Hunt Reynolds - Blog #3

Blog Post Three: Monday June 4

            The village of Delphi was a very beautiful place.  It sat high above a valley of olive trees and overlooked mountains and the blue sea.  Besides the beauty of the town, the archaeological sites and the museums were very interesting to check out.  The treasurery at the site has been one of my favorite pieces of architecture so far; it is amazing that it has survived the teeth of time and is still stable and strong. The ancient stories and history about Delphi were fascinating to read beforehand, and then listen to Aristotle and Professor Seaman elaborate on them in person.  The process of asking questions and receiving oracles from the god at the temple was very intriguing; it is stunning that people came from all around the Mediterranean to pose a question and receive an answer.  I also loved the story of how the stone Omphalos was dropped in Delphi and marked the center of the world for the ancient Greeks. Delphi was so full of great stories, and the residents of Delphi were just as interesting.

            Drew and I met some local Delphi kids at a basketball court on Friday night. We talked to them and then went back the next night with Robin to play basketball, volleyball, and soccer. All the kids were very nice and I really enjoyed talking with them.  They spoke great English and told us all about their school and sports.  Though it was wonderful meeting them, hearing their stories was very sad. Due to Greece’s socialist policies, kids in Delphi have an uphill climb for success.  Many kids, including our friend Teo, claimed his generation was deemed the “unlucky generation.”

            After playing ball with the kids, they all walked us back to our hotel. I gave Teo and his two friends a dollar bill; they were super excited. Teo invited me to walk with him to his house to see he and his father’s hunting dogs. Teo’s family owns a hotel behind the one we stayed in. Teo said his father and mother work all day - every day to support their family. Teo and his brother have to drive forty minutes to a school on a bus each day and then go to a tutor because the school does not teach them properly.  As we approached Teo’s house, he was telling me about how he and his father hunt the hills for game during hunting season, and I told him about hunting and fishing in America.  Teo’s house was a typical Greek home—run down and aging.  They kept their dogs in an abandoned house next to theirs.  As we approached the home where the dogs were, Teo whistled and let them know who was approaching.  We entered the house and there were three beautiful English Pointer hunting dogs.  The floor was dirt and the dogs were chained to three different corners of the room. We petted them for quite awhile and headed back out. Teo wanted me to meet his father but he and his family were all asleep. I noticed Teo had tears streaming down his face as we walked back down to the hotel.  He was talking about how 3 of his dogs had been killed during hunting season due to people putting out poison for all the stray dogs roaming around the village. We continued talking and I told him about all the opportunities in America and I  wished him the best for his future in Greece. He told me one day that he would like to come to America; maybe one day I will see him around!