The real Greece

Sunday afternoon and yet another ferry ride was on the itinerary. I thought that after a month in the Greek islands I would no longer be afraid to board these boats. The Greeks are very laid back. It ticked 4.37 and my 4.30 ferry was still a tiny speck in the distance of blue water. You literally have 3 minutes to jump onto the boat with your bags, put them in storage and find a seat before the ferry has moved on and left those not quick enough looking confused still standing at the port. I had learnt this the hard way on a previous occasion. Today I was off to Symi, a tiny island between Kos and Rhodes. Most people on the boat were locals going home after a weekend away or tourists staying on till the next island.
I had already visited Santorini, Mykonos and other islands filled with tourists complete with their selfie sticks. Don’t get me wrong, I loved these islands but I was seeking somewhere uncovered. My grandparents were born in Greece then migrated to Australia.My mum can speak fluent Greek while I can only mumble a few sentences or pick up words in a conversation. That’s only if for one second, they speak slowly enough for me to catch on. My mum often talked about meeting locals and improving her Greek. I hoped I would have this opportunity too. I was in a rush to get off the boat in the 3 minutes I had that initially I didn’t even look where I was. Pastel coloured houses rather than traditional blue and white, lined the port and continued up the hill. Maria found me at the port looking up amazed at this little island. I stuck out like a sore thumb, a young blonde carrying a big suitcase with nowhere to go. “Pension?” She asked. I simply nodded and got into the tray of a red Ute. We drove slowly around the port through the markets. I saw old men drinking coffee, Greek yia-yias washing clothes, kids playing in the street. The smell of meat filled the air and the sounds of the traditional bazouki could be heard faintly in the distance. Now for those who haven’t been to Greece, this all sounds very cliché. However, most of the known islands are not like this at all. You can catch a ferry here from Kos or Rhodes. They do not come often as it isn’t a very popular island so make sure you look ahead at the schedule. When you get to Symi, ask anyone for Maria’s pension and they will organise for her to pick you up. Remember to take everything in, the sights, the smells and the sounds. This is Greece. The island further than the ones in the postcards.