Greek Taxis

August 10, 2007

The water taxi in which I'm writing this article is taking me from Elia beach to Platis Yialos beach where my hotel, Petassos Beach Hotel, is located in Mykonos, Greece. My vacation is almost over. I've been to Athens and Mykonos. Mykonos is the most chic and cosmopolitan of the Greek islands. People of all cultures visit the upbeat atmosphere for the unexpected liveliness found everywhere. The island is a favorite of celebrities and the average person alike.
I approach the end of my trip, which began in Athens. The boat I'm riding on has a center sitting area beneath the hull. Benches line all sides. Passengers cling to each other as the boat bounces over the waves and a warm wind flows over everyone. The Greek captain screams, "Adio" — goodbye — to friends sunbathing on yachts we passed. When the boat hits the shore of a designated beach, it scrapes the sand and swimmers move out of the way. The captain guides the boat with a motorized Venice-like steering oar.
Super Paradise beach is the next beach stop. Mykonos has many beaches (27) and all can be reached by bus or boat, departing from Mykonos town, which is completely different from Athens.
Two days in Athens is more than enough time to appreciate the Acropolis and the 17th and 18th century buildings, mixed with the Byzantine churches. The Parthenon was constructed during the fifth century B.C. to commemorate the victory over Persia. It sits on the Acropolis as a symbol of Greece and the birthplace of Western democracy and civilization. I got a stunning view from my Acropolis hotel balcony. Most roadways, walkways, stairways in hotels and buildings, stoops outside of eateries are constructed with marble. Be careful. It can be slippery.
Air temperature is hot. Daytime averages range from high 90s to 100s, whereas nighttime offers little relief and remains in the 70s and 80s. The Parthenon is currently undergoing restoration of the ancient ruins. The ticket price is 12 euros per person (a little more than a dollar) or 6 if you're a student. Show college identification and the price is cut in half. In most paid attractions, like museums, I did get a reduced price by using my college ID.


The steps leading to the plateau are slick marble stairs. It's an easy climb, where sparse olive trees line the sides of the long staircase, offering little shade. Plenty of water is needed to replenish constant thirst from soaring temperatures. The wind always blows, adding a constant dusty film prevalent to the town below the Acropolis. Most cars remain covered in the sandy dust. No birds congregate or venture near the Parthenon and when I asked a local the reason, I was told there is no explanation. "They just don't go near it."
Athens has plenty of friendly wandering dogs. They lie about in town and near the Parthenon. Some learn tricks and will raise their paw to you, making it difficult not to give them a treat.
Taxi cab drivers compete with each other for customers. It is common for a driver to stay with you for the length of your trip. My taxi driver recommended many restaurants and even took me to an amazing eatery near the harbor and returned to pick me up after midnight for a few hours of disco dancing. Dinner in Athens is always at late hours when compared to American standards. I ate at 9 or 10 p.m. each night.
Another restaurant called Vitros had been recommended by the concierge at my hotel. Vitros serves food family style. If you want to know what it's like to eat like a genuine Greek family, then this is the perfect restaurant. This amazing dining find serves foods like zucchini salad, fresh mackerel, potatoes, lamb, and Rosso wine. No ice unless you ask, consistently. Outside eating does not have air-conditioning.


The owner told me stories of her youth, as if she were my aunt, while her son Thomas served the meal and cleared the plates, keeping my glasses of water and wine always filled. The room is outside, on a concrete floor. The ceiling is a majestic weave of grape vines, sealing out the night sky. Euros are the choice of monetary spending, and credit cards are frowned upon. My taxi driver told me most businesses get a service fee when customers use them and some workers do not receive commission. The ATMs easily provided me with Euro currency.
My original taxi driver returned and asked if I visited the places he recommended. The Tower of the Four Winds in Athens — a gigantic water clock — Likavitos Hill, the National Gardens, and Parliament were just a sampling of the amazing sites in Athens. One thing for sure is everyone I met was more than kind and showed me hospitality I've never received before in other countries.
Built in the first century by a Syrian astronomer, the Tower of the Four Winds is a water clock, sundial, weather vain and compass. The water clock was powered by a small stream running from the Acropolis. At the top of the tower on each face are carved figures floating through the air, representing the eight winds. The tower is part of the much larger site of the Roman Forum, which itself was an extension to the older Greek Agora that lies to the west.
In the water taxi I'm sitting, a loud whistle blew, warning swimmers of the approaching boat. Once the boat brushed onto the sandy shore of Paradise Beach, the captain rushed people off the boat, down the ladder, screaming, "Paradise Beach," expressing his thick Greek accent. "Hurry up," he yelled and departed the shore for the next beach, leaving one passenger jumping into the shallow shoreline.
Time is very important to the water taxi drivers. They will leave you if you are not on the boat at the exact time.


The landscape of Mykonos is breathtaking. The landscape is set in a tableaux of Mediterranean splendor. Many soft brown rocky mountain formations are broken up by the sharp ivory square and rectangular homes. The homes are further enhanced by brilliant crimson, evergreen, and Carolina blue doors, displayed like art pieces on the hillsides. The buildings are nestled into the rocks and man-made stone walls fall off the cliff sides into the Aegean Sea.
Greek drivers are the most talented drivers of any country that I've ever visited. They are like roller coaster engineers who travel down roads that resemble an 18th century village rather than a modern city. I was scared at times when it did not seem physically possible for my cab to drive between two parked cars on each side of the narrow road. He slid through, without scratching or hitting any vehicles at a speed I wouldn't dare drive on those roads. He zig-zagged past motor bikes, Smart cars and walking pedestrians. He hit no one.
There are numerous bars and restaurants, with the best eateries near the seashore. The whitewashed houses, narrow alleys, and the labyrinth of stone roadways, windmills and ancient churches of Mykonos make each glance at the scenery a postcard.
Overall, traffic is banned from Mykonos city, the waterfront, and the narrow mazes of streets in the town. The best way to explore it is on foot and prepare to get lost in the maze. Mykonos is the most cosmopolitan of the Greek islands. Even with the narrow roadways outside the city, traffic is always at a constant flow of motorbikes, four wheelers, cars, bus services and the only 35 taxi cabs on the island. The most difficult part of public transportation is getting a taxi. It is easier to learn the bus schedule and take it to your desired point of interest.


The taxis stop running at 3 a.m. There is a taxi square where I waited for 20 minutes as the few cabs drove up and took the next person in line to the location given to them if the driver agreed to it. Prepare to wait a long time after 2:30 a.m. or take the bus. If you have money to spend, a colleague of mine would paste a 50 euro in the face of a driver as they made their way to the taxi square. We always had a ride to the hotel.
Dinner in Mykonos is later than in Athens. It begins at 10:30 p.m. and ends at 4:30 a.m. when most restaurants close. A favorite of the locals and mine is Fish Tavern Kounelas. It is one of those restaurants I dined in more than once. Watch for the friendly cat that climbs into one of the ground floor dining areas, then stop for a drink at Porta bar situated next to Kounelas. Many cats and dogs wander the city, adding charm to its scenery.
Night life in Mykonos is busier than the daytime. There are many discos, bars and restaurants to visit. The best sunset is seen at the Elysium Hotel pool bar. It is a long hike up a brick road, but it was worth the panoramic sight.
I could not leave Mykonos without seeing its mascot, Petros — Peter — the Pelican. He isn't the original bird, but one of many. The original is found in the local museum. He was stuffed when a local taxidermist ran him over by accident and, in fear for his life, had him stuffed to preserve Petros' name. The new Petros now has a family and I had the pleasure of petting them and watching them drink from a water fountain.
It is de rigueur for male tourists to wear white linen tops and bottoms, and for women to wear brightly colored patterned day dresses sold at the hundreds of unique shops through the narrow passageways of town. Mykonos streets are stunning displays of brown and gray slate stone surrounded by a bleached white painted tile, giving a resemblance of giant cobble stones. The many white washed buildings are broken up with colorful doors of blood red, turquoise and robin egg blue.


There are many ancient chapels in town and scattered around the island. I passed a couple getting married on the top of a vista in a church as small as a one-car garage. They celebrated overlooking the sea, rocky cliffs and a view seen nowhere else in the world. The sea is cerulean blue mixed with patches of turquoise.
Local vegetables of eggplants are brought in on boat and are abundant. The watermelon is as red as some of the doors and filled with juicy flavor. Tomatoes are eaten like apples and they might be the best tomatoes I've ever eaten. Tomatoes seemed to dominate as a main ingredient in most food entrés. Greek salads are amazing. I enjoy my meals with night temperatures in the 70s. I learned to prepare myself to feel my feet burning on sandy beaches during the hot days.
The water taxi driver blew his whistle again, the passengers lined up preparing to step from the boat to the dock, "Platys Gialos," he screamed. It's my stop.