This is my third day in Athens city. It's supposed to be winter but the sunny sky and rainless day, made it feels like it's summer again. It's not the best time to visit the islands as I was told and therefore, I plan to just take it easy and relax.
For the past three days, there were demonstrations going on. The most prominent place for such a showcase would be at the Syntagma Square. Just now, I was face-on with a demonstration and I quickly found my way back to the hotel by foot. Thank goodness for my navigational skill that I managed to find my way back safely.
Although I was feeling rather unsafe, even knowing that the demonstrations held were most likely to be peaceful ones, nonetheless, I wouldn't want to risk it. The city is filled with locals and I don't think I could blend in as easily as I think I can.
I still managed to walk around Plaka, drank a cup of really strong Greek coffee, had a typical Greek cuisine for dinner and visited the entrance area around Acropolis.
The police and the riot police were everywhere. Their presence did not reassure and sceptics like me would smell danger rather than safety, whenever they were seen to be getting lots of updates from their walkie-talkie. I noticed that everyone especially the locals were getting bored with such public nuisance but who knows, it might be the only way to get things done here. I was told by a restaurant owner that it is very common to see demonstrations going on especially in December. December 6, marks the first anniversary of the death of a teenage boy, shot by the police.
The sides of the street were piled with garbage, uncollected due to the recent demontration by the garbage collectors. I found a website and today's demonstration supposed to be by a group of retirees. I have no curiosity to find out their predicament whatsoever.
I love Greece and hope that my next visit, hopefully in summer, will be how I used to remember this country. A fond one.
