Kos

It’s really hard to believe I had not been on an aeroplane since 1996. I spent a much of my adult life taking care of a few children, four daughters in fact so it seems only fitting that now I reap some rewards and have them rallying around after me. This came to pass exactly a year ago when my oldest daughter Liz, who is both independent and well travelled, organised my trip out to Kos to see my other grown up daughter Natalie, who works out there as an entertainment manager, at a deluxe family resort. I myself have not had the luxury of travelling to warmer climates  purely for pleasure in many years, although I had been lucky enough to enjoy Natalie’s early years working in Haven resorts in the cooler climates of Skegness and Berwick. Those were great times I must say and we have some fond memories with my other two daughters, Nadine and Katie who I mustn't for get to mention.

So  Liz came to pick me up at eleven a.m Katie was also coming to the airport. We checked all my documents and said good bye to my  dog Bonny who always frets when she senses someone is going away. On this day she actually got herself locked outside the front of the house in her panic about my trip.

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare, having done all the checking in and stuff on-line. I was somewhat apprehensive that I would get on the wrong plane or miss it completely. There were so many numbers flickering about on boards, all the security procedures I was not familiar with and inaudible announcements.Liz gave me clear concise instructions but I wasn't going to relax until I actually boarded the plane. The girls were hungry so they had a hot chocolate and a very unhealthy looking muffin in a well known coffee bar but I thought I would wait and get something in the departure lounge. (It never happened) Liz warned me to keep looking out for my gate number on the board and to head towards it the second I found out as this  airport is not small and pilots won’t wait.

All ready to go with Liz

We said our goodbyes and it was as if I stepped through a portal into another world. The duty free shops were lavish and brightly lit. It was bustling with crowds from all over the world and the voices of many languages filled the air.  I wasted much of my  time  pondering in the magazine aisle in search of some light hearted reading material, that I forgot to eat anything. The plane trip was smooth. I had a window seat just above the left wing. I looked out the whole time. The earth looked all neat and tidy below me like a mosaic design. The little lad in the seat in front of me was giving a running commentary of how awesome it all was. The best part was flying through day time into night with no noticeable time lapse. 

When I arrived, I was expecting to  wait for a long time because Natalie was still working. The airport in Kos was tiny and there was nothing to occupy me.  To my annoyance also, my mobile phone no longer worked properly  abroad even though I had looked into this prior to the trip. So I was all alone in a strange backward country, no contact with anybody. I didn't even have a clue where I was meant to be staying. In hind sight I should’ve taken down all the details, but I had planned to rely on modern technology which had sadly let me down.  “Make sure your phone’s on” Natalie had told me. I sat in a Foyer trying to look inconspicuous whilst people around me smoked cigarettes. They were workers at the airport taking a break but it was weird to see  smoking taking place and no one was getting arrested. It’s how England probably was some ten years ago when it was permitted in public spaces but how quickly we forget. Finally and to my huge relief, my daughter Natalie and her friend Tina arrived to pick me up and take me to our destination. It was a short car journey and we arrived at the entrance of an apartment block. It was very basic and continental looking, white washed with archways on each balcony and spiral stone steps leading to each floor.  In the shadows of night I could make out the palm trees.

view from Natalie's balcony.

This was where Natalie was staying quite far from town. Amidst the sound of the crickets, we were greeted by two of the scruffiest, scrawniest creatures I had ever laid eyes on. (I since found out that most of the dogs in Kos are farm dogs or strays). Hara, had been adopted so to speak by the owner of the apartments where although she was living outside, she got food and fresh water. She had become pregnant on several occasions and had just recently given birth to a small litter of which only one survived. Also her son Scooby lived there who was a year old.  I wasn’t able to touch them as they were very dirty and covered in fleas and ticks. They were loyal and friendly by nature, wagging their tails in a happy to see you type of way just like my fat well cared for dog I left at home.  Later the puppy emerged, not as unhealthy looking as the other two but sadly his fate would be the same. May-be dogs are supposed to live this way though, they didn’t seem upset by it.

Harra, Scooby and the unnamed puppy

That evening, we sat on Natalie’s balcony. As it panned out, I had not eaten at all and with Kos being two hours ahead of British time, there was nowhere around here to get food.  Owen (Natalie’s partner) brought some bread, ham and cheese back for me from work with a bottle of rose wine.

On Natalie's Balcony

The next morning I walked into work along the dry dusty road with Natalie. It was a bit of a trek and the heat was exhausting.  We passed a bull in a field who was later to be come a landmark of relief to me signifying that we were nearly there. The animals here looked as thirsty as the landscape which needed a good sprinkling of rain. I don’t know how anything grows here but it does, including big water melons which we also get to see on our daily walk.

My friend the bull

We arrived at Zorbas Beach Hotel, a big plush marble building which was lovely and cool inside. Natalie managed to buy me an all inclusive wristband for the week, so I could enjoy food and drink all day and everyday. The breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets were amazing enough but there was also poolside snacks available at all times. I thought about all the hard work I put into toning myself up for my bikini and now I was about to over indulge like I had never done before. It’s probably a good thing we had such a long walk each day or goodness knows how I would’ve fitted into my seat on the plane journey back.

Zorbas Beach Hotel Pool.

I found myself a sun bed for the day but I was in the pool most of the time because of the heat.Finally I was on holiday, joining in with quiz’s, playing splash bingo at the family pool. The hotel had three pools altogether. Obviously as entertainers it was Natalie and Owen’s job to keep children amused and it  was all good fun. One of the other pools was for adults only and it was much quieter for those who just needed a relaxing break in the sun. There was something for everyone and I had the luxury of flitting between pools according to my mood. Every afternoon Natalie and Owen had a well earned break. We would sometimes go to a bar owned by an Australian man called “Mickeys ” Owen connected to WiFi there, then we would sit under umbrellas on the sun loungers which were thought to be free of charge to all associated with Zorbas Beach Hotel. This turned out to be untrue as we found out when the owner came to collect six euros from us, then asked us very kindly to tell the rep from Zorbas to stop telling customers that it was free. Personally I think it’s outrageous to be paying for space on the beach but it happened everywhere. After Mickey,s Bar, we would go back to the apartment for a siesta. This walk back along the seafront to the apartments was even longer and I was to remember this way because Kos gets dark earlier than in England and it was well lit and busy. Many a night I did this alone. It was forty-five minutes strolling but really pleasant going past all the shops and Tavernas then along the seafront with a view of the Turkish mountains ahead.  I’ll never forget the warmth of the day’s sun still hanging in the air, the sound of the waves, it was stunning.  The only thing to spoil the walk was the inevitable presence of beggars dotted around in the same spots each evening who apparently hadn't existed earlier on in the summer season.

Katie and Ricky

In the evening there was a show with  a fire eater and his assistant, a belly dancer. The show was amazing. It was more than just eating fire, he was really strong too and could lay on a bed of nails with another man standing on his chest.  There was some audience participation also but I didn't get chosen as my dress was too long. (Thank goodness) The next day I lounged  by the pool. I met the other two members of Natalie’s team, Katie and Ricky.

That evening I went to see Natalie’s show for the first time. I was overwhelmed by how talented my daughter is. I knew she could dance but this was the first time I had ever heard her sing. It was a proud moment that brought a little lump to my throat. She had come a long way since the day she stood up on the stage at the age of five and sang ‘twinkle twinkle little star’ with a vibrato when on holiday in Menorca.

Natalie and I boarding the ferry.

On Natalie and Owen’s day off and we had a boat trip booked for Bodrum in Turkey. It was an early start to get a coach and then a ferry but we had a nap on the journey. It was a fun day. The markets and shops were full of fake brand named clothing, catering for the masses that care about such things. The traders were very pushy. They would step into your personal space uninvited like flies around a bin. Owen is very much into the Adidas brand and he wasn’t impressed with the quality of fake things  but on looks alone, no one at home would be able to tell. Laws are less restrictive in Turkey at this current time and they can  produce exact replicas of designer makes very cheaply. I bought Converse shoes for the girls at home.

On the waterfront we got some food and had a little swim in the sea.

The Bodrum Ferry

Owen regretfully got a tattoo  of the Adidas logo. Luckily it wasn't a permanent one but it hadn't turned out very well and he was stuck with it for a few weeks at least. He was having fun annoying the market traders by pretending to be interested in buying, trying stuff on, making them unfold t-shirts and mess up displays. An Idiot Abroad featuring Carl Pilkington sprung to mind.

Owen's Tattoo

We bartered for Natalie’s Turkish trousers by putting on this whole act fully rehearsed but badly performed.

“Wow I love these, I wish I had enough money”“I have only got two euros” and so it went on, we showed our last card too early according to Owen.  By the end of the day, he ended up getting ripped off with two poorly fitting pairs of underpants that cost him six euros when he could’ve paid less. I entertained everyone by slipping up in my flip flops every minute. Never ever wear traditional rubber flip flops in Bodrum is my advice, the stone flooring is just not made for them. We all slept on the ferry home as we were so tired.

My food

 A little paddle in the sea

The day was not over though.  Natalie and Owen are used to cramming a lot into their rare time off from work. We borrowed the team car and Owen drove us high up a mountain track to a place called Zia. Although I am a little nervous of heights, the place we went to was so beautiful it was worthy of my fear. It was called The Sunset village with only a small array of shops and a terrace bar. We had a some wine on the terrace and watched the sunset. I have tried to capture it on camera but really you had to be there to drink in the sheer magnificence of it.

It was a tranquil faraway place yet it had WiFi because I remember doing a video call home to Katie who was in front of a lap top. Natalie bartered for another pair of Harem trousers there too. At the end of a lovely evening I was really tired.

The terrace

The Sunset

View from the terrace

The best was yet to come. We showered and changed ready for an evening of cocktail bar crawling. We forgot to wear insect repellent though so the mosquitoes feasted on us. Along the sea front we went into a bar. It was decorated with big bold coloured lanterns and had the essence of an Eighties night club about it. I loved it and I also loved the fact that everywhere we went we got served with snacks to go with your drink. I had Sangria.

We went to three places altogether. The second one was on a busy street full of holiday makers. We faced the open window watching the people go by.  The last place was an English owned hotel bar with a pool. Apparently they did traditional English things such as pub quizz’s. By three in the morning I was ready for bed, but we returned for full English breakfast the following morning.

The beautiful Natalie

We went to Mickey’s bar later where I got to enjoy swimming in the sea at last. It was quite choppy but very warm. I vowed I would swim in the ocean every year from now on and so far I have kept to it.   That night Owen and Natalie performed really well in a compilation of musicals from :We will rock you’ to ‘The sound of music.’ I really enjoyed the show ‘Schools out.’

Ancient ruins of Kos Town

Natalie and I had and evening together in the main town of Kos for a meal. I saw the tree of the most celebrated ancient Greek in Kos. Hippocrates the physician born in 460 years BC. He is known in the western world as the founder of medicine. Now it may seem really obvious to us that diet and lifestyle have an effect on our health but in those days people believed disease to be an act of the gods. His theory was that we could control our health with the food that we ate. He would teach his pupils under the Plane tree which is a tourist attraction now. It isn't the actual tree because it is only 500 years old, but it is possibly a descendant of that tree.

Natalie taking in the sights of Kos

Kos town is full of ruins from different civilisations that passed through replicating some Italian architecture and signs of North African colonies. We visited a site that has been left un tampered with and said to have been brought down by an earth quake.

Hippocrates tree.

It was difficult to choose a place to eat as there were whole rows of restaurants bars and tavernas along the harbour. They were very friendly and welcoming, perhaps not quite as desperate as the Turkish. The doorman would politely try to get your attention as you looked at the menu outside. Anyway, it didn't really matter, the air was warm, the atmosphere delightful so we picked a spot.I had the perfect view of the harbour from my seat and the boats were rocking so that it felt as if I were the one moving.  I chose stuffed vine leaves with taramasalata for starter. It was not at all like the dip you buy from the supermarket at home. It was rich and much chunkier, an altogether less processed texture.  For my main course I was a little disappointed not to see greenery or salad accompanying my mixed grilled kebabs of chicken, lamb and beef on a bed of rice with sautéed potatoes. Coupled with the chunky white bread rolls I would say it had far too much starchy carbs.It tasted great but I doubt Hippocrates would've given it his seal of approval.  The Greek waiter was exceedingly charming and was going to get a good tip for the service but we were kept waiting so long for the bill to the detriment of our last bus, that he got two euros as we made haste to get there on time. He did point us in the right direction and we didn't miss it. We continued the evening shopping along the way home in Tigaki. I was looking for souvenirs to bring back, Natalie got a belly dance scarf. Every night we passed a place called Marianna Hotel Apartments. As it seemed to be calling my name, we had a cocktail there before going home.

Marianna hotel apartments

It was almost time for me to return home and I was ready. The heat was getting to me  a bit. I spent a bit more time at Zorbas beach to see the charity events including a kids talent show organised by Natalie’s team. I had one more swim in the sea before packing my bags and going to the airport. It wasn’t such a pleasant trip home. The airport was overcrowded and chaotic, there was no visual directions so you had to try and listen for flight details over background noise and in poor English. I actually almost did miss my flight.

I had the most wonderful time which I will never forget. It has only made me want to take more holidays in the sun. I thank my lovely daughter Natalie for giving me that opportunity to do this and Liz for helping me to make it a reality.