Day 9 Tuesday by David Shaw

Day 9: Arcadia

            Today started like all of the other days we’ve had here: a 7:30 wake up and an 8:30 departure.  This time we were going to some nearby monasteries.  These buildings have been around for centuries and are only inhabited by a handful of monks who have almost no contact with the outside world.  The monasteries sit on opposite sides of a gorge.  The easiest way to get from one to the other is by taking a small path that leads you down one mountain and up the other.

            As usual on our bus rides to new locations, the view was fantastic.  Most of the mountains we passed had towns built on their faces.  We took the road all the way to the first monastery where we were greeted by one of only three monks that inhabit the place.  He was very welcoming and allowed us to come in.  After we entered, he went to do his work, but returned later to give us water to drink and Turkish delight to eat.  I couldn’t help but notice the irony that he was serving a dish that bears the name of a group of people who had terrorized the monks for years.

The main room, which had been in use since the 1700s if I recall, was dimly lit, smelt on incense, and was covered with religious artwork.  The wall was covered in fabulous depictions of scenes from the bible such as the birth of Christ, his baptism, and his eventual death.  It even held a discreet reference to the rivalries between eastern and western churches.  One thing that I found a bit depressing was the fact that the Ottomans had gouged out the eyes of all of the saints depicted on the wall as part of their anti-Greek campaigns.

            After we ate and departed, we started down the path between the monasteries.  Due to the heavy rain that Greece had been experiencing, there were several waterfalls along the cliffs that did a lot to add to the beauty of our surroundings.  At one point, we came to a place where the road split.  We were told that the path on the left led to the other monastery, while the one on the right led to a monastery that had been destroyed years ago by the Ottomans; however, we were told that we didn’t have time to go up there.

            The thought of missing even a single detail on this trip was unbearable, and I asked if I could quickly sprint up there and then catch up with the group.  Jack and Hudson backed me up and we were finally given permission to go.  As the rest of the group set off, the three of us sprinted up the stairs to the ruins.  The outside of the structure was massive, and while our guide had probably not envisioned us actually going inside, the three of us could not resist.  The first thing I did when we entered was turn around and take a picture of Jack and Hudson; Jack looked nice, Hudson stuck his tongue out.

            I turned around and noticed that there were more rooms and though I could already here the rest of the group calling for us, I ran to the next room with the other two right behind.  I did my best to look around each room, though I had to be quick since we were in a rush.  It seemed as though each new area of the monastery led to another one.  Finally, we came to some stairs which led to a balcony.  There were still a few religious works of art up there which I tried to examine further.  I was thwarted when we heard again the group calling to us.  The three of us hurried to rejoin the group, each of us agreeing that the diversion was well worth it.

            Almost as if I was being punished for my rashness, I slipped on a rock only minutes after returning to the group.  There was a pretty steep decline in elevation to my left which, of course, was the direction I fell in.  My knee landed right on a sharp rock, but I still managed to get enough footing to stop myself from falling any further.  When I looked up, I was several feet downhill of the path and hurriedly climbed back up.  My knee was killing me, but after the recent adrenaline rushes, I was in no mood to stop moving.

            We made it up to the next monastery and walked into the courtyard.  All women had to wear dresses in the building and some were supplied by the monks.  All of the girls then tried to make us wear them, which I found less than amusing.  The interior was fairly similar to the previous monastery, though this one was actually built into the rock wall, as opposed to on a flat surface like the other one, and thus many of the rocks of the cliffs actually served as walls to the rooms.  We again went into the room where the services were held.  It was similar to the last room, but this time the eyes of the saints had managed to avoid defilement by the Ottomans.

            After receiving more water, Turkish delight, and this time coffee from the monks, we departed up a long, winding road back into town.  We were driven to a restaurant where the chefs brought us in and had us make Moussaka, which we would then eat later that night.  It was mostly simple work that mainly involved cutting fruit and stirring food as it cooked, but when it was done, the food received a warm reception by the group.  After we cooked, but before dinner, we were also given some time to shop.  We had stopped in another village to shop earlier in the day, so I had a chance to see a lot of different Greek products.  That’s all for now.