Greek Odyssey - Going Home

The view when flying out

Four days of bliss, fun and frolic, all coming to an end, it was time to go home. Mixed feelings one would say. A feeling of going home, happiness on one side, a feeling of not wanting to leave and continue the holiday yet for another few days.

Am sure that the feeling was mutual across the entire group of friends, relatives, who had all spent the last few days more as a family, than as friends. The visits to the Historical sites, the lunch / dinner meets, walking across hills to see some fabulous views, dancing across events, waiting for each other, getting lost, running across to find each other, the sing along drives, sharing jokes, walking foot in foot with each other on all events.

Heineken Bar @ Apt

The memories of Greece, as we all headed home, no doubt lingered in every one's mind. As we headed to the Airport doing the final rounds of the city, having our last looks, one could not but wonder of the civilizations that had been, that created such magnificence, such wonders that have survived the test of time. 

Surely there are many such wonders across the world, one would say, especially, if one looks at the Indian civilizations of yore, cultures that defined history, eras that set the trend of the future. What was wonderful about the country, was the care with which history was retained and maintained as opposed to many countries, where a complete lack of respect for the past has resulted in the degeneration of the present.

As one travels through the country, one cannot but wonder at the past gone by. Were the historical periods a good time to live in? Where only kings and royals had a life, and the rest lived in slavery or as commoners, making monuments a time one would prefer to today? Not that it is any different today (we are still slaves today, but just that we work for money). Would we trade our present lives to live in the past as we are today (not talking about past lives)

But yet, with the legacy left behind, the past appears so great in wisdom and vision that despite not having any kind of technology available, wonders have been created out of nothing, in the middle of no where, something that has not been able to be replicated till date and people who consider themselves scholars and learned giants, are yet to fathom out most of the mysteries that exist? How does one build symmetry without angles? How does one lift a 10 Ton Stone without cranes and yet place it in such harmony and position, that it survives centuries? Our buildings today, which are more modern do not survive beyond 50years !!!

Yet what was impressive was the way the past blending with the present. There are countries who have made a mess of their historical heritage, there are countries, who proudly preserve them, manage and maintain them for the generations to come to view the greatness of times. Modern Greece, filled with buildings (which incidentally was quite unique that it was flat and not filled with sky scrapers), the paved roads, the impact of modern day traditions of an open society, an economy gone bust due to its spending, surviving hand in hand with the past, most of it, also which is in the middle of the city. 

Pottery Making

Managing such history and ensuring it stays on for the generations to come, is not a small feat. What I do wonder is will we as the new intelligent civilization, the modern world, the intellectual ones, will we ever have any creations, that would be of such wonder? Would any of our creations be for any specific purpose, other than the fact of showing that we have the tallest building, the largest theme part, or the most expensive Hotel.

At the end, a wonderful trip, with a fabulous group, which as I mentioned on my first part was a community group tour. Getting a group of nearly 30 people, coordinating the event, ensuring all planned to the end, no mean feat. Of course one has tour guides and tour consultants, who manage the local parts, but then coordination too plays a major role.

All depends again, on whether one likes to have individual travels or group managed, but all one can do post a holiday, is just wonder, when is the next one again. Of course, the fun is also going through the photographs, and getting your album out. I am yet to do mine with nearly a month getting over. But there is hope..

The Group visiting Greece

PS: The Photographs on this post are just random snaps of the tour