Dear Readers
The Chimera is a curious creature, combining the head of a lion, body of a goat and tail of a dragon. In Greek mythology it was a terrifying monster defeated by the heroic Bellerophon, son of Poseidon. The same word in English today is used to describe something so unattainable that it is virtually an illusion. Just like a hybrid lion-goat-dragon. Or my pledge to write a “weekly” newsletter.
Self-deprecation aside, I did spend the better part of last month g(r)eeking out over the etymology of words. That, and gorging on an unhealthy amount of Gyros, which I discovered means to circle or turn in Greek -- just like the rotisserie on which its filling is cooked. But also like a spinning gyro-scope. Or a gyr-ating frat boy (iykyk, but hopefully you don’t know).
Vulgarity aside, the influence of Greek civilization on our lives today is fascinating. And it's a culture that continues to give, digging up new discoveries every few years -- something our tour guide reckoned would be more frequent, explaining that governments have actually tried to stop certain excavations, fearing they may impede urban progress.
History aside, no conversation about visiting Greece would be complete without mentioning its iconic islands, even though I sojourned to a different region, staying safe from influencer (read virus) havens. Or at least that’s how locals see them -- great for the tourism industry, but less than ideal for an enjoyable escape, with jostling tourists everywhere, even to view a simple sunset. Though, I can’t blame them considering this was from a fairly regular, mainland beach.
Luckily, with over 200 Greek islands, finding an untouched vacation spot is not a difficult feat. Though that said, as more people desire quaint holidays, the more willing they are to dig up remote destinations, and venture off the beaten Aegean track. Hence the hoards of listicles featuring lesser-known, quieter, non-touristy islands. That is, until everyone discovers them.
This paradox is of course not exclusive to Greece, but our world at large, and especially one in which travel is slowly resuming. In our hyper-connected reality, it’s only a matter of time before today’s offbeat becomes tomorrow’s mainstream.
As a case and point, here’s a snapshot of three parallel wedding shoots in a relatively less tourist-thronged, mountainous part of Greece, after one likely went viral on social media.
Interestingly, this self-perpetuating cycle is similar to the syndrome that Instagram is currently confronting, with too many influencers, but not enough people to influence. We all crave coveted photos but end up cloning each other’s filtered realities. We all want to take the road less traveled, but eventually turn it into the more frequented path. And in aspiring for the same originality, the irony is that none of us can really have it, because we’re simply chasing an illusion. Perhaps authenticity then, is the real chimera of our contemporary society.
Happy reading, reflecting and hopefully planning your next, not-so-unique vacation.
Yours half-baked,
Saanya