Mycenae

So two days ago we went to Mycenae, an ancient city in the Peloponnesian peninsula. It dates to the bronze age, around 1300, 1250 BCE, and earlier.

The whole process began two days earlier than our visit, as we attempted to find out how to get there. First, we tried Google. The internet says take a KTEL bus from Athens to Nafplio, a city in the Peloponnese from which you can catch another bus directly to Mycenae.

Okay. So where do we pick up the KTEL bus?

Nobody knows.

We asked at the central train station. He says, ask at the metro station. We ask at the metro station, he says, ask a bus driver. Yeah, right, have you ever talked to a bus driver in Athens? They are a surly bunch, and no more helpful than the metro guy. We ask another metro guy, this time at the central metro stop, where we figure they get these kinds of questions fairly often. She doesn’t know. We even ask if there is a place where someone would know the information. Nobody knows. We ask our hostess here. She doesn’t know.

We ask Google again. This time we get creative and through superb googling skills discover there is a central bus station.

….

So, what question did we have to ask for someone to think to mention the central bus station? Couldn’t a single one of those people have said, “I have no idea, but I bet you could find out at Kifissou, the bus terminal.” Oh and to get to the bus terminal? It’s in a warehouse district on a tiny backroad where no sane person would venture. You have to take a bus, about which the only info we could find was, “you can pick it up at the intersection of X and Y near Omonia.”

Well, unwieldy long story cut into just a long story, we get tickets and make it to the bus with time to spare, and eventually are on our way to Nafplio.

We get to Nafplio and duck into the bus office, where we ask about the bus to Mycenae. It’s that one, right there, and it’s leaving now. Tickets outside.

Alright. Thanks to some pointing and repeating “Mykines?” We eventually have tickets and get on a bus and are on our way. We get to Argos, another town near Nafplio. Where the bus stops and everyone piles off and the bus driver gives us a funny look, says, “Mykines, wait.” Then we go a little further, and he issues us off and points at another bus. “Mykines.”

…uh. So we get on that bus and the driver confirms that we’re going to Mycenae and aska for our tickets. We try to say we’ve already paid but he doesn’t understand so we figure we’ll just pay, it wasn’t so much, just a Euro and a half or so. But, having already paid for the other bus tickets from a kiosk, we have no change left, only 20 EUR bills. He can’t break that, so he tells us to just go sit down.

Some 45 minutes later, everyone piles off the bus and, confused, we start to follow. Again our bus driver tells us to wait. He gets back on and we show him our tickets to Mycenae and he starts driving again. Lo and behold, we end up at the ruins, with about two hours to go until closing. Victory!

Happily the return trip was significantly easier.

Mycenae itself was super cool. I’ve been before, but it was fun to be back with Loren and share my minimal knowledge.

Here is Loren with the Cyclopean wall:

the view from the top of Mycenae

us atop Mycenae

the underground cistern, don't forget your flashlight