Day 20 - Athens -> Rhodes

I decided, rather spontaneously, to visit one of the Greek islands. The question was, which one? There were many attributes to look for: food, hiking, beaches, natural scenery, history, night life, etc. However, one attribute which most people don't pay attention to is how touristy the island is. I feel like if I visit a touristy place, I'm not getting the genuine experience of the place, but merely a capitalistic facade for my money to be siphoned. Because of this reason, I wanted to avoid Santorini and Mykonos, the two most popular island destinations. My main choice was Crete, but because the island was so huge, I was over whelmed with choices (where to stay, what to do). So I decided on a smaller one, Rhodes, mainly for its history.

Medieval section of the town

While walking around the historical medieval part of the town, even though it was very touristy, with the souvenir shops and the restaurants lined up along the streets, there were many areas where it was really quiet, and you could really see and feel the history of the town. Most of the structures were built in the medieval era. The fortification walls were especially daunting. I couldn't imagine how any army could breach the walls and the steep cliffs.

Daunting fortifications

The harbors and the ocean side walk was also scenic and pleasant, with a strong sea breeze cooling my sweat soaked body. The water was very clear, and I could see the bottom, even with all the boats docked. In the distance, I could see the outlines of the Turkish mountains. With Turkey being so close by, I could see how ancient Rhodes expanded itself temporarily to mainland Turkey.

Clear blue water

A boat selling trinkets

Instagram filtered

View of the harbor and the walls

This is probably my second favorite place after Norway. Although there were a lot of touristy areas, I didn't feel so detached from its natural beauty and history. I've decided to give Santorini a shot. Because I had already booked my flight and hotel to Istanbul, I have to cancel that, and rebook the hotels, which is a waste of money and time because none of my bookings were refundable. But I'm not sure when I'll ever get a chance to visit this part of the country again, so I figured the slight slippage in money won't matter in the long run.

Standing in front of the harbor entrance.

Also visited the Valley of the Butterflies as a side half-day trip. There is a certain smell from the trees in this valley that these butterflies are attracted, so that's where they all end up. But because it was so hot and humid in the valley, it has limited my enjoyment somewhat. I now realize just how important weather plays a factor into traveling, and I will definitely keep this in mind for my next traveling plans.

The butterflies are all resting on the tree branch. More colorful when they're flying about.