So, I thought something was going to go wrong… and it did.

I rode the bus from Thessaloniki to Ioannina.  Every time we stopped, I thought it was my time to get off.  Once in Ioannina, I took a taxi to my hotel.  You know it’s a good sign when the cab driver has never heard of your hotel, and has to ask his buddies for directions.  Upon arriving at the hotel, something felt a little off.  After the cab left, I walked up to the hotel to find the door closed and locked.  I knocked. Nothing happened. I knocked repeatedly, while nothing on the other side continued to happen.  I walked to the middle of the street, to take a look at the hotel.  I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just knocking on some random door.  It looked like ‘The Night before Christmas’ in there. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The address and name were both right. That’s about when I saw a call box.  Walking up to it, there was a little buzzer for reception. Yay, I thought!  Buzzzz buzz buzz And, nothing continued to happen on the other side of the door.  My only thought was, ‘I cant believe I am paying for a hotel, that wont let me in!’.  About then, it started to rain.  I put my bags under the awning, and started to circle the hotel.  After an hour, it was really raining. It was officially time to find a hotel that would let me inside.

I wondered through the streets, finding a busier road that would hopefully lead me to another hotel.  I found a local futbol bar(yes, futbol bar… I LOVE Greece!), where I asked for directions. He pointed me to the Matsa Guesthouse.  Sigh… I don’t have to sleep on the streets!

Categories: Greece Northern Greece

Tagged as: Aegean Sea Ancient Greece Basin Bus ride coastline Greek Hellas Hellenic Republic Hotel Ioannina Islands lp Mediterranean news No hotel Olympic Games photography Rain rt Southern Europe Tourism Travel Traveling traveltips trip tt TTOT turismo Vacation visiting Western Civilization

Perriann Hodges

I am not an author. To be quite honest, I always hated English class. I write so I may share my experiences and remember the man I met on a bus who treated me to dinner with his family, paying and booking a hotel only to find out its out of business, fake crying in the Athens airport to get a ticket home, or remember the strangers who looked out for me on a bus. Some live, experience, and are fulfilled by what’s in their backyards. I find there is something truly exhilarating about cramming as many possessions into a bag as possible, only to complain you brought too many. This is my life out of a suitcase, hope you enjoy.