes. I sort of started this fascination with sleeping cities when I went home to Japan for Christmas. Jetlagged and bored at 4 AM, I wandered out of my hotel and walked aimlessly just to let the nostalgic feeling of happiness and comfort wash over me on my walkabout. While doing so, I looked around and noticed how eerily quiet and peaceful the world's largest city was. Of course that would change slightly in the more concentrated downtown regions of Tokyo, but my point has been made. Athens is just as groggy when it wakes up as American college students with the bustle of the afternoon hours absent in the early light, and staring out at the sleepy city and every closed shop and vacant street corner while listening to 80's slow jams is a relaxing way to start the morning.

The temple at Corinth

Corinth. I must say that I was rather unfamiliar with this location relative to the other places we had visited. I recognized the name from my studies of the Peloponnesian Wars, but knew little of the specific details about the city. It has a storied history for sure, and to see the ruins settled nicely at the feet of the acropolis lingering above was a postcard moment to highlight the morning. Personally, I've always been more interested in Roman History rather than Greek, so Corinth was a special treat for the likes of me. To see Roman columns and architecture strewn amongst the ruins of a once powerful Greek city was very neat. A clash of cultures and opposing forces is always a spectacle worth witnessing, especially when it is the two cultures that set the groundwork for what our lives are like today. We received a special tour from one of the archeologists who had spent most of her life dedicated to researching and unearthing the secrets of Corinth and the passion she showed for the site was clearly evidenced by the house she bought 100 yards from the dig. The stories and in depth knowledge she provided really helped me visualize what the place might have looked like all those years ago, and for the first time I was able to experience the sensation of imagining an ancient city at the height of its power.

Temple ruins.

The highlight of that morning though was not the ancient ruins or the glory of years past, but rather the trip we took to the archeologists house right after our tour. She graciously allowed 20 college students to invade her home and be treated to lemonade, corn bread, apple cake and oranges that must have been plucked from God's own candy bucket. Maybe this stands out in my mind because I have a tendency to forget breakfast before these long journeys; but I think it was the juiciest and sweetest oranges I had ever come across in my life. The half hour rest stop was the energy boost that many of us needed before proceeding on to the rest of our day.

Mycenae was next, and for those of you unfamiliar with the site, this was the realm and possible palace of King Agamemnon from the fabled Trojan War. The palace is home to several famous burial chambers that were used for ancient noble families of the region as well as some of the most spectacular views we had seen during our time in Greece. Climbing to the top of Brian Cox's (played Agamemnon in "Troy") palace provided a near 360 degree view of the surrounding area with flat plains dotted with mountains like me when I had chicken pox as a child. The coolest feature of the place though was an underground cistern that was used for water during sieges. The pitch black tunnel traveled 18 meters underground and was one of those moments where you couldn't believe people had dug out something so complex with rudimentary equipment. Astonishing.

The part about Greece that has already drawn my ire and continues to annoy is the heat. It can be brutal with clouds being as rare as Greeks who don't stare (rhyme bonus). It saps your energy and can leave the most eager of travelers resigned to sitting under a shady tree and gazing upon historic artifacts from afar. After Mycenae was when my strength really started to wane and I began to have to tell myself to pick up my feet and put them down again. This would have been fine on flat ground, but the Greeks would build a hill in the middle of a plain just so they could put stairs there. Seeing our next and final destination though, gave me a newfound burst of excitement and energy.

The town of Nafplio. Viewed from the top of a Venetian Castle.

The town of Nafplio is a picturesque sea side town that has the quaint charms of a small European town with the resources of a sizable city. Alleys of white cobblestone, hanging vines and sidewalk cafes made up most of the town by the sea and there were distinct instances where I cursed myself for not having a camera. Nafplio is even more impressive when seen from above. The mountain that looms over the city has an medieval fort resting on the top and the views from this castle fortress made me stop and just admire where I was and what I was doing. All of my qualms about hunger and heat disappeared as I just sat and stared out over the land below. It was one of the most peaceful moments in recent memory for me and a sight that I will not soon forget. Departing the castle was only soothed by the joys of getting to wander inside the city for a time.

Mary, Nicole, Hannah and I in Nafplio harbor. With the harbor castle in the background.

At lunch, I may have been a bit overeager with my consumption of food but no one there could dispute the fact that I was hungry. I polished off my own pork rolls marinated with peppers and tomatoes, a side plate of French fries and the large chicken gyro plate that my friend Katie had only snacked on. All of that protein washed down with beer must have been the Greek equivalent of Pop Rocks and Coke because I nearly doubled over from the pain of the stomach cramps I was having. Groaning most of the way, I trudged along with the small group I had broken off with as we headed to find a place near the water where we could spend our last hour in the Peloponnesian . It was a very relaxing hour filled with tanning and stupid "YOLO" moments like wading fully clothed into crystal blue waters before getting on a two hour bus ride back to Athens. It was one of the better and simpler moments of the trip and despite not starting off very grand or exciting, I believe that the trip to Corinth and Co. was my favorite day trip we have taken thus far.