I took the transport services I needed to get there. I arrived at Piraeus by 7am, and still had plenty of time to board my ship. It wasn't too difficult to find; my ship was called the "Nefeli", so I looked around for the ship with that name, at the dock listed on my ticket.
I boarded the ship and bought myself an ice slurpee to refresh myself. The ship departed and I was ready to set sail. It was one hour to the port of Aegina Town, on the island of Aegina. I took it upon myself to take a look around the ship and watch the scenery go past, and watch the island come closer into view, which became more and more beautiful.
After disembarkation, I explored the town. It was much different from the city of Athens, and a new outlook on Greece for me. I was happy. I was taking it upon myself to see what I could see. I headed to the Temple of Apollo. The site was closed, unfortunately, but I took what I could of the main column from outside the gates.
Later on, I took the bus to the ruins of Paleohora. I must say, I was impressed by these churches and chapelles that were situated along the mountainside. Some of these are as old as 800 years. It was great to explore the insides of them. This place seemed like a proper adventure. I love freely exploring old ruins. There were great views of the Saronic Gulf from up here too.
After my exploration of Paleohora, I took myself back down to the bus stop along the road. I'm not very fond of the transportation system here. There was nowhere that I could buy a new bus ticket, and I couldn't use my old one, as the bus driver collects it. So, I had to wait for a taxi, which I spent €8 for. I tried to bargain, but the driver wouldn't have it. He dropped me off at the ancient site of the Temple of Aphaia. This place was fantastic!
The temple itself resembled that of the Parthenon. It was situated in a place with great views over the Saronic Gulf. I could see Athens from here. It was an enjoyable archaeological site, with plenty of tourists around it too.
After my visit here, I walked my way down the winding road to the town of Aghia Marina, the town that is on the other side of Aegina island from Aegina Town. It was a pleasant looking town, and quite deserted. There was hardly anyone on the street. Perhaps they might have been sleeping, as part of the Greek lifestyle is to sleep at noon. I had the company of a dog while I waited for the bus back to Aegina Town. Again, I must say that the public transportation system on this island is quite inferior to that of Athens. The driver collects your ticket, rather than you validating it and keeping it on board, and the seats on the bus are wooden and uncomfortable. It was the only downside of the trip so far. I took a nice shot of the town before I headed back.
Upon returning back to Aegina Town, I settled down to have dinner. I bought myself a bowl of Spaghetti Bolognaise at a seaside taverna, which was very affordable as well as tasty, and I had to use only Greek the whole time on this island, as hardly anyone knew English. Overall, it was enjoyable.
I headed back to the dock and waited for my next ferry to the next island, Poros. I almost got on the wrong ship, back to Piraeus. It was a while longer until the right ship arrived. I made use of the time I had, and had a look inside a small church by the dock, as well as take a few more pictures.
It was night by the time I got to Poros. I went into an acency and found myself a room for €35, at Hotel Dimitrias. Now my money belt has surely gotten thinner.
At the hotel, the lady knew hardly any English at all, and it was hard to get everything straight. I told her that she could try speaking to me in Greek, as I understand it. She was not aware that I understood the language, but she proceeded to talk in English anyway. She showed me around the room that I was going to sleep in, and told me where and what everything was. She didn't do too badly.
I got to relax after my big day. I showered, prepared myself for bed, and in the meantime, got a phone call from Agnes. I was happy to hear from her, and I told her where I was, holidaying. We had a nice, though short, talk. Now, it's time to sleep. I have an adventure tomorrow!
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