How To Not Die Cycling In Athens

When I tell people that I cycle in Athens, the typical response is either “You’re insane,” or “Oh my God, isn’t that dangerous?” So I thought my lovely readers might like to hear my tips for how to not die cycling in Athens.

Cycling in Athens can definitely be a challenge… The roads are VERY rough, there are no bike lanes anywhere, and people here are not accustomed to cyclists on the road. That being said, it is certainly not impossible to cycle here, and I actually quite enjoy it. I love the freedom of being able to go anywhere in the city, any time of day (or night), and not having to wait for public transportation. Also, most of the center of Athens is fairly flat, which means not having to worry about killing yourself with the hills. Plus, of course it’s good exercise!

So, how do you not die cycling in Athens?

Stay on the Main Roads.

This may sound a little backwards, but staying on the main roads makes cycling in Athens so much easier! The smaller roads have lots of parked cars, and there is no room for moving cars to get around you. They also are even more rough than the main roads, and you have to be very careful and slow down at every intersection. Main roads have space for your bicycle, and you don’t have to worry so much about intersections: either there is a signal, or you have the right of way. Simple. It is also acceptable to go against traffic on the main roads because there is enough space.

Use Lights

Of course you should always use lights at night, but particularly here in Athens, if there is any limitation on visibility, lights are very important. Reflectors just aren’t gonna cut it here, folks. As I mentioned before, people in Athens aren’t used to cyclists, so to stay safe, make sure they can see you.

Watch Out For Pedestrians

You would think people walking into the street would look where they were going, but Athenian pedestrians seem to have selective blindness for bicycles. Every time I have had a close call with my bike, it has been because someone walked right in front of me.

Avoid Merging Left

Even with relatively little traffic, it can be difficult to maneuver into the left lane to make a left turn, especially if you happen to be going uphill. Actually, it can be easier to merge when there is traffic because the cars are stopped, or moving very slowly, and you can get around (and often ahead of, hehe) them. To avoid the hassle though, I regularly turn right instead of left, make a U-turn, then wait for the light and go straight through the intersection. Especially if you aren’t used to the roads and cycling here, this is definitely the safer option.

You Can Take Your Bicycle On The Metro

If you need to go a long distance and don’t want to ride that far, you can take your bicycle on the metro. Generally speaking, the last car in the metro will have a bit more space, so aim for getting in that car. Also note: you cannot take your bicycle on the buses.

Drinking and Cycling is Ok

Know your limits, of course, but unlike some other places, it is acceptable to drink and cycle here. Be careful, but don’t worry about getting hassled.

I hope these tips will inspire you to try cycling in Athens! Do you have any other tips? Have you cycled in Athens? I’d love to hear about it!

Strength Through Tragedy

I am writing to you from a little cafe just outside of a small village in Crete… a village I had no plans to visit, and I was actually supposed to leave Greece at the end of May. That picture above is me in Sissi, another little village in Crete where I was doing a WorkAway. Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written, but, as so often happens, my plans have gotten completely changed and something actually quite serious happened this time that made me make that change. I have spent almost the last three months trying to figure out if I should, and then how, to share this story with you…  So here it goes…

Trigger Warning: Violence, Rape

My plan was to spend May in Greece visiting friends, with a short trip to an island, and then move on to Kurdish Iraq to volunteer there. I was thinking about going to Crete, but I was fully flexible on which island I would go to, I never know what opportunities will come up. I met a friend who lives on the island of Chios and he invited me to come there for a week of beach camping, which sounded great, so I agreed and was on a boat a few days later.

The first couple of days we spent lounging on the beach, I was doing yoga while he was fishing, or we would go for a drive to visit his friends around the island. But then he had some stuff come up and was unable to spend much time with me, so he took me to stay in his flat near the city of Chios to spend my time there (mostly) alone until I was ready to leave. Of course I didn’t mind at all being left alone, so I spent my days wandering around the city or lounging on nearby beaches. I had met a few people, but no one particularly interesting. One day I was sitting in a little square and an older man asked me for the time. I was bored, and so began chatting with him and his friend, and we were having a nice time. We drank a little wine, and then the man who had asked me for the time offered to take me to a nearby beach for another drink, and I accepted the invitation.

We had a nice time out for a drink overlooking a lovely beach, and then around four or five in the afternoon we decided to go back into the city to meet up with his friend. That is the last thing I remember until I woke up in the middle of the night naked, confused, and with a very sore hand in the bed of his friend. I am not going to go into full detail here, but this is a story I need to share.

I asked for my clothes back, and didn’t get them. I asked to leave and he said he would take me back to the city in the morning. I was terrified. I tried to run away, stark naked, but we were in the mountains, it was pitch black and far away from other people, so I did not get far. I was ahead of him, but after falling down a few times he caught up with me. He convinced me to come back to the house, promising me my clothes and that I would be ok. I didn’t get my clothes, and I tried to run again. This time he was getting annoyed with me and brought me a little more forcefully back to the house, but gave me my shorts. I tried to run again, but still I could not find my way to a road, and after falling a few more times he was on top of me again, kissing me. I tried to fight him off of me, but to no avail. When he was trying to kiss me again, I bit his lip as hard as I could which did nothing but royally piss him off. He began beating me fiercely, and dragged me back into his house. I was begging him to let me go, but he refused. He told me if I was not such a good girl, and he didn’t love me like a sister, he would kill me. But because I was such a good girl, he would only rape me. Crying and terrified, I begged him not to rape me, but he did. I tried to fight, but I knew my life was on the line and I couldn’t run, so I had to be careful.

After it was over, I knew the only way I would get back into the city alive was to play nice. I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone, and waited as patiently as I could for the sun to rise, then managed to convince him to take me into the city and let me go home.

I made my way across the city, limping from a sprained ankle, crying, bruised and bloody until I found a little spot on the beach to sit and think for a minute. It was really early, but I called a couple of friends to try and figure out my next move. The man who did it was a gypsy, and while I have some good friends who are gypsies, I am also well aware of how dangerous they can be. If I went to the police, I was risking my life because the other gypsies would know and be looking for me. If I wanted vengeance, I would certainly have found away. I have plenty of friends who would be willing to beat, and possibly even kill, him for what he did to me. But I am not the type for vengeance. I knew, though, that I was not the first girl he had done this to, and I was equally certain I would not be the last if I did not go to the police and get him put behind bars.

I could not walk to the police station, even had I known where it was, as it would have been too dangerous. So I limped into the nearest shop I could find and asked them to call the police for me. They saw my state, gave me some water, and called the police to come get me in an unmarked car.

The next few days were terrifying, and I spent most of them in the police station or in the hospital. They caught the guy who did it, it wasn’t difficult as he spent most days in the square where I met him, but it was still terrifying because I was worried another gypsy would come after me. A brother of a friend from Athens was living in the city, and he came to the hospital the first day, and was consistently in touch to make sure I was ok. The friend I had come there with was around as much as he could be, but his father was ill and he was working so he couldn’t be there as often as I would have liked. Eventually I finished what I had to do with the police, and was free to go back to Athens.

---

Being home in Athens was such a huge relief. I went back to stay with a dear friend of mine who took fantastic care of me, both physically and mentally. I was surrounded by friends and “family” who were constantly supporting me in every way they possibly could. I tried to cover the wounds and hide my black eye, but was not always successful. I don’t care what people think about me, but the stares were a constant reminder of what happened. With random strangers who inquired about my injuries, I would say it was a motorbike accident, but to my friends I would not lie, even though that would have been easier. Honestly, one of the most difficult parts of recovering from this was handling comments like “I told you to be more careful, why didn’t you listen?” “Have you learned a lesson?” or “Why would you go for a drink with a stranger?”  I know these comments were made out of love and concern, but each one was like another fresh wound opening up. Why was I getting blamed for this? I am careful, I do have a pretty damn good sense for people after being on the road for so long, and above all, when you travel solo, especially with little to no money, your entire life is dependent on meeting strangers, many of whom have become dear friends and “family.” I was so hurt by these comments, I was planning on writing an entire post about the harmful effects of victim blaming.

But now I have decided to write this post from a place of strength and positivity. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. At first I thought maybe the reason was to stop me from going onto the Middle East, or to keep me in Greece for some reason, but now I truly believe it was to save other women. I am strong, I have been raped before, and recovered. I am close to being recovered from this. But the next woman he raped would probably not be so strong… or maybe he would have killed her. It took me years to recover from the first time, but this time I knew I had the ability to recover, and was in the most loving and supportive environment possible. I consider myself lucky it happened in a country where I speak enough of the language to get help, and had all of the support I needed.

I have said for a long time that it doesn’t matter what happens to me, I can be knocked down a thousand times, but I will rise. And I proved that to myself yet again. This was a terrible experience, but I am grateful for it because it reminded me of my strength, reminded me of all of the people around the world who genuinely love me, and I believe it gave me the opportunity to save other women from the same, or worse, fate. So, bring it on. I will keep traveling, keep being open, keep meeting new people. I refuse to stop believing in the goodness of humanity and I refuse to give up this amazing life I have created.

I hope this post can help other women who have been through similar experiences find strength, and I hope it will enlighten everyone else about things that happen all the time. Most women I know, and some men as well, have experienced some form of domestic violence or sexual assault, but many are afraid to speak about it. We need to speak about it, though, men and women, to give power to those of us who have been through it and to take away power from those who commit these acts of violence. If you have experienced domestic or sexual violence, it is okay to say something. Please say something, for yourself and for others. It is NOT your fault. It is your story, and you have the right to be heard. If you have no one to talk to about this, send me a message. We are all in this together.

Peace out and adventure on, I know I will!

Feeling The Love In The Air(plane)

I sat down in my aisle seat on what appeared to be a pleasantly not full flight on Iceland air from Seattle to Reykjavik. And then, I see a mother and soon looking towards my aisle. Guess I won’t have the row to myself. Ok, it could be worse, at least it wasn’t a baby. Almost immediately upon sitting down, the woman turns to me and pleasantly begins small talk, and the kid seems fairly well behaved. Alright…Maybe this won’t be so bad.

I’m flying, I’m exhausted, I’m drinking. I don’t remember everything we talked about, but I know it was a nice chat. She was excited for my trip. We all looked at the awesome kids packet given out by Iceland Air. Stickers, coloring, checklists, (and there was even a meal delivered before the start of the rest of the service). So, I don’t really like kids, but if you have some and you’re flying to Europe, TAKE ICELAND AIR!!! Not to mention on long flights they welcome you onboard with a bottle of water instead of making you wait until the first round of service for a tiny cup, like most airlines. And they have seat back entertainment plus a USB port to charge your devices. In economy. Seriously nice (about as nice as the super friendly flight attendants). Do, however, be prepared to either bring or purchase food, as they don’t include a meal, even on long international flights.
And by the way, did you know you can do a free one to seven day stopover in Iceland?!? I wish I had known that before I booked my Stockholm to Paris flight. Oh well…

Anyways, the really nice lady and I kept chatting for a while. Soon she pulled out some Indian flatbread with potatoes and vegetables, which she so kindly shared with me (I had only had a little bite to eat in the morning, and just had chocolate and some crackers with me… whoops, rookie move). Slightly spicy, absolutely delicious, and definitely filling, I rapidly devoured the phenomenal bread. Several minutes later, the flight attendant came by with the aforementioned kids meal. The mother and child are vegetarian, so while he could enjoy the juice and snacks, since he couldn’t eat the main course provided, they kindly offered it to me. The son didn’t even bat an eye at giving up his spaghetti (he got to keep his Oreos, though, and I had given him a piece of chocolate earlier). Wow. Doesn’t get much better than that. We enjoyed the view of the mountains while we had it, chatted a bit here and there, shared our snacks, and learned a little Islenska (the Icelandic language) from the kids packet.

Near the end of the flight, I offered the kind lady some more chocolate. She declined, but loaded me up with two power bars and a bar of trader joes chocolate, on top of promising she and her friends would follow my blog. I’ve learned never to turn down free food, but when some people give it, it means more. Sometimes something as small as a piece of bread and a granola bar can touch your heart, because you can tell the person giving it is giving you their good will as well, giving a little piece of themselves.

Talk about a great flight. I was drinking the not unreasonably (for airlines anyways) priced beer and listening to some great albums on my iPad. Plus it was only a, roughly, 7 hour flight. Score! Added bonus of getting a little more food in me. Even though I didn’t sleep at all, arriving in Stockholm was so much easier than landing in Athens after 26+ hours of travel with less than 2 hours of sleep in as many days like last summer. Now that was intense.

Thanks to a CSer who was helping me study Swedish when I was thinking to move there, I had a ride from the airport, and my host was even so kind as to invite my CS friend to come for dinner! Pssss, so nice … How did I get so lucky?!?

I have no idea what Stockholm, let alone this trip, has in store for me. But damn, I can’t wait to find out! I have no expectations other than it will be a good time. Nothing specific I want to see or do, not on the hunt for a boy to flirt with, just going where I want to see what will happen.

It seems so strange to travel for over a month knowing, at least relatively, people everywhere I go. Last summer when I set off, I didn’t know anyone. Now I have a full itinerary with friends for over a month. What?!? That, if nothing else, should go to show you how if you open yourself up and reach out to people, you will make more fiends than you could have imagined. Seriously I have more friends in/from Athens than Seattle, and I am making more all over.

So peace out and adventure on, friends!

Feeling The Love In The Air(plane)

I sat down in my aisle seat on what appeared to be a pleasantly not full flight on Iceland air from Seattle to Reykjavik. And then, I see a mother and soon looking towards my aisle. Guess I won’t have the row to myself. Ok, it could be worse, at least it wasn’t a baby. Almost immediately upon sitting down, the woman turns to me and pleasantly begins small talk, and the kid seems fairly well behaved. Alright…Maybe this won’t be so bad.

I’m flying, I’m exhausted, I’m drinking. I don’t remember everything we talked about, but I know it was a nice chat. She was excited for my trip. We all looked at the awesome kids packet given out by Iceland Air. Stickers, coloring, checklists, (and there was even a meal delivered before the start of the rest of the service). So, I don’t really like kids, but if you have some and you’re flying to Europe, TAKE ICELAND AIR!!! Not to mention on long flights they welcome you onboard with a bottle of water instead of making you wait until the first round of service for a tiny cup, like most airlines. And they have seat back entertainment plus a USB port to charge your devices. In economy. Seriously nice (about as nice as the super friendly flight attendants). Do, however, be prepared to either bring or purchase food, as they don’t include a meal, even on long international flights.
And by the way, did you know you can do a free one to seven day stopover in Iceland?!? I wish I had known that before I booked my Stockholm to Paris flight. Oh well…

Anyways, the really nice lady and I kept chatting for a while. Soon she pulled out some Indian flatbread with potatoes and vegetables, which she so kindly shared with me (I had only had a little bite to eat in the morning, and just had chocolate and some crackers with me… whoops, rookie move). Slightly spicy, absolutely delicious, and definitely filling, I rapidly devoured the phenomenal bread. Several minutes later, the flight attendant came by with the aforementioned kids meal. The mother and child are vegetarian, so while he could enjoy the juice and snacks, since he couldn’t eat the main course provided, they kindly offered it to me. The son didn’t even bat an eye at giving up his spaghetti (he got to keep his Oreos, though, and I had given him a piece of chocolate earlier). Wow. Doesn’t get much better than that. We enjoyed the view of the mountains while we had it, chatted a bit here and there, shared our snacks, and learned a little Islenska (the Icelandic language) from the kids packet.

Near the end of the flight, I offered the kind lady some more chocolate. She declined, but loaded me up with two power bars and a bar of Trader Joes chocolate, on top of promising she and her friends would follow my blog. I’ve learned never to turn down free food, but when some people give it, it means more. Sometimes something as small as a piece of bread and a granola bar can touch your heart, because you can tell the person giving it is giving you their good will as well, giving a little piece of themselves.

Talk about a great flight. I was drinking the not unreasonably (for airlines anyways) priced beer and listening to some great albums on my iPad. Plus it was only a, roughly, 7 hour flight. Score! Added bonus of getting a little more food in me. Even though I didn’t sleep at all, arriving in Stockholm was so much easier than landing in Athens after 26+ hours of travel with less than 2 hours of sleep in as many days like last summer. Now that was intense.

Thanks to a CSer who was helping me study Swedish when I was thinking to move there, I had a ride from the airport, and my host was even so kind as to invite my CS friend to come for dinner! Pssss, so nice … How did I get so lucky?!?

I have no idea what Stockholm, let alone this trip, has in store for me. But damn, I can’t wait to find out! I have no expectations other than it will be a good time. Nothing specific I want to see or do, not on the hunt for a boy to flirt with, just going where I want to see what will happen.

It seems so strange to travel for over a month knowing, at least relatively, people everywhere I go. Last summer when I set off, I didn’t know anyone. Now I have a full itinerary with friends for over a month. What?!? That, if nothing else, should go to show you how if you open yourself up and reach out to people, you will make more fiends than you could have imagined. Seriously I have more friends in/from Athens than Seattle, and I am making more all over.

So peace out and adventure on, friends!

New Website!

Hey everyone!
We have finally gotten a proper domain name!
So from now on, all updates will be posted at
www.hippiehitstheroad.com
Please update your bookmarks, as this site will no longer be in use
Everything from now on will be on the new site!
Thanks,
Tara- Hippie Hits The Road

Georgia On My Mind

I arrived in Atlanta a little after 7pm last Saturday to visit my family. It had been years since I'd seen them (and the dogs), so I was a little bit nervous. I came up the escalator towards the airport exit, scanning the crowd for them. They saw me first, and when my eyes landed on them, they were waiting with big smiles.
As we drove into the city, the conversation was slightly awkward to begin with, but soon it was flowing as naturally as it had always come and we started filling each other in on the huge events of the last couple years. We were soon at our destination: an area called Little 5 Points to go get some food and beer. If there is one thing everyone in my family can always agree upon, it is the importance of good food and drink.

Tables at The Porter. Photo from their site

I was unsure what to expect about the city, but it definitely wasn't this! Awesome street art (check out the Tunnel for some amazing work by local artists), funky vintage thrift shops and record stores, and tons of great looking restaurants, pubs, bars, and microbreweries! I couldn't wait to see where we would go, but I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. We walked up to a crowded, vintage looking pub full of dark wooden tables called The Porter Beer Bar. Perfect!

Shrimp & Grits at The Porter. Photo from their site

Aside from the cool decor, their wine, beer, and spirits selections were HUGE with local, import, and regional selections. Whatever you want to drink, I'm sure you can find it there. And unlike many cities in the US, you can stand in the little square outside the bar with your drink and have a cigarette while enjoying the fresh night air. The service was extremely friendly, but a bit slow. It was a crowded Saturday night, but they still comped us our appetizers to make up for the slow service. I relished the shrimp and grits with mushrooms. It was rich, creamy, and just the type of Southern comfort food I was hoping for. The three of us left happy after the wonderful food and drinks.

Here's their website with their address so you can check it out...
http://www.theporterbeerbar.com/


I spent the next two days hanging out with my family, mostly in a tiny little town called Jewell where my parents are in the process of starting a wedding venue at the lovely historic Jewell House. I wandered the beautiful grounds, did some fishing in the pond with my dad (no catches, though),  and even drove a tractor for the first time! I did a pretty good job if I may say so myself...

Indoors I loved taking in the old, dark wood and Victorian style architecture of the place. I jammed with my dad on the bass and me singing along, something I hadn't done in far too long. At night, at least one of the dogs was always curled up in bed with me.

The three dogs (the middle one's even bigger now)

Snuggling with Marilyn

Tuesday morning we went into the city early and dropped my dad off at work, giving my mother and I just a few hours to see a little bit more of the city. As we drove, I admired the architecture in the city, a juxtaposition of old and new. We went for a coffee that was unremarkable, and ran some errands before heading to Fox Brothers BBQ for lunch (also in Little 5 Points).

The service was great, they had a nice beer selection, and the food was outstanding! The collard greens were so good, I inhaled the entire bowl before I could even think to start on the beef brisket. That's saying something as it was perfectly done, smoky and full of flavor, made even better by adding some of their house BBQ sauce. If you are in this funky little part of the city, make a stop here to sit outside and enjoy some great BBQ.

Fox Bros BBQ. Photo from their site

Check out their website for location and hours...
http://www.foxbrosbbq.com

Travel Tip: Finding the Right Stuff on a Budget

As any traveler will tell you, having the proper clothing and equipment is essential for traveling comfortably. What that equipment and clothing is varies a lot based on personal taste and travel style, but high quality items are essential and often very expensive. How does one manage to get really great items and not break the bank? Well, with a little patience, effort, and smarts you can manage it. Last summer I filled my bag with new or almost new name brand items (like my Keen hiking sandals, Prana hiking pants, and Lululemon athletic skirt) for less than $150. 

How did I pull that off? The biggest money saver is second hand shops. Those hiking sandals and pants I mentioned (both retail for $100 new), I found for $8 each in almost new condition. And the skirt was only $5 (retails for about $60). It takes patience and many trips to find all of these high quality items in great condition, but it usually can be done. I go to different second hand shops about once a week trying to find the perfect items, and my patience is almost always rewarded with cheap, high quality goodies, as well as the satisfaction of more eco-friendly shopping. 

Some days I go into the second hand shops and don't find anything I need (although I almost always find a cool skirt that I want, I'm totally obsessed with hippie skirts). That's ok. I'll try a different one, or try again next week. I have been on the hunt for a jacket. Not just any jacket, but jacket that will keep me warm in Sweden in February, while also keeping me dry and not overheating as I'm working around the farm in Ireland in the spring rains. I wasn't too hopeful about finding this very specific type of jacket, but I looked often anyways. Two of the last times I went I didn't find a single thing I needed, but I went yesterday and completely scored! Among other things, I found the perfect jacket- waterproof, breathable, wind resistant, warm, and with the armpit zippers it fit all of my criteria (and fit me quite nicely)! I was planning on having to buy one new at a discount retail store and spend $60-$70 (still a great price for a really high quality jacket), but my patience paid off and I found the perfect jacket for $15. With the money I saved from just that one item I was able to pay for most of my flights to and from the #TBEX Europe conference, and the combined savings on all my other items probably adds up to well over $1,000. 

One can't always find everything for their trip in a second hand shop, however, so how does one go about getting the rest of the items for less? I shop at discount retail stores like Ross or Burlington Coat Factory, or online at places like Groupon.com, Zozi.com, or my personal favorite the REI Outlet. REI has really high quality products (plus a generous one year return policy. Bought some hiking shoes, wore them twice and didn't like them? They'll take them back!), and on their outlet site you can find discontinued or overstock items at a great discount. You can make it even cheaper by waiting for additional sales or opting for membership. The REI lifetime membership costs $20, and gets you get a 20% off coupon plus 10% of most purchases back at the end of the year. I bought my backpack when I saw a 10% off sale at the outlet, and combined with my membership discount, I was able to get a backpack that retails for almost $200 for about $100.

With a little patience and effort, you will likely be able to get all of the high quality travel items you need for 50-90% off of the retail price, and then turn around and use the money you saved to have some great adventures on your trip. There may still be a couple of items that you have to pay full (or almost full) price for. I couldn't find a good discount on the hammock I needed, but I bought it through REI and because of my membership I still got 10% off (and sometimes stores or sites have 10-20% off store wide), which is better than nothing. If you plan ahead and stay patient, you will probably have plenty of extra beer money for your travels. I hope these tips help you get the most out of your money and your trip.
 
Peace out and adventure on!