Who’s afraid of Greece?

Greece is a place where you do go and with very few prerequisites. You may be asked to wear long pants and cover your shoulders when you enter a monastery or a church but apart from that I cannot think of something that does not pass in tolerance regarding visitors. In Greece visitors are sacred; it has been so since the ancient times because gods would visit quite often disguised into strangers. That the Greek filoxenia (filo= friend, xenos= stranger) has been abused by drunkards from Northern Europe since mass tourism was invented is to be blamed to both sides. To me it has been more striking the non solidarity between groups of  “friends” partying on Greek islands. It still haunts me the image of a girl sleeping face down on the floor of the camping toilets with the mobile telephone in her hand attached to the plug; none of her friends came by to pick her up till the morning. Greeks have many flaws but when it comes to friends and family they are there; still, the visitor will always eat first and the best piece. Speaking of solidarity, the last years Greeks have been accused mainly from the other Europeans of several evils, some true but most of them untrue. The biggest fault is that they fail to pay their bills or even worse that they threaten the wellbeing of their friends. The latest expression of this threat is the option to exit the euro zone very soon. Without exactly knowing if, when and how this could happen, the Europeans (that soon may have to change their names to something non Greek if they want to be consequent) are given the advice to take extra cash with them when visiting Greece. Because: cash machines may not have banknotes. Also, they are worried that there may not be gas for their hired cars and no breakfast served at the hotels. This brings to mind people who take in their luggage peanut butter because there may not be any at the country where they are going. Well, I suggest to take your chances. I am sure that there is everything you might need, but maybe it is a good exercise to imagine yourself spending two weeks without much.

My advice: go without fear and look around for the most friendly wilderness of the world.

P.S. Challenge makes the brain sparkle; comfort sedates it. It’s up to you.