Friday April 27, 2007 SGN.org |
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Volume 35 Issue 17 |
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Friday, Sep 05, 2008
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Tour De Life by Beau Burriola |
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| Crete on a budget | ||
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by Beau Burriola -
SGN Contributing Writer My boyfriend and I are still traveling in Greece. Traveling is never cheap, but with the Euro at an all-time high, going to Europe is more expensive than ever and Greece is no exception. However, there are always less expensive ways to travel: you can stay in a hostel with loads of other people, you can self-cater every meal, you can search out the best deal on 1.5 L of water, and you can wash your clothes in a sink. But unless you are flush with cash, traveling always takes some budget-savvy planning. If you are used to creature comforts, some of these money-saving methods can be difficult. Faced with endless offerings of baklava, sweet red wine, designer sunglasses, and gelato, you will want to empty your pockets at every turn. But figuring out how to stretch your dollar when you are traveling on a budget in a Euro-run world is simply unavoidable. At the current rate, 1 US dollar equals precisely .72 cents of a Euro, a number that has been falling for years and shows no signs of improvement. Add to that the fees you incur exchanging money, be it from your bank or a currency exchange house, and it can feel like you're spending Rupees instead of dollars. To save money on our trip, we have done all of these things, but the most important thing we've done is to avoid tourist-saturated destinations entirely and head instead for smaller towns in the islands. This includes avoiding popular Gay destinations, which tend to be severely overpriced in both lodging and food and not different enough from Palm Beach or Fire Island to warrant the cost. Since we've discovered Greece to be incredibly Gay-friendly everywhere we've been, we've decided to step off the beaten Queer track. So, on day three of our fifteen days in Greece , we left Athens on an overnight ferry to Crete. Julien and I both agree that the best way to travel around the Mediterranean, cost and value, is by ferry (75-85 Euros for a double bed private shower/bath cabin, www.ferries.gr). More hotels than ferries, you can show up at the terminal at 7pm, be ushered to your room, have dinner in one of the two restaurants, visit the bar for a drink, dance a bit at the disco, and even take a dip in the pool, before heading off to sleep, arriving at your port when you wake up some 12-15 hours later. On top of that, you can catch a romantic sunset and sunrise all in one go. Whether you are going from Naples to Sicily, France to Spain, or roaming between the isles of Greece, any number of online booking systems can get you there without spending too much money. Still, if you prefer to travel by plane, you'll find low cost airlines (Olympic and Aegean airlines) jumping around the islands for very reasonable amounts (80-100 Euros, without the sunsets). Arriving in Iraklio, Crete, we found the Mirabello Hotel (www.mirabello-hotel.gr ) almost immediately. The owner, a typically friendly and helpful Greek called Kostas Kamaratakis, was just the latest of the locals who were happy to have Gay guests. From there, we headed to Chania by bus (17 Euros) and discovered what has to be the most beautiful and affordable place in all of Greece: an old Venetian fortress town, the waterfront has all the charms and history of Venice with all the cost impact of Tacoma. The bus conductor saw it fit to take our picture while we were sleeping on one another's shoulders (twice) with his camera phone (ooh, look, Gays!), but it was harmless and even friendly enough. The restaurant owners all gave us the most respectful treatment for our romantic meals. Not a Greek person looked twice when we went roaming the charming old streets hand-in-hand. We were as affectionate as any cuddly Gay couple could be everywhere we went, but the people of Crete didn't care one bit. With all the places in the world to visit full of people who don't mind you are Gay, like Crete, there isn't as much reason to plan your trip around the well-known Gay places you're used to having to visit to feel comfortable. The world is much too big to limit your travels to the "pink places" anyway, so if you're looking for a place to take your boyfriend, pass over Mykonos and give Crete a try. You and your wallet will be glad you did. Beau Burriola is a Seattle-based traveller searching the world for new Gay destinations. E-mail him at beaubrent@gmail.com. |
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visit Beau at www.beaubrent.com
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