 |  Going to Athens, Greece when I'm in the middle of my chemotherapy treatments? You've got to be kidding. Where am I'm going to find flush toilets near centuries-old ruins? Of all people, it was my oncologist who encouraged me, "All you need to do is schedule the trip in the second week after your treatment when the side effects have subsided. And buy trip insurance, just in case you have to cancel." So I was set to go, wig and all, with two of my closest friends, Chanwoo and Ginny to celebrate their 50th birthdays. |
But, the night before our trip, the side effects lingered longer than usual. I sat on the toilet crying and Diana, my cousin from Australia visiting at the time encouraged me not to cancel the trip. "Liz, at most, the side effects will last a day longer, you still have nine days left of your trip to enjoy," she gently coaxed. So, I went. As it turned out, the planes were delayed. We ended up spending much of the first day in the airports where I had my choice of stalls with an unlimited supply of free toilet paper! And when we finally arrived in Athens, it was Chanwoo who vomited in the taxi from motion sickness!!
Well, Diana was right. The side effects were gone by the second day. However, the ruins were "ruined" from their exposure to the elements over centuries. There were metal reinforcements around them, taking away their ancient appearance. Nevertheless, it was historic to see them. And it was beautiful to walk around the two mile perimeter circling the glowing Parthenon and other ruins at night. All the while, I donned a bright red cap over my wig that acted as a shield from the blistering sun during the day and a "lid" to keep my wig in place at night.
From Athens, we flew to Santorini, one of the prettiest islands in Greece, full of white adobe structures with blue domes. Our hotel was situated on a cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea. With unobstructed views of the water to our right, we strolled leisurely along the cliff path to town. There, we feasted on grilled fish with Greek salad loaded with tomatoes - fresh and sweet - unlike any I've eaten in the States, and saw fireworks at night.
From Athens, we flew to Santorini, one of the prettiest islands in Greece, full of white adobe structures with blue domes. Our hotel was situated on a cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea. With unobstructed views of the water to our right, we strolled leisurely along the cliff path to town. There, we feasted on grilled fish with Greek salad loaded with tomatoes - fresh and sweet - unlike any I've eaten in the States, and saw fireworks at night.
From Santorini, we took a large, hovercraft boat to Mykonos, another Greek Island. Well, after we took our seats in the inside covered section of the boat, Curious Me decided to step outside to take photos . As soon as I did, the wind blew away my cap and it landed right in the water. Luckily, I reacted quickly, clasping my head with both hands to keep my wig on. I scurried back inside, sat down quickly, and fumbled to reposition the disheveled wig in place, hoping no one was watching me. For the rest of the boat ride, I stayed inside until we docked.
Unlike Santorini, which was swarming with tourists, Mykonos was far less populated and barren. We visited a monastery where nuns still live and a rocky beach, one of the island's hidden treasures. Besides us, there was only one other person sitting on the beach. It was so calming to watch and listen to the waves smashing against the wall of rocks and the vapors rise up like smoking clouds.
The next day, we decided to visit a winery. What was unique about this winery was that the grapes grow on the ground, not on vines. On foot, my friends and I, walking against traffic, began to slowly climb the steep hill leading to the winery. It was breezy so I walked behind the two of them with one hand on my head to hold down my wig. Little did I know the wind was about to become my protagonist this time. All of a sudden, a gust of wind blew and I no longer had anything to keep on my head. My wig flew right off, high into the air, like a hairy, black frisbee. As the wig swirled downward, it fell right into the vision of an oncoming truck coming down the hill. The driver of the truck looked in disbelief, as the wig whipped past his window shield not sure what it could be. But, that could only be outdone by the look on his face when he swerved his truck toward me when I screamed . His eyes just popped out when he saw a bald Asian woman running beside his truck in pursuit of this dust ball of hair rolling down the hill. Thank God he didn't get into an accident. I had no idea if a "runaway wig" would be a viable defense in Greek courts! In any event, the driver never stopped, but just kept driving slowly looking back in his rearview mirror to see this comical scene unfold.
The next day, we decided to visit a winery. What was unique about this winery was that the grapes grow on the ground, not on vines. On foot, my friends and I, walking against traffic, began to slowly climb the steep hill leading to the winery. It was breezy so I walked behind the two of them with one hand on my head to hold down my wig. Little did I know the wind was about to become my protagonist this time. All of a sudden, a gust of wind blew and I no longer had anything to keep on my head. My wig flew right off, high into the air, like a hairy, black frisbee. As the wig swirled downward, it fell right into the vision of an oncoming truck coming down the hill. The driver of the truck looked in disbelief, as the wig whipped past his window shield not sure what it could be. But, that could only be outdone by the look on his face when he swerved his truck toward me when I screamed . His eyes just popped out when he saw a bald Asian woman running beside his truck in pursuit of this dust ball of hair rolling down the hill. Thank God he didn't get into an accident. I had no idea if a "runaway wig" would be a viable defense in Greek courts! In any event, the driver never stopped, but just kept driving slowly looking back in his rearview mirror to see this comical scene unfold.
Meanwhile, my two friends were laughing hysterically watching me chase my wig. At the bottom of the hill, I grabbed it from the ground. Shaking the dirt off it, I walked back up the hill - bald, panting and laughing - to meet my friends. As they tried to put the wig back on my head, we were laughing so hard, we couldn't breathe. After that day, heck with the wig. For the rest of the trip, I tied a scarf over my bald head and it felt so liberating! Thank you Greece for allowing me to "let loose"!
