We’ve all had those experiences where if you can miraculously step back a bit, you can think, “this is going to be a great story someday.” And travel generates a large percentage of those experiences, especially in the busy, and hot, summer season.
In our family, we can get a guaranteed giggle every time someone says “two kilometers.”
Okay, maybe you had to be there, but the joke grew out of a day when we were on a cruise that docked at the far end of the port in Piraeus, near Athens. The cruise shore excursions into town were expensive, ditto the reputedly slow taxi ride into the city. But we knew the metro was supposed to be quick and inexpensive, so we had the bright idea of getting a taxi to the station.
No such luck. Of course all the taxi drivers wanted the higher priced fare into town, so they refused to take us just to the metro. But a couple of them had said “It’s only two kilometers.” It was probably a 90 degree day, but we were in an adventurous mood, and two kilometers, okay, barely more than a mile. We could handle that. So we set off, and walked in the direction where we were pointed.
After about 10 minutes I decided to double check and asked an English speaking sidewalk vendor where we bought a bottled water, “Are we going in the right direction to the metro.” He said, “Yes, keep going, about two kilometers.” Okay, at this point there were no taxis around, so we couldn’t even give up and pay the fare.
So we kept walking. And walking.
At this point we were sure we were lost, even though we were walking along a main thoroughfare. So at a small shop I asked again. And you guessed it — “You are very close, about two kilometers.”
We did finally make it to the metro after about what was probably less than 45 minutes, though it felt like hours. And my husband, son and I were not exactly on friendly terms by that point. Although the air-conditioned train meant we did recover enough to enjoy the Acropolis and downtown Athens, including a long sit-down outdoor lunch.
On the way back, when it had cooled off in the early evening, we actually chose to do the same metro trip in reverse, as we could see traffic moving at a snail’s pace. Besides, knowing the length of the walk, it didn’t seem so bad.
And while it’s hard to recapture the feeling of just how hot, tired and angry we all were earlier, without that day, we wouldn’t be able to look at each other, when there’s any potential walking involved, and say “two kilometers.”
What’s your “two kilometers” story?
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
