“Living free” has taken on a new kind of meaning over the last three weeks; I’ve experienced life in the fast seat, rarely slowing down and exploring destinations that I could never have imagined.
Seatbelts anyone? Here in Greece I’ve been intrigued with how lax safety regulations are, and how such a trivial aspect of the trip has pleasantly surprised me. The following paragraphs detail specific instances where this lack of supervision, and consequential leap of faith, has actually contributed to experiences that would not be as memorable otherwise.
Exploration of Ruins: Although many of the acropolises and ruin sites have had roped off portions, this does not discount the fact that they exist relatively unprotected. The photo below was taken during our trip to the acropolis in Rhodes; what you can’t see is that there is in fact a thin rope surrounding the ancient pillars. Regardless, vandalism wouldn’t be that difficult (one can easily step over the rope) and thus a tremendous amount of trust is being put on the public. I can imagine identical ruins back in the States existing in thick casings of bullet proof glass with state-of-the-art security systems; figuratively speaking, this would represent living in a kind of vacuum. The confidence placed on those who could potentially harm these two thousand year-old remains warms my heart, reminding me that their is still faith in the human condition and our ability to “live freely” without negative repercussions.
Faith in Competence: This next picture shows me kicking back on the edge of a cliff at the very top of Mystras. In short, safety rails are pretty much nonexistent in places where you would expect them to be. The drop from my feet to the ground must have been fifty feet, however it seems as if people were more worried about inhibiting the aesthetic pleasure of this historical area (with the placement of some ugly handrail) than keeping it safe. But is safety really an issue here? Most everyone is knowledgable enough to not approach the edge in an uncontrolled or potentially dangerous manner; the only way this could be a problem is if someone tripped. Thus, the decision to not include any kind of safety measure reinforces the trust that human beings have for one another, and additionally allows people to experience this place with a freedom that would seldom be granted back home.
Food: I’d be the first to admit that the placement of this meat at the Athens’ Meat Market looks a little unsanitary. Growing up in a culture where meats like these (at least when bought at a grocery store) are pristinely cleaned and inspected, even just a short walk through the market left many people concerned (and certainly without an appetite). The relatively relaxed nature of food preparation here in Greece has been an appropriate wakeup call and a chance to “live freely”. I had a bite of our tour guide’s spinach pie today (we offered it to me with a smile that I couldn’t resist), and I don’t think I’ll being “dying hard” anytime soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment