Spring Break Trip - Kos

After a 3 hour ferry, I arrived in Kos where I had to then walk to the opposite side of the bay to reach my hotel. The owner was up waiting for me as she knew I would be arriving that night. Come to find out that she lived in America for at least 10 years and has always wanted to return. She even had an American passport. She guided me to a local fish restaurant where she knew the owner and he prepared for me one of the most amazing fish I have ever had. There is nothing like being in a coastal city and eating freshly caught fish that is grilled to perfection and melts in your mouth. I also had traditional Greek salad, which has olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and a slab of cheese. There was actually no lettuce in my Greek salad.

I had one day to try and experience all of Kos. First, I had to put my feet in the water. Then, I wanted to find the Asclepieion of Kos. Kos is famous for having been the home of Hippocrates who wrote the Hippocratic Oath that is still taken by doctors today. The god of medicine and health, Ascelepious, is I believe the god of the island, thus the acropolis is built in his honor. On the way to the Asclepieion, I came across the remains of the ancient Agora with other temples right near the coast. From here, the ancient people would have walked the roughly 3 miles to the Asclepieionon to present their offerings to the gods. I decided to do the same. It was a long walk uphill, going back and forth between humidity and rain. 

Along the way I saw other lonely temples all around Kos. They are now surrounded by modern Kos but the remains of the temples are still there as a reminder of the old days. I also found the Roman theater. It is very well preserved or restored and I think I read that they still use it for performances today. 

After finding a bakery and getting some snacks and continuing up the path I finally reached the Asclepieion! It is a very peaceful place as it overlooks the town far below it and the sea surrounding it. You can see other islands in the distance as well. I have a feeling that some of the land masses that I could see were part of Turkey. Of course, in addition to the landscape is the ruins of the Asclepieion. Seeing so many ruins of huge acropolises makes me want to see them in all of their glory when they were fully built. We only see the remnants of history. It is a bit sad, but still incredibly beautiful.

I passed an international museum for Hippocrates, but it was closed, probably due to it being low season. I did not have time to go to the fortress near the port as it closed early. I guess that’s a reason to go back. I returned to my hotel, grabbed my bag, said goodbye to my wonderful hotel owner, and went to catch my ferry back to Turkey. On the ferry I met a teacher who was taking the year off to travel the world. He had already done all of Asia and now is heading into Europe. His parents met him for 3 weeks to do Greece and Turkey. They were from Chicago. Everyone that I meet abroad is from the Midwest. I guess when we travel, we REALLY travel. It was so nice to have a slice of home again! And returning to Turkey actually felt quite comfortable. I at least know a little bit of Turkish, where I know no Greek. I had a relaxing evening with more wonderful food in Bodrum before getting up early the next morning to return to Ankara.

As you can see, I had many adventures during my week of travels.  I am so thrilled to say that I successfully traveled for a week by myself. It is definitely a growing experience but a rewarding experience. My backpack started out weighing a little under 10 pounds. That is really the trick: pack light! By the end, I had bought at least 5 pounds worth of souvenirs.  But it all still fit in a carry on size backpack. I hope that you can get an idea of how much I enjoyed seeing these amazing, historical places. Thanks for traveling with me in spirit!Check out more pictures at my shutterfly account: https://experienceturkey2015.shutterfly.com/