Local Living, Purchases, and Budgeting in Greece

The best way that I have found to meet locals is simply by walking through the busy parts of town. The Greeks are so friendly that you can meet people just by greeting others on the street or starting up a conversation with a shopkeeper or waiter at a restaurant. One example I have of how easy it has been to meet local Greeks is when we were at a restaurant in the village of Oia in Santorini. We were finishing up our lunch and asked our waiter for a suggestion on where to view the world famous sunset later that day. He suggested that we go to the top of a specific hill, giving us details on how to get there. We did end up taking his advice and even saw him there later that evening with his friends! He was so excited to see us and even remembered some of our names. Not only does this instance show how easy it has been to meet locals and live like a tourist instead of a traveler, but it exemplifies how outgoing and kind the Greeks are in general.
The most interesting purchase that I have made here in Greece is a ring with a replica of a Minoan artifact that has yet to be deciphered, called the Dispilio tablet. It was discovered from the Minoan era and was discovered by archaeologists in 1993, but has still remained a mystery in terms of what it means and what it was used for. It is a round carbon stone with characters scratched onto it in a spherical arrangement. We were able to view the original piece in a museum and learn about its details from our tour guide that day and I was immediately drawn to it. It captured my interest because it made me wonder whether the Minoans were actually more advanced than we are today. They created a system of number, letters, or characters that we are not able to figure out. It amazes me that even with all of our modern knowledge or history and technology, historians and archaeologists are still stumped. I love my new piece of jewelry because I can be reminded of Greece’s incredible history every time a look down at my hand.
The exchange rate between the Euro and the dollar is in my favor this summer, as there is not a large difference at all. I have been careful not to overspend, but I have also kept the favorable exchange rate in mind and allowed myself to make purchases if I know that I will not regret them. The exchange rate has eliminated much of the difficulty of adjusting to a new exchange rate and also helped me to maintain a low budget. In addition, contrary to popular belief, cash is readily available (thankfully) at ATMs across Greece and banks are open now that a deal has been reached with the European Union.