October 2021 Recap

Immediately following my introduction to Greece with the amazing capital city of Athens, October saw me leave for my third country this trip, a place I was returning to for the first time in 7 years.

This whole late summer/early fall adventure was started by my friend, and talented travel writer, Caroline. She sent me a message months ago about a mistake rate for a Radisson Blu hotel in Çesme, Turkey. The resort had incorrectly listed rooms that typically retail for $100 for just $9 a night. She told me to book it immediately for the dates she had preselected and that she was inviting a bunch of other nomads/travel writer types to join us. So of course I said, “what the hell, why not?” and booked 12 nights for a grand total of $108!

I planned time in Albania and Greece to fall on each side of this crazy trip, because if I’m going all the way to Turkey for 12 days, then I’m definitely going to see some new countries! As these plans developed, 12 days became 5, and in place, we added extra stops in the surrounding area. I had read that both the ancient city of Ephesus and the natural springs of Pamukkale were worth visiting, so they got added to the itinerary.

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Alaçati

Çesme and the peninsula it is situated on are an extension of the Izmir metropolis. The latter is the 4th largest city in Turkey with 4.5 million people. And our hotel was located in the seaside resort area an hour outside of Izmir. Being a resort focused place, the food was lacking so we went exploring for somewhere to eat on our first night there. Much to our delight we accidentally stumbled upon the picturesque town of Alaçati.

This idyllic hamlet is apparently well known among Turks, but seemingly unknown to most tourists. We spent multiple afternoons and evenings here just wandering along its narrow roads, sampling wares at its open-air markets, and eating the best food we found in Turkey.

Ephesus and Pamukkale

After 5 days in and around Çesme, our group headed to Selçuk, the modern city that has grown up around the ancient archeological site of Ephesus. We planned two nights here to make the drive from Çesme and then have all day to explore Ephesus. If you are coming to the area for the ruins, 2 nights is plenty.

We downloaded the phenomenal walking audio tour from Rick Steves and set off on discovering one of the world’s best ancient sites. Ephesus is breathtaking in its scale and preservation level. The two crown jewels are the reconstructed library façade and the excavated ruins of terrace houses. These buildings, that have been buried along a hillside since the 3rd century CE, were unearthed, cleaned, catalogued, and opened to the public in 2006. The mosaic floors, marble walls, and painted frescoes were beautiful.

After Ephesus, we made our way east to the small town of Pamukkale. The town itself was not very notable, but that is not what brings tourists to this mostly agricultural region of Turkey. Pamukkale, which translates to “cotton castle” in Turkish, is world famous for its geothermal area and the carbonate embankments that surround the site.

We spent the morning there, wandering along the boardwalk on the edge of the cotton bluffs, then wandered down the tourist-packed trail through the shallow ponds. The blindingly white stone appears slippery at first, but in fact, is easily gripped by bare feet. After a few photoshoots with my friends attempting their best “influencer” poses, we headed back up the ridge to the ancient Greek city of Hierapolis which is adjacent to the springs.

Milos

The next day, I flew from Izmir to Milos to begin my tour of the Greek islands. I decided it would be best to head on to the islands before the weather got any colder and I’m glad I made that decision! It turns out that the islands are very seasonal as it relates to hotels and restaurants being open for business. I was definitely pushing the end of shoulder season and I’d recommend that if you do choose to visit Greece outside of the busy summer time, that you choose September instead.

Milos is known for its breathtaking beaches and I found multiple that I would rate highly! On my second day there, I met two awesome Canadians who joined me for the rest of my time on the island. I love meeting fellow travelers as it just heightens the experiences when you get to share it with others!

Sifnos

After a few days on Milos, I took a short 45 minute ferry ride over to nearby Sifnos. I chose Sifnos somewhat on a whim. My only requirement was for a chill and relaxed island that was off the main tourist path of Mykonos, Ios, and Santorini. I heard Sifnos was well-known for its food and great hiking paths, and that was enough for me!

I spent 4 days on Sifnos and while it was the quietest of the three islands I visited, I’m still glad I went. Unfortunately several of the restaurants I’d read about were closed for the season. But the phenomenal trail system doesn’t have an off-season. At the end of the 4th day, a big storm kicked up and the ferries were all ordered in to port. Leaving the next day looked in doubt.

The next morning I got all packed up, hiked the 15 minutes down from my AirBnB to the bus stop, big pack on my back and my camera bag strapped to my front. Just as I arrived I received a text from the ferry company saying my boat was canceled because of high winds. I decided to go to the port anyway to see what could be done, even with the knowledge that there was only a single ferry per day! As I arrived, lo and behold, my ferry was pulling in. I ran down to the dock and jumped aboard. I was told that my direct ferry to Santorini had been canceled, but I could get off Sifnos and make it to my destination as long as I didn’t mind a circuitous 6 hour journey to seemingly every other island in the region first!

Santorini

Late in the afternoon, I finally arrived in Santorini and was quite happy to be on solid ground. I expected my last Greek island to be the busiest, most expensive, and most touristy and I was not wrong. That said, I absolutely loved Santorini. The first two nights I stayed in a hostel called Caveland located in the south central portion of the island. I always try to stay in a hostel on my first few nights in a new locale as a way to meet new people. The first couple days included exploring the southern portions of the island, eating lots of seafood, and going on absolutely breathtaking runs along the caldera.

On my third day, I transferred to an AirBnB in Oía (pronounced Ee-ya), the home of the iconic white buildings perched one on top of another found in every travel and leisure magazine around the world. Oía is a sight that has to be experienced in person to fully absorb its beauty. There is a reason why so many honeymooners, celebrities, and the ultra-rich desire to spend time here. I’ll write a future post detailing all my favorite spots, where to watch the sunset, and secret gems I found without tourists!

Athens

Over the course of the end of September and the month of October, I spent two weeks in Athens. I kept returning because I started to really enjoy the city. First there is the awe that comes with just being in a city of immense history. There are millennia old ruins on every other corner. Then once the initial awe wore off, I began exploring the city as a long time guest. I found my favorite coffee shop (The Underdog) and my favorite place to get work done (six d.o.g.s.). I fell into a rhythm of running the plentiful trails throughout the city’s green spaces in the morning, going for brunch, getting some work done, then discovering a new spot for dinner every day. And I loved it. I could very much see myself living here for a few months.

Kalambaka and Meteora

The last proper touristy spot I visited in October, was the northwestern city of Kalambaka, home to the Meteoran monasteries. I had originally planned to rent a car and do a northern Greece road trip, but the rapidly cooling weather put an end to that idea. (If I had packed more warm clothes, I absolutely would have done the trip!) Instead I elected to try out Greece’s local rail system. The journey from Athens to Kalambaka is about 4 hours and runs 3-4 times a day.

The day I arrived, the sky was filled with low, angry clouds and threatened rain. After checking in to Meteora Central Hostel, I decided “to hell” with the weather, I was going hiking. Up I hiked from Kalambaka to Kastraki, a nearby town slightly closer to the monasteries, before diving headlong onto a tight twisting path into the woods. Over 1000ft elevation gain later I emerged with incredible views of the ancient Orthodox strongholds perched precariously on their promontories. And then the rain came!

The next day I did a lot of not much, just going out for a run in a break from the weather and otherwise getting a good solid workday in. For my last day in Meteora, I had booked a rock climbing tour up one of the stone spires. It was exhilarating walking hundreds of feet up these great beasts all while safely connected to guide ropes! In the afternoon, the skies cleared and I frantically drove all over the area taking in the dry views, ha!

Where I’ve Been

COUNTRIES VISITED: 2

Turkey, Greece

CITIES VISITED: 10

Çeşme, Selçuk, Pamukkale, Izmir, Milos, Sifnos, Fira, Oía, Athens, Kalambaka, then back to Athens.

Where I’m Going

For November, I’ll have four more days in Athens before heading back home to Orlando to recoup and organize my gear for my next adventure. I have already drawn up a list of things to replace, reconfigure, and add to my gear. Then for the remainder of the month I’ll be heading to my 44th country – Guatemala. I had 3 and a half weeks available after Greece and before I go visit my mom in Colorado. So I looked for cheap flights out of Orlando and places that I could set up camp and not move around too much. I’d considered Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama, but ultimately settled on Antigua, Guatemala.

I’ve mapped out a few weekend trips like Lago Atitlán and Quetzaltenango. I’m still unsure if they’ll be doable, but I’ll try. I’m super excited to visit Central America for the first time. Definitely comment with any suggestions if you’ve visited Guatemala!