Hospital survival, part II

It has been a grueling period. I've been sleeping on an uncomfortable wooden chair in a nasty hospital since Thursday. I wasn't fully aware of the lack of professionalism in the public medical field in Greece or why my father needed a relative round the clock to take care of him. I thought all that I had heard was a bit of an exaggeration but today held some surprises.

My father's IV solution finished during the night and the nurse chastised me for not paying attention and telling him to come change it. Doesn't the staff know how long an IV takes to empty and to come check it themselves? What are they here for? I was told to keep an eye on it from now on. Also, I have to repeatedly ask:

• for pain medication as they forget or ignore my requests and my father is in utter agony,
• to empty my father's catheter when it's near bursting,
• for clean sheets because they don't bother to change them (today I changed them myself)
• and to fix the air conditioner because it is 42 C/108 F in Athens and it doesn't work!

The other surprise is that one person adamantly refused to take the fakelaki. She seemed genuinely concerned with my father's well being. Her colleagues also said no with their mouths while pocketing envelopes with their hands. She was applauded by the other people in the room because we've all been abused by this system. She is the only one in 4 days to behave honorably with out receiving any extra money. God bless her and have mercy on the rest of us.

Hospital survival

Though this is off topic for this blog there are a few things you should know if you should become ill or hurt in Greece. First, don't expect the same organization as in American hospitals. You will run in circles for x-rays, blood tests, registration etc. My father came for knee replacement surgery and painfully hobbled to four different buildings. Secondly, the "fakelaki" (envelope) is a must. This is an illegal practice of "under the table bribes" which doctors, nurses, orderlies and the like expect to ensure a slightly higher level of care. There may be ethical medical practitioners somewhere in Greece but I have yet to meet one. Greeks themselves perpetuate the problem rather than solve it as they don't report it to authorities. Even I won't mention which hospital we're in or which doctors we're seeing for fear of retribution of this post. Next, you will be expected to provide the majority of the care for your loved one such as bathing, bedpan duty, etc. At present, there are 2 nurses for over 30 orthopedic patients on this floor. The noise level is unbelievable and doctors and patients smoke while hiding from one another. Last, you will be required to donate blood. If you are unfit to donate you have to find or pay someone else to do it for you. All I can say is what a mess. If you can, go back home and get your health in order or be sure to go to a private hospital. Below are related links to the health care controversies in Greece:

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_0_18/02/2009_104826
http://greekodyssey.typepad.com/my_greek_odyssey/2007/06/recently_a_youn.html
http://livingingreece.gr/2008/09/24/eu-corruption-perceptions-index-2008/
http://bioethicsdiscussion.blogspot.com/search?q=amalia

Grandparents' ghosts

We spent last week in my father's village of Ag'Yianni. The village is on the southern coast of the Peloponnesus, an arid rough part of the country battered by coastal winds, salty air, and very little rain. Beautiful and wild, I wondered how anyone could have lived here without our modern conveniences. Tenacity, in a word, was the key to their survival. I've met a lot of people from here but never realized before how many faces, expressions and mannerisms of the people of this village remind me of my tenacious grandparents and my father. Many of the villagers saw these same traits in my children and my self, our inheritance you could say. I had a myriad of flashbacks of my first visit here when I was nine and hearing stories of my father's antics as a boy from his parents. Sadly, my grandparents are gone but their home where they bore and reared their children still stands. The old style of architecture can often be seen in converted hotels which keep the old style of furniture, linens, and simple art as part of their ambiance. It may seem clumsy or unrefined but it is often made by hand and is irreplaceable. If you get a chance, stay in one of these hotels and soak up the history and the people. Who knows, maybe you'll see a little of yourself in their faces as I’m sure they’ll see in yours.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monemvasia

Sea urchins!

We went to a beach five minutes from my father's childhood home of Ag' Yanni around 7 in the evening. The water was beautiful. Ten minutes later, as luck would have it, my son and I stepped on sea urchins and we all had to go home! The spines broke off under the skin and do not come out easily even with a pin and tweezers. We have to watch for infection and can't wear shoes. It has been a painful and annoying experience. My Aunt Dimitra recommended applying olive oil to the wounds which did help with the pain somewhat. Her other homeopathic remedy was urinating on the wound. This helped my son but I didn't try it. I broke out the Benadryl, Neosporin, rubbing alcohol and peroxide. If you decide to go swimming in an area that has rocks and sea plants be sure to wear water shoes. You will be made fun of by the locals but you will spare yourself pain. Plan ahead some activities for your little urchins that can be done without too much walking such as a concert or a play or take up the national game of backgammon in case you have a mishap as well but still want to make the most of your time. I found out the hard way that I may not be able to get around as much as I'd like until we heal. This could take weeks!
Here are some additional resources for treatment of injuries and more about fascinating sea urchins:
http://theadventuresofbecka.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-to-treat-sea-urchin-injury.html
http://www.stanford.edu/group/Urchin/nathistory.html

Fate and Faith

There was an iconostasis on an isolated part of a road on the outskirts of my mother's childhood village that was never lit. The chief icon inside was of St. Constantine and St. Helen. I stopped as often as I could to light its vigil lamp whenever we visited family. My mother believes my efforts were rewarded by the saints because years later I married my husband, Constantine. In a sense, though we were separated by time and place, we found each other as these saints had found Christ's cross. Now some of you will say how silly but I assure you we never would have met if it wasn't predestined by God as we lived 330 miles apart in the States. My mother was in Greece having her house alarm repaired by my husband's cousin. He then approached my mother as to whether she had any eligible daughters for marriage as he had a cousin in America looking to get married. We met and despite the physical distance between us we were married within a year. Everyone attributes it to fate or written by the hand of God because so many pieces fell into place for the conclusion. My mother, of course, remembers the little church by the side of the road. If your kids become bored in Greece share the idea with them that destiny has brought them to Greece and one way or another it will be a life changing experience. The above icon is of Sts. Constantine and Helen from http://www.icnograms.org/ where you can send greeting cards with icons on them.

What are those little glass boxes on the side of the road?

Throughout Greece you will see small glass boxes on the side of the road called iconostasis. My kids have asked me what these are and who put them there. We place flowers or teddy bears as expressions of love where a crash has taken someone's life. Greeks do the same but instead they put up these little churches where a loved one died, was injured, or survived when they shouldn't have. Inside each are icons, a vigil lamp, 2 bottles of water and oil, matches, wicks, and cleaning items. The vigil lamp is a small glass that is filled with olive oil and water. The water remains on the bottom and the oil floats on top acting as a fuel for a circular floating cork with a hole in its center that holds a small wick. There may be an ornate hanging holder for the glass or just the glass itself. If you pass one by feel free to light it in the late afternoon before it gets dark. Fill with oil and the vigil lamp will burn over night remembering our faith and loved ones. Light the vigil lamp, pray for your family and the one who put up the iconostasis. You can stop at different iconostases to find your patron saint. It can be your kids’ treasure hunt. You can purchase icons of saints which are hand made individual pieces of art, vigil lamps and so on for your home remembering your trip and others always asking for God's grace in all things. Take a look at these sites before you go to Greece to know who is represented in the icons. They have certain elements particular to each.

The icon of the Virgin and Jesus at http://www.aquinasandmore.com%20/

The archangel icon at http://www.icnograms.org/

Cork wick holder http://www.religiousnet.com/greek_7620-50.html
Hanging holder for vigil lamp http://www.archangelsbooks.com/

First day at the beach

I packed up the kids and went to the beach in Gythio. For your viewing pleasure here is a clip of the area www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEUPtao4O8E . I figured Vodafone was not going to call on a Sunday with a solution to my connection problems as its stores are closed. If you are a cautious driver I warn you now about driving in Greece. Few people obey the traffic rules and though passing one another is legal in many places it is often illegally and dangerously done. Around 4 p.m. we drove 32 km from Sparti/Sparta past countless olive groves set in terraced plots on hillsides. Along the way beautiful Weeping Willows, pink blossomed Daphne and proud Mediterranean Cyprus trees lined the road with the steep mountains of the Taigetos, as wondrous as ever, set behind them. The drive took about 25 minutes as the road is quite curvy.
Gythio is rumored to be the port from which Helen sailed from on her fateful voyage to Troy. Every time I drive this route, E65, from my parents' to Gythio I think of Helen's mad abduction by or her elopement with Paris millennia ago. In Greece, Helen is called Beautiful Helen or Helen of Sparta rather than Helen of Troy since she originated and returned here after Troy's fall.
Gythio is also famous for its seafood. You can sit right by the sea and feed bread to little black fish from your table. You are welcomed inside the restaurants to pick the fish you want to eat too. Two popular things for adults to order are wine seared octopus and ouzo served over ice. I'm sure your kids like mine will love to eat the hand cut fries and fresh fish after swimming. Here is a great panorama of a shipwreck in Gythio's bay along with its rumor, a popular Greek pastime, http://www.360cities.net/image/gytheio_shipwreck. Some people crawl around and inside of it but I wouldn't recommend it. From Gythio you can take ferries to some of the islands. Try www.greek-islands-ferries.gr/ferry_gytheio.htm for more information.
One family favorite is the small island of Kythera.This small island is famous as the first place Aphrodite or Venus came to land from her sea foam birth. It is legal for you to scuba dive off its coast and equipment can be rented in the towns. Some of the Parthenon's marble statues fell into the sea off the coast of Kythera when they were stolen from Greece and taken to England for "safe keeping." A site to learn more on the history of the statues and their present state is http://www.greece.org/parthenon/marbles/ . On this site there is a page especially for children. Besides Greek mythology there are strong Greek Orthodox connections of miracles related to the Virgin Mary or Panagia as we call her on this island. Take a look at http://gogreece.about.com/cs/greekislands/a/kytheraaphrodit.htm .
Looking for your kids to connect Kythera and Sparti? Have them make a family tree of the gods and goddesses from Greek mythology. For instance, Kythera is the "birthplace" of Aphrodite. Her parentage is questionable with Zeus possibly being her father. She was married to Hephaestus. Her son was Eros or Cupid. Helen's father was Zeus as well and her mother was Leda (Nemesis). Aphrodite and Eros played some part in Helen's abandonment of Menelaus as pictured in this vase http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen as Aphrodite promised Helen to Paris. Make sure to leave plenty of room on the family tree for all of Zeus' children. Mythological or religious family trees can be done from a variety of countries' perspectives.

Sea and surf (kind of)

Well, we finally made it to Greece. It was a long journey, nearly 24 hours door to door. Here are some traveling tips for creature comforts regardless of where you're going in Greece to make life a little smoother.

Health safety en route to the sea One good way to ensure your comfort while you're flying is to carry on a beach towel for each of your family members. They can serve as neck rolls or blankets. You'll need them anyway if you plan on doing any swimming and they can be easily laundered. We didn't use the blankets and pillows on the planes we flew in. I think it was key for avoiding illnesses. I saw others using them and by the time we landed they were coughing and sneezing all around us. I suggest you bring your own along with some hand wipes sealed in individual packages. You can swim in most parts of Greece from early May until mid October. The sea is beautiful, warm and usually clean. You can swim in the early morning and until very late at night.Check out this report on the cleanest beaches: http://ec.europa.eu/news/environment/090611_en.htm

Surfing the web or trying to! Soon after we arrived at my parents' we lost power. To add to my frustration the internet service my mother ordered is slower than dial up. The worst of it is she signed a 2 year contract for a service that is practically useless. My Skype calls get dropped and don't even bother with a video call. If you have important work to do via the web be sure to settle these matters as best you can before you come to Greece. There are several sites with bilingual pages in English and Greek. Many of the reps and tech people also speak English though this may not get you very far as I've discovered. I am waiting for a reply from the sixth person I've spoken to at Vodafone as to whether or not the service can be made faster. Keeping up a blog in these conditions has been very challenging to say the least.

Vodafone, Cosmote, Germanos, Forthnet are sites you can check for more information on internet connections in Greece. Most hotels offer some form of web access but it is usually a pay per use charge on a timed basis. For more info on using the internet from hotels using cards you purchase from the kiosks: http://gogreece.about.com/od/connectivity/ht/internetaccess.htm . You can also take a look at http://www.ifree.gr/en/ though I've never used this service. You pay for the call to connect to the web but not the web access itself.

Power outages are not unfamiliar in Greece. Since young kids can get scared in the dark in unfamiliar places pack a small flashlight so you can see if the lights go out. This has become a standard practice for us on our travels and comes in handy in the evening for night time tag or changing a tire on an unlit street.
Now you ask is it worth all of the fuss to travel to Greece? Yes! Yes! Yes!

A few things you should know:

I'd like to share a few tips with you that have served me well. The following information is a mixture of my experiences and what I've read from other sites. A good place to begin your research is www.lonelyplanet.com/greece .

You should exchange some money either before your flight to Greece or at the airport or you won't be able to get a cab or a drink and so on. Lonely Planet recommends that the majority of your money should be exchanged at a bank where you'll get a better rate and pay less commission. For safety purposes exchange only what you'll need for the next few days, about $300.

Tip: Credit cards are widely accepted in major towns but it doesn't hurt to ask rather than assume that this is true in your case.

US Embassy in Athens: Though Greece is not in the middle of a war it is still a foreign country and you should know where the embassy is and how to contact fellow Americans if necessary. You can also check out the embassy's site to learn about U.S. and Greek relations:

U.S. Embassy Athens
91 Vasilisis Sophias Avenue
10160 Athens, Greece
Phone (Main Switchboard/Info): 30-210-721-2951
E-mail: AthensAmEmb@state.gov Web site: http://athens.usembassy.gov/

Tip: Always carry photocopies of important information, such as a copy of a passport, in case it is lost or stolen. It won't get you back on a plane but since you still have something to show from your original it might make getting a replacement easier and faster.

Money: The monetary unit of Greece is the Euro. Euros reflect the country of origin's culture. Since Greece has a lot of toursim it is reflected in the variety of the Euros. For more information on Euros take a look at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_euro_coins
www.fleur-de-coin.com/eurocoins/coins.asp

Tip: Check out your Euros and see if you can figure out where they came from. Keep some as souvenirs or for your scrap book.

Markets: Stores do not operate the same hours as in America and they are not open on Sundays except for the kiosks on the corners. Depending on where you are in Greece businesses close at 2 and may not reopen again in the evening. Don't be afraid to haggle for things that seem overinflated price wise. Bargaining is not an unusual practice in Greece with street vendors.

Tip: Plan ahead and buy bottles of water or fresh fruit while stores are open.

I have had several experiences where I was not given all of my change in Greece. Most people outside of Greece expect to be given their exact amount of change just as buisnesses expect to receive every cent they are owed. In Greece businesses can't be bothered with 1 or 2 cent coins nor will they insist you give it to them if you are short.

Life in general: Greeks typically nap after lunch around 2 p.m. for 2-3 hours. The only people on the beach at that time are foreigners. It is the hottest part of the day and the most dangerous in terms of sun and dehydration.

Tip: It is considered rude to make noise during this time whether you are at a hotel or in a village. In case your kids can not sleep try some good quiet activities like drawing, reading, journal writing, planning out the next day's activites or watching a dvd with headphones on.

Pharmacies and health: All of the pharmacies take turns being open on an emergency basis. Your hotel should know which pharmacy can help you the moment you need something. You should have a list of your medications and dosages. Pharmacists can dispense many medications without a doctor's note. Be prepared, pharmacists and doctors may not recognize the names of your medications as they may be marketed under different names abroad. If you can, pack the pamphlet that comes with a medication to be on the safe side.

Tip: Buy a thermometer that measures Celsius and Fahrenheit before you leave and take it with you.

Medical staff in Greece typically do not understand Fahrenheit and you may not understand Celsius. Here are a range of temperatures from normal to fevered from http://fahrenheittocelsius.com/:

°C to °F
36=96.8
37=98.6
38=100.4
39=102.2
40=104

Tip: In addition to the thermometer you may want to use the pain/fever reliever most common in Greece. Ask the pharmacy for directions and clear up any confusion before you leave. If you need further assistance at a later time you can explain to medical personnel what you have been using so you are not overdosed.

Dining out: You should consider dining where locals eat and where prices are clearly stated. Food is never served "rare" but is usually well done. For additional information on tipping etc. take a look at: http://gogreece.about.com/library/weekly/aa031398.html

Sightseeing before you leave home

As far as Greeks are concerned every experience touches the senses. During Greek Orthodox church service you step into incense laced air, icon covered walls (and sometimes ceilings) fill your vision, chant from Byzantine times and beyond is heard, and communion tasted. Check out http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7061 to learn more about the dominant faith of Greece.

These elements transfer into daily life from the aromas of our homemade meals simmering in our kitchens, our reverence of our icons in our homes, music filled with sorrows and joys of life, and the wine we share with loved ones.

Kids enjoy getting a taste of what they will experience on vacation. A good way to get started is to have them attend a cultural event of where they plan to visit while still in their home area. You can do this very easily using the following tips and more resources to the right:

• attend a religious service
• go to a festival serving ethnic foods
• surf the web for music and recipes
• read books filled with history and folk tales
• study maps and make one of your own based on the Iliad or the Odyssey
• watch movies with English subtitles
• start a family journal before you leave filled with questions your family would like to answer

Though we've been to Greece several times my children and I are also doing some of these things in preparation for our trip. This way kids fill their senses before they arrive and do not feel like fish out of water. They look forward to solving their questions. The entire family will be able to relax and take in all of the sights and sounds. See the lists of resources and websites of interest on this blog.