Solo Backpacking Europe: Week 4 in Rhodes, Greece

Don’t feel like reading? Here, I’ll read it to you

Rhodes, Greece was a place I never had planned on going and really hadn’t even heard of, but I am so happy I ended up here. Not only did I meet kind people that will be in my life for years to come, but the island itself is really cool!

Day 17

I took an early flight from Corfu to Rhodes Island and made my way to my new hostel. Immediately, I felt socially revived. Stay Hostel has a fun environment with happy hours and excursions and a community space conducive to socializing and meeting people. Just what I needed. I got settled and enjoyed a cup of coffee in the lobby with a stray cat that liked to hang around. As the afternoon dragged on, more people started coming back from their daytime ventures and I was reunited with a few friends I had met in Santorini. I opted for the all-female dorm on this one and I’m glad I did! The girls in my room were so kind and welcoming. We went to dinner together and had many fun times and laughs throughout the week.

Day 18

On Thursday a group of us from the hostel rented a car and went to Lindos, a town on the east side of the island. We hit the beach, played in the water, wandered around town, and went for a hike up to the Acropolis. Unfortunately, it was closed for the evening, but we still had some epic views of the village and St. Paul’s Bay for sunset. As the sky grew darker, the village came to life with a warm glow emerging from each window.

Day 19

On Friday I went on a little solo wander. I walked to the old town, allowing myself to get lost and find my way. Old Town Rhodes is so cool. It feels like modern life existing in an old castle town almost like you’re in an old story book.

I found my way into a jewelry shop. As I was browsing, I got to talking with the woman who owned the store. She told me about her life and I told her about mine. She taught me about Greek culture and the meaning behind different symbols. The evil eye is something you’ll see a lot around Greece. This symbol is said to be for protection and luck as the eye wards off evil spirits. She said you can buy it as a gift for someone but not for yourself, that’s bad luck. I bought a ring with a Greek symbol that means “long life, long love.” Before I left, she went stuck a pin with an evil eye charm on my overalls and wished me safe travels. I don’t remember her name, but I will always remember her. A Lila moment for sure.

That night I went to dinner with a group of people from the hostel and we hit Fuego, a nightclub in the old town. I met so many new friends this night, too many to list to be honest, but you know who you are. Fuego was an outdoor club with expensive drinks, no toilet seats, and the same playlist every night. How dreamy!! Somehow by the end of the week we were regulars. Ultimately, we always had a good time. Oh the Greek Stories we could tell…

Two women posing in front of a jewelry store.

Day 20

On Saturday I hopped on a highly recommended excursion. A boat trip to a nearby Island called Symi. Symi is unreal. And by unreal, I mean it literally doesn’t feel real. As we puttered up to this village carved out of the side of a mountain with vibrant colorful houses and a harbor full of fishing boats, I felt as though I was docking at some Disney world experience.

Or like I was on a play set and if you tapped the wall of one of the painted houses it would tip backward because there was actually nothing behind it. It felt magical and peaceful and sweet; away from the world. We hiked up to this point where you could see the whole town. I sat there reflecting on life. I felt small, but in a good way. My problems, predicaments, anxieties, they were all so small in the grand scheme of life. There was all this life going on beneath me, and it would continue to go on whether I was there or not. I felt the peace of insignificance and a release from the weight I put on life.

That night a big group of us went to dinner. One thing about Greek restaurants is more likely than not, you’re getting a shot of Ouzo at the end of your meal. Ouzo is a liqueur from the Mediterranean that tastes like black licorice. My experience was always that Greek people were very generous and wanted their customers to have a fun time and enjoy. So we did! Maybe a little too much…

Day 21

After going, going, going for days, I decided I needed to chill. On Sunday I hung out at the hostel, took a nap on the beach, and later went up hill for sunset with a group of friends. Shoutout to Nick, Luisa, Andre, Liza, Haidar, Jenny, Poh Chuen and the rest of the Balkans group. They had been travelling through the Balkans for a few months, picking up new friends along the way and expanding their group as the weeks went by. They kindly welcomed me in. (take note, we’ll see them again)

Day 22

On Monday, my new friends Sierra, Julianne, Rachel, & I took the bus to Kallithea and Anthony Quinn Bay. Sierra (Cece) who I adopted as my honorary sister, was a killer model for me as I practiced some of the new camera settings Saiîd had taught me in Corfu. I’m still very much a beginner but Cece was a good sport. I mean- she’s a natural!

Later that day I went on a walking tour of Old Town Rhodes followed by dinner with more hostel friends. This night was beyond chaotic. What started as happy hour at the hostel turned into Karaoke at a local dive, dancing at Fuego, swimming at 3 am, and getting invited on a 40-meter yacht at 5 am. Definitely one of those “so you might be wondering, how did I end up here?” nights. I didn’t sleep, but I didn’t miss it. This is what being young and free is all about.

Day 23

Tuesday was a lowkey day. You don’t get much sleep when you’re on a yacht until 6 am and by this point, my sleep deprivation was really catching up to me. I took this day to 1.Extend my stay at the hostel, and 2. Figure out where I would go next. As much as I was loving Greece, my first month was coming to a close and it was time to explore another country. When I studied in Italy, I learned that Bologna is often a good hub for traveling around because it can be cheaper than the nearby Florence. I decided I just needed to get a cheap flight to the country and once I was there, I’d be able to get around by train. I booked my 9 euro flight (you read that right. 9 euros) and hostel in Bologna and called it a day. No more stressing over what was next, I’d let what was going to be, be.

Day 24

I started the day at a restaurant called Ono By Marouli. I mention it because it was so good and I went there multiple times. It was a rainy day in Rhodes and Cece and I explored some of the museums and palaces. As every night, we hit happy hour in the hostel lobby. It was my last night in Rhodes and we knew we had to live it up. We had a bottle of wine, but no corkscrew. We tried every trick we could think of. Twisting a knife, putting it in a shoe and banging it against a wall, a lighter around the bottleneck. A whole lot of work for a cheap bottle of wine. But at a certain point it wasn’t about wanting the drink, it was about conquering the enemy. Eventually we were able to push the mutilated cork through and clinked our cork filled glasses to celebrating the end of an awesome week. Of course, we were up until the early hours of the morning—you can sleep when you’re in the US! I told myself.

Day 25

I was wrong. Sleep couldn’t wait until I was back in the US. I learned my lessons hard and unforgivingly this day. While I knew I probably would be feeling a little ~under the weather~ I thought I’d at least make it to the next destination. Once I got to the airport, I saw the baggage check line was wrapped and weaved for at least 100 people. I got to this small airport an hour and a half before my flight and actually got nervous I wouldn’t make it to my gate on time. With a pounding head, shaky hands, nauseous tummy, and 15 kilos on my back, I got in line. The best I could do was take the next step. As I got pressed into the jumbled mess of eager travelers, I began to feel overheated. I took off my backpack and dragged it along the ground. This was one of the moments I wished I wasn’t alone. Navigating all of this alone on a regular day was tough.. navigating it on a hungover day was nearly unsurvivable. Ugh, the consequences of my own actions. I thought about how if I was with someone I could at least step out of line to go to the bathroom, get some fresh air, or sit down. But I wasn’t. I was alone. So the only person who was going to take care of me and my business, was me. With 25 minutes to my flight’s takeoff I had only made it halfway through the line. Feeling incredibly unwell, I cut my losses and left the line. I headed to the bathroom, splashed some cold water on my face, looked my pale, baggy-eyed self in the mirror and said “yeah, ain’t no way you’re going to a different country today.” I plopped my stupid backpack on the ground, sat on it, and took out my phone to begin looking for a hotel in the area.

So that’s the story of how I missed my flight even though I was at the airport. And also how I lost a lot of money I didn’t need to. Hence my advice, do not drink $2 wine and if you do, don’t plan on flying to a different country to next day.

Fortunately, my flight to Bologna was only 9 euros so the loss there was minimal. The hostel I booked was non-refundable and non-transferrable but that was a loss I just had to accept.

I booked a hotel close to the airport with the intention of sleeping and catching another flight the next day. I didn’t know what I was going to do about this whole predicament with the flight and accommodations in Bologna, all I knew was I needed to be vertical STAT. The taxi driver dropped me off at the front stoop of a building in a rural, more local area. The air was saturated with stale cigarette smoke and the lobby was pin drop silent. Oh boy, I thought, here I go. The hotel was run by elderly man and his mother, who seemed to be the only other people there besides me. They were so nice, welcoming, and eager to give me a tour of the place. On a normal day I’d find this endearing but given that I was ill I wanted nothing more than for the normal Holiday Inn hotel service where they give you your key and tell you to holler if you need anything.

He took me on this tour, walking me all around, telling me all about the hotel, guiding me on the area, and asking if I needed anything. I remember thinking “I need you to leave this room so I can be sick.” Truly despicable.

One thing I learned early on in the trip was that I couldn’t worry about what was next or next, next, but to just focus on what I needed in the now. And what I needed in the now was water and sleep. So that’s all I took care of until the next day.

Day 26

Friday, I woke up feeling a bit better. With a ravenous appetite I wandered into a nearby area to sit down for lunch. Whenever I dined alone, I challenged myself to not look at my phone. It does feel awkward at first, but it’s good practice and I recommend you do it as a little growing opportunity.

Originally, I planned to just book a new flight to Bologna, but flights were way more expensive when I went to rebook. I’m talking $100 more expensive. Seeing that I wasn’t excited about going there in the first place (I had been there before), I looked at my other options. I saw a cheap flight to this place called Catania and went for it. I didn’t know anything about it but I knew it was in Italy and that was my goal.

After I got my affairs in order I headed out for a walk. I didn’t see tourists in this part of the island. I laid on the beach and felt the eyes of someone staring at me… never a good feeling. A man came up to me and asked what I was doing, suggested we hangout, etc. Ladies, this is when you lie. Lie, lie, LIE. I don’t think anything I told him was true, and this was to protect myself. First and foremost, I did not tell him I was alone. I felt a bit scared and off-put so I packed up my stuff and walked toward this area of picnic benches and a utility building the opposite direction of my hotel. I wanted to make sure I was in the most public place I could be. I crouched behind a fence so I could keep an eye on the man and make sure he didn’t follow me back to my hotel. Sure enough, as soon as I left, he did. I hid behind the utility building, shifting to stay out of sight as his motorcycle passed. Once I was sure I was in the clear I booked it back to my hotel.

Day 27

Given my severe f up two days, prior, I made sure to get to the airport niceeeee and early on Saturday. Four hours before my flight in fact. I honestly just wanted to get out of there and move forward. I got royally lost trying to weave through the neighborhood and defy the dead ends google maps kept leading me to. I eventually found my way to the bus stop and don’t worry everyone, I did make it onto this flight.

While I waiting at my gate I saw a few familiar faces from Stay hostel! They were quite confused as I was supposed to be in Italy and last they’d seen me I was getting in a taxi to the airport. I had some explaining to do. It turned out we were all on the same flight! This was a blessing in disguise because we arrived at night, past dark, which I hate doing as a solo female. Poh Chuen, the gem that he is, walked me to my hostel and made sure I got checked in and found my way safely even though he was staying somewhere else.

Three people standing in front of a plane at night.

Catania was another incredible unexpected place I ended up. I’ll dive into that next week. Until next time, check out the scrapbook for pictures from my week in Rhodes!