The kindness of strangers Michelle Jana Chan
Farmers on the banks of the Mekong gave me sticky rice – and a great lesson in life
Back in the 1990s, when the Lao People’s Democratic Republic started opening up to travellers, I found myself walking from northern Thailand across the newly constructed Friendship Bridge to Vientiane, the sleepy capital of this landlocked country. I spent a few aimless days there, ambling about the Buddhist temples, studying the French colonial architecture and eating in the night market but I was eager to move on and explore more deeply, to follow the Mekong River, which runs the length of the country from the Golden Triangle to Cambodia.
On my last morning in town I met a fisherman on the banks of the river and asked him – in a mix of English, phrasebook Lao and broken Chinese – if he knew of anyone selling a dugout canoe, perhaps even if he was. Somehow we negotiated a deal. I gave him a folded $100 US bill, and he handed me a wooden paddle and a rope attached to his long, slender, flat-bottomed boat with its flaring sides and shovel ends. I was suddenly a boat-owner for the first time.
I visited a hardware store to buy supplies: a swing basket for sticky rice; a mosquito net designed to shroud a hammock; clothes pegs; rope; packets of biscuits; an enamel mug, and a bucket for baling out. I also purchased a paintbrush and a pot of silver-coloured paint to name my boat. I’d just finished reading Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and inscribed KURTZ on the wooden side. Let’s just say, I was much younger then.
So began my slow boat journey south following the flow of the Mekong. The river’s current was swift and I did little more than steer with the paddle as the boat was carried downstream. My plan had been to cover the miles by day and string up my hammock between trees by night, but I soon noticed a preferable place to camp. Dotting the rice-fields of Laos are palm leaf-thatched shelters raised on stilts above the watery paddies; this is where farmers take a rest during the midday heat. It turned out these open-sided cabins were also a fresh, airy spot to spend the night.
I still remember on my first evening how the sky shifted through a spectrum of pastels, the blues and pinks reflecting in the flooded fields. I studied my makeshift camp, anxious I might be trespassing, hoping nobody would mind too much.
I slept so soundly that the farmers arrived the next morning before I’d fled. They were curious, amused, and instantly kind. They shared their breakfast of fried dough sticks and urged me to stay. Eventually I took my leave but not before they replenished my basket of sticky rice by emptying their own.
This is how the days rolled by: a rhythm of paddling downstream, tying up to buy fried crabs, chillies, fresh coconuts, before finding a campsite by dusk, either introducing myself to the farmers as they gathered up their tools, or the following morning as they arrived for work. Materially they had little, but the hospitality here was immediate, gentle, boundless. Some of my accidental hosts returned within the hour with a bowl of soup, or to entice me to drink arak with them. On one occasion, I was offered a dish of boiled frogs; another evening, a plate of fried cockroaches. Their generosity was such I couldn’t decline. I plucked one of the insects: they were salty, their shells crunchy, and I had to extract their spindly legs caught between my teeth. I opened a packet of biscuits to reciprocate, certain of whom had got the better deal.
The French used to say of their old colony of Indochina: “In Vietnam, they plant the rice; in Cambodia, they watch it grow, and in Laos they listen to it grow”. Reflecting now in lockdown, with our travel slowed or stalled, I think about the kindness of the farmers and their families on the banks of the Mekong. They taught me a long time ago about slowing down, enshrining time to help a stranger, and the value of unquestioning trust. Lessons I think about now. It is surely for brushes with strangers, to latch onto the humanity of another, that we travel and why we will travel again.
Birthplace of democracy, home of the Mediterranean diet and backdrop for countless feel-good movies, Greece’s seascapes are among the best in the world. Forget those crowded Spanish costas; whether you like endless swathes of golden sand, pristine pebbled seascapes, or secret coves where you can sunbathe without seeing another soul, in Greece there’s a beach for every taste.
With fifty centuries of storied history, this magical land renowned for its hospitality is also deeply rooted in antiquity. The Acropolis and the sacred island of Delos might be Greece’s two archaeological beacons, but if you head for the megalo nisi, or big island, as Crete is known to Greeks, you can roam among the ruins of ancient Minoan Palaces. Alternatively, make a beeline for Rhodes to stroll in cobbled streets where the Knights Templars once roamed or take a ferry over to Kos, home to The Asklepieion, a sacred healing centre which has been in use since ancient times.
Health is high on the menu, too, in the home of the Mediterranean Diet. Tapas might make great finger food, but when it comes to healthy snacking, Greek meze – ranging from mineral-rich foraged greens and high-fibre Cretan dakos rusks to brine-fresh calamari and protein-rich snails – win hands down. Just ask the inhabitants of Blue Zone island Ikaria whose residents are renowned for their longevity. So this year forget paella and sangria, say bye bye to Benidorm and baking on overcrowded beaches and make Greece your choice for a healthy and happy summer odyssey.
BEACHES
Hip hangouts and hidden coves From dramatic cliff-hemmed beaches like Zante’s much-instagrammed Shipwreck beach, to isolated coves such as Milos’s Kleftiko Bay which can only be reached by boat, Greece has some of the world’s best bathing spots.
On Crete the powder-pink sands of Elafonissi, near Chania and the glassclear waters of Balos Lagoon which are reached by boat from Kissamos, are justly famed. But if you want to get off the beaten track, head for Vai on Crete’s eastern tip where you can laze on a gold sand beach surrounded by Europe’s only palm forest.
Younger Robinson Crusoes will love bathing from Samos’s shell-strewn Potami beach, but party animals will probably prefer cosmopolitan Psarou beach on Mykonos, where some of the world’s best DJs come to perform in summer. The mainland also has some superb strips of sand, including Sithonia, on Halkidiki’s three-pronged peninsula an hour’s drive from Thessaloniki, whose pristine waters framed by Mount Athos are home to rare monk seals.
FOOD Health on a plate
Greece can’t be beaten when it comes to good, healthy food. Doused in the rich golden olive oil that regularly features on “world’s best” lists, each region has its own speciality.
With its bijou opera house inspired by La Scala and beautifully conserved Venetian architecture in old town Ermoupolis, Syros in the Cyclades is renowned for spicy San Mihalis cheese, cured pork lountza and other succulent culinary treats, while sister island Sifnos’s celebrated food scene is a magnet for food lovers who come here to fill up on mastello lamb marinated in red wine, chickpea croquettes baked in earthenware crocks and other unique dishes. Why not follow the latest Greek food trend and book into a gourmet hotel, such as Ergon House in Athens or Legacy Gastro suites in Heraklion, where the country’s luscious food specialities are available on tap.
DRINK
Mixologists making waves with cool twists on old flavours
With inventive new mixologists and a raft of cool new winemakers, the Greek drinks scene has never been so exciting. Once the turpentine-flavoured backdrop to every Greek holiday, retsina, accidentally invented back in 2000 BC when ancient Greeks used resin to seal their porous amphorae, is being reinvented with spectacular results.
Try some at new brew bar Oinoscent, in downtown Athens. If you prefer your retsina old-style, make a beeline for Diporto in the city’s central food market where it’s served straight from the barrel.
Traditional drinks like grape-based raki and Chios island’s unique bubblegum-like mastixa are also getting a big makeover, as mixologists create sapid new cocktails with local-specific flavours. Order the Aegean Negroni made with Crete’s endemic dittany at The Clumsies in Athens, which regularly features in the world’s best bars list, or try some of the cool cocktails at new Zante watering hole The Cotton Club Zakynthos, which is a spin-off of the celebrated Ibiza club.
CULTURE It’s all Greek to me
From Olympia, cradle of the Olympic Games, to religious sites such as the mediaeval Meteora monastery or the palace of Agamemnon at Mycenae, you will find ancient relics almost everywhere in Greece.
There’s no thrill to match climbing to see the Parthenon, via Plaka’s village-like labyrinth of lanes at sunset, but if you linger in the capital to visit exciting new cultural venues such as the B&E Goulandris Foundation’s museum of modern art and the quirky new Museum of Ancient Greek Technology, you will discover that there is much more to Athens than its iconic temple.
Away from the mainland, Crete is the home of the Minotaur and promises fascinating Minoan sites, including Europe’s oldest city at Knossos.
To explore the country’s more recent cultural past, head for Thessaloniki where the rich blend of Turkish, Jewish and Balkan influences in architecture, food and customs testifies to the Macedonian capital’s pivotal location at the crossroads between East and West
ACTIVITIES Shipwrecks and sunset sails
With more than 15,000 kilometres of coastline and some 6,000 islands surrounded by glittering seas, Greece is, understandably, a magnet for water sports fans.
What could me more thrilling than sailing out on a catamaran to explore Santorini’s spectacular caldera, swimming in Milos’s mineral-rich hot springs or donning a wetsuit to explore world-class dive sites, including the remains of Titanic’s sister ship HMS Britannic, which sank near the tiny island of Kea in 1916?
In recent years there has been a heightened focus on sustainable tourism, too, so you can expect to find plenty of new hiking trails in Greece this summer. This includes Crete’s winding, but clearly waymarked, E4 trail which leads from the Minoan Palace of Zakros in the east to the lively seaside resort of KastelliKissamos in the west, via rugged wildthyme-scented countryside dotted with remote hamlets.
ISLANDS Deserted isles to lively atolls
Spain might have a massive coastline, but with 227 inhabited islands and countless deserted ones that are perfect for daytripping, Greece definitely steals the show.
Touted by Tui as this year’s most popular destination for sun-starved Britons, family-friendly Crete, with its lofty mountains, soft sand beaches, traditional kafeneio and buzzing nightlife, has something for everyone.
Rockstar Santorini’s sugar cube villages and world-famous caldera are likely to be popular this year, too, but if you want to get off the beaten track and escape the crowds, head next door to the all-too-often-overlooked Cyclades sister island of Naxos, where you will find family-friendly accommodation, low key traditional tavernas and near deserted beaches.
Ever since Mama Mia! was filmed there, the pine-tree-studded island of Skiathos, with its crystal clear seas and traditional fish tavernas, has been the Sporades’ crowd pleaser. It’s worth taking the ferry across sparkling waters to lesser-known neighbouring gems Skopelos and Alonissos, however, to discover a more authentic vibe.
HOTELS
Luxury lifestyle or laid back boho, the choice is yours
With a raft of new openings across the country, Greece is the word for great accommodation this summer.
Scattered over the world’s only inhabited volcanic crater, sultry Santorini is the place to find the wow factor. There are plenty of hotels clustered around the cobbled lanes of popular sunset spot, Oia, but if you want to get away from the tourist hordes while sticking close to the main sights, book a blissfully private pool villa at the new Canaves Oia Epitome (canaves.com), or stay in a stylish suite with jetted plunge pool at sea-view boutique haven Omma Santorini (ommasantorini.com).
Meanwhile, Crete’s most exciting new hotels include hip, adults-only Stella Island Luxury Resort (stellaisland.gr), where accommodation is in Maldivianstyle overwater bungalows; Abaton Island (abaton.gr), a family-friendly spa resort near the lively town of Hersonissos; and Island Concept (theislandconcept.gr), a boutique retreat with a blissfully private beach overlooking Mirabello Bay.
FAMILIES
Sand for small people – and monsters
and museums for growing minds With taverns where your toddlers will be warmly welcomed, sandy beaches lapped by shallow bath-warm waters, a safe environment for little ones and plenty of activities for teenagers, Greece is arguably one of the world’s safest countries for families.
If your small people are thrilled by tales of monsters and mythical quests, Greece has plenty of child-friendly museums, including the recently revamped Acropolis museum where they have animated films and designated family activity packs. This year, the highlights of The Museum of Cycladic Art include clever cinematographic recreations of life in Athens in ancient times.
When it comes to the islands, both Crete, with its endless beaches, multiple activities and wide range of accommodation, and lovely, lush Corfu – the setting for The Durrells TV series – are both good choices. Whichever island you choose you are guaranteed to be welcomed warmly in local taverns, which often have designated (less expensive) children’s menus and will do their best to satisfy even the pickiest little eaters.
COUPLES Cave dwellings and hip hideaways are hard to beat
Greece’s picturesque white villages, laidback nightlife, spectacular seaside tavernas and scenic seascapes have long been a magnet for loving couples and lovedup honeymooners. Over the past few years a flurry of new adults-only resorts, from Crete’s boho-chic Domes Noruz (domesresorts.com) to hip hideaway Lesante Blu (lesanteblu.gr) on Zante are enhancing the romance in this stunning country whose vocabulary includes more than a dozen words for love.
Starry eyes are guaranteed on volcanic Santorini – to feed the flame, stay in Canaves Oia’s Master suite, where you can enjoy private dining with dramatic caldera views and then rollick in your blissfully private cave pool. Alternatively, beat a path to Opera Mansion (operasantorini.com), a sumptuous caldera-top hideaway with large indoor pool, private wine cellar and his and hers steam room.
Within easy reach of Athens, Hydra’s car-free streets and arty vibe are perfect for lovers of all ages. Mature romantics might prefer the more peaceful Cyclades Island, Folegandros, however, where a string of traditional taverns and sights such as the delightful clifftop Hora, are sure to seduce.
LOCAL WELCOME A love affair across the ages
Ever since Zeus propounded the virtues of being hospitable to foreigners and guests, philoxenia – usually translated as “love of the stranger” – has been stamped into the Greek DNA.
For a visitor, this age-old sense of hospitality translates in many concrete ways: stroll through the flower-bright streets of a Greek village with your children and you are sure to be offered a shiny pomegranate or a bunch of grapes; sit out at a Cretan kafenion and order raki and it will probably be served with complimentary meze snacks.
The British have a long history in Greece and, apart from a few grumbles about Elgin’s Marbles, you will be warmly welcomed. This is especially true in 2021, which marks the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence, in which the leading figure of British Romanticism, Lord Byron (known in Greek as O Vyronas), sacrificed his life fighting for the Greek cause.