"Hans! Who cares!"
Hans, my neighbor, although the term "neighbor" might be a stretch given the distance of a quarter mile up a stony, narrow trail meant for donkeys, was the subject of my comment. I was addressing his concerns after I had placed the last of some rolled Thai sticks into his front pocket.
His concern centered on my reputation among the expatriates who, like us, would be spending the upcoming winter on the Greek island of Ios. You might wonder, what could possibly be the problem?
Upon my arrival in Athens in late fall 1975, I found myself outside the airport trying to hail a cab. A young, gregariously friendly man approached me, displaying a card that indicated he worked for a Greek government agency assisting tourists. He offered, in English, to help me find accommodation. Though hesitant, I decided to go along with him. However, my suspicions were raised when he suggested we grab a beer at a nearby bar to discuss his recommendations and my budget.
The whole scene seemed a bit off to me, especially when I noticed some recognition between my new companion and a couple of the bar's employees as we entered. Fatigued from the flight, I couldn't quite put my finger on it at the time. But my intuition proved correct when, after I told the guy that I would find my own place, the tension oddly escalated when I offered to pay for the beers. The situation escalated even further when I was handed the bill, which stated that two beers cost the equivalent of thirty American dollars in drachmas, the Greek currency. Despite just arriving, I was well aware that two beers couldn't possibly cost that much. However, being experienced with such shenanigans, I wasn't outraged and put down a five-dollar bill. This led the guy to loudly exclaim, "We will call the police!" I chuckled and replied, "Go ahead," calmly walking out.
A few days later, following some inquiries, I decided to visit the island of Ios, primarily because it was mostly composed of rocky hills with only one short road used by locals in donkey-driven carts. Additionally, with winter approaching, I anticipated few tourists. What sealed the deal for me was hearing at a café that Ios had a reputation for attracting creative expatriates, such as artists, writers, and poets during the winter season, making it a perfect place for solitude.
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