Saturday, August 27, 2011

Catching Moments

Having to get up before 0800 hrs when on holiday seems wrong. But today we are booked on the "Simply Thassos" trip, a coach tour taking us to some of the most notable spots on the island.

We are supposed to get the bus at 0900 hrs but exactly where to get it is slightly vague. Out of the hotel, turn left, turn right and on to the main road. We get to the likely spot, which is also the bus stop (identified by a small pole with a bit of blue metal on the top). We wait. No-one else joins us which is a bit of a concern. A local is waiting for a bus but that's it. Now we're five minutes late and still no sign. We are starting to get worried. Ah, what's this coming. It stops but it's the local bus. Behind it though is a coach. Which stops at a different bus stop. Wonderful. It's just gone nine in the morning and I'm already hot and looking forward to air conditioning. We go to the front of the coach and start to get on. What's this though? Yes this is a coach tour around the island but it isn't OUR coach trip. As we are talking to the tour guide, or trying to get through the language barrier, we notice another coach stopped further up the road, probably about 400 feet away. And people getting on waving little strips of paper that look suspiciously like the one in our hands. Oh no. RUN. Its hot, it's dusty, and I have a rucksack on my back. This is not good. Junior gets there first and manages to stop them from closing the doors. We catch up. We try getting on but more problems. This isn't the right piece of paper. This isn't our bus. No, of course it isn't, because our bus has just pulled up back where we started but on the opposite side of the road. RUN.

We get to the bus. The tour guide doesn't look too happy, and neither does anyone else on the tour. I don't think we have made friends. We settle in a seat and wait to see how the day will unfold.

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