Greek Island Getaway

After a few days relaxing on board a boat, I decided to hop over to the Greek Island of Rhodes. As I boarded the ferry, I ran I to one of the guys from the sailing trip. We chatted on our way over and he decided to follow me to my hotel on Rhodes. As we arrived at the harbor I thought of the Colossus which was one of the ancient 7 wonders of the ancient world. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC and was supposedly the inspiration for the Statue of Liberty. Too bad it is not standing. It would have made an amazing welcoming into the harbor. Instead, I was greeted with a beautiful view of the castle. 

After gathering my backpack and passing through passport control, I maneuvered through the crowds to my hotel and checked in. Then I was off to explore the cobblestones streets of Rhodes. This is a shoppers paradise. They have beautiful clothing, jewelry, scarves, leather handbags and carpets. Being on a budget, I window shopped and appreciated the items but was strong and did not purchase anything. 

After lunch, I headed towards the castle. I wandered around the castle on the path that use to be the moat. 

The large balls are stone catapult balls.

 

I sat and listened to a young boy playing his accordion while his puppy came over to play with me. They were so adorable.

I walked back along the streets to meet Bill for dinner. We laughed and joked about the joys of travel. He was ready to party and I was ready for bed so we parted ways.

In the morning, I got up early to get a few photos. I wandered the city enjoying the beauty at dawn. 

I was lucky I had risen early, a rainstorm rolled in. Ahhhh... a perfect opportunity for an afternoon nap!

The rain continued into the evening and was forecasted for the next few days. I decided it was time to leave the magical island of Rhodes and move on to the next Greek isle of Kos. The morning I left it was raining which meant the sea was rocky. People were getting sea sick. I stepped outside to enjoy the light rain and fresh air when we arrived at the island of Symi. It was a beautiful sight with the rain clouds hanging over the mountain and pastel colored homes.

 

I finally arrived at Kos as the rains stopped. I walked and explored the harbor town until it started to rain. It looked like rain was scheduled for the next week so I made the decision to spend a night and then return to Turkey. 

Kos at sunrise

I love early morning exploring my surroundings. The sun rising over the ocean and shining through the arches captivated me.

Kos was also the home to the father of western medicine, Hippocrates. I visited the symbolic Hippocrates tree where he taught his students. Then on to a town square and the local mosque.

 It was a beautiful morning and I was starting to regret leaving. Oh well, I had the ticket for 9:15 AM. I arrived at the ferry dock and got in line for customs and passport control. As I stood there, I saw familiar faces..the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants! I waved to them and we motioned we would talk on board. It was fun to see them and catch up on their adventures. It is a small world! Who knows who I will run into next!