The next extra stop was Olympos, one of the many locations thought to have been called Mt. Olympus by the Ancient Greeks. Today this little village is a bohemian backpackers paradise, although maybe a bit too popular (I hear Kabak is a secluded version for those in the know). Olympos is located between two steep mountains, down a windy dirt road which ends with some Greek ruins along the beach. Before you get to the ruins both sides of the road are covered with camp-like hostels. Olympos first caught my attention because it’s known for it’s “tree house” hostels.
The rooms themselves weren’t that dramatic, just slightly elevated wood cabins. But the communal courtyard more than made up for this. When I walked into Bayrams I looked around to see travelers relaxing under a canopy of orange trees and grape vines. There were plenty of hammocks, picnic tables, and elevated wooden platforms covered in oriental rugs and pillows surrounding a low table. Breakfast and dinner are served cafeteria style here, people read or napped, there was a bar on one end, and music (Bob Marley was a favorite) playing. I was in love! If I had my own house I would want to build something like this outside. After moving around so much it was nice to have a day to just lounge around. It also gave me a chance to work on my article for Euro Art, which I have been seriously neglecting.
The first night I arrived I bought a flashlight and walked down to the beach. During daylight hours you have to pay an entrance fee but I heard from other travelers that it never actually closed. It wasn’t that big of a secret because, after a spooky walk through a dark path surrounded by ancient ruins, the beach was about half full. There was no moon, and no city lights, so the sky was filled with stars. I decided to get some sleep and wake up to see it at sunrise. I forced myself up at 5:30. It was cool and damp and I could hear birds and wild dogs in the surrounding woods. The walk down was beautiful.
When I reached the beach the sun was resting on the horizon behind hazy clouds. It was quiet, but in the light the scene looked pretty sad. Beer bottles and cigarette butts were everywhere. I guess people always take advantage of a good opportunity. I sat there for an hour while people started waking up. I swam for a bit. The water felt great as the sun was warming up. After that I walked back for our 8 o’clock breakfast, and spent the rest of the afternoon reading, writing, and napping.
The other interesting thing to see at Olympos is the Chimaera flames. On a nearby mountain there are unknown gasses coming from underground that ignite when they come in contact with the air. Ancient myth has that the monster Chimaera was lanced deep into the earth where it is stuck and continues breathing fire up to the surface. After dinner a group of us took a tour of the mountain. After a 20 minute hike there is an area with about 10-15 flames in the area. Most of the pictures came out looking like a campfire, but the flames are actually curling up from under the rocks. You can put them out, but they will relight over time.
