A Rhodes Less Traveled

They say the geographic location and set-up of any place greatly determines the culture, religious beliefs, political ideologies, traditions and other major factors that that certain place possesses. And most often than not, this idea is true.

Take Greece for example. Even during the age of antiquities, this nation has always been defined by its geographic characteristics. Being made up of many islands, Greece has been divided into city-states and towns way back then which functioned individually and independently of their fellow Greek city-states. In fact, there were even a number of recorded fights and clashes between these past Greek cities and towns.

And each city-states seemed to have beliefs, traditions and laws that are unique to themselves. Yet however separate in location these Greek islands may be, the point is that there still remains that intangible but ever present thing that brings them all together and gives them that same air about them that is distinctly Greek.

I have been to Athens, Patras and Crete in the past. And my experience and observations in these modern Greek cities proved to me that somehow, that disjointed and varied character of Greece itself seems to have survived even the 21st century. These three Greek cities do not resemble each other in my memory but rather occupy unique and distinct areas in my remembrance even until now. And just recently, I was able to visit the island of Rhodes in Greece and I found out that this Greek island also offers both that encompassing Greek character as well as a personality and appeal all its own.

I was reading about Rhodes a few weeks before I went to visit my grandparents there and I got the impression it was a rather sleepy place. I read there was only one city in the entire island, and that was the City of Rhodes which was also the island capital. The rest were towns and villages. A picture of dusty olive groves, sleepy Mediterranean afternoons, quiet streets, old people and boring weeks ahead immediately formed in my mind and I was reluctant to go but for the company of my grandparents. I went ahead on my trip to Rhodes though, and believed I was talking a route not traveled by many often.

The first sight I had of the island impressed me though. The wide, ever-present harbor which was used several centuries ago by traders and naval ships caught my attention and I have to admit that it was a most magnificent, impressive sight. After that moment of arrival, all the images I formed in my mind about Rhodes were disproved one after the other.

The towns and villages, although not thriving metropolises, were energetic, flourishing and full of life. The several acropolises, ancient ruins and sites were also brimming with by-gone glory and grandeur that even time and decay cannot crumble away. The Temple of Athena left me breathless, and so did the dozens of other historic sights and archaic landmarks this seemingly insignificant island brought to my attention.

The people were good, kind and traditional, but they were not blind to the technological and scientific developments of the last century. They were weary of these though, and there were a lot of towns and villages that did not allow the use of vehicles except for delivery vans and motorcycles. But because of this guard against technological advancements that many world cities easily embraced, Rhodes as able to preserve that delicate balance of nature and human development. The island itself seemed alive, not like New York or Singapore which seems like a forest of skyscrapers and nothing else.

I left Rhodes after two months and was determined to come back one day or another. Visit www.Rhodes.com for more information about Rhodes!