Saturday 20 March 2010

Strike, friendly people and ghostly hotel

 *Experience of a friend on her stay in one hotel in Athens (Edited)* 

There is a hotel named Boston in Athens, located near the Central Station. It is old, very old. I chosed that hotel because it was the first hotel I saw when I arrived from Istanbul via Thessaloniki (north part of Greece) and it was early in the morning.  I traveled the whole day. I was worn out and extremely tired. Furthermore that it is next to the main road. 

That old man (..I remember he ´did´ look like that... ).. bold head, stared directly into your eyes... as if passing through our body. He was the receptionist, had a very weird complexion. It was June and the old man  was wearing white thin shirt. I remembered well that he never stayed at the counter and I needed to press the bell. Everytime I went in or out, the bell rang without nobody pressing it. I remembered the key holders, all were hooks just like the old time but out of many hooks, only two keys were hang. Back in my mind (during that time).- WOW, it is full house! The place must be good then. Based on the key hooks it should have 30 rooms more or less. Not bad for such a small hotel (from outside). 

I got the first room- Room No 1, which was on the first floor, exactly facing the spiral staircase. It was cheap at that time. The only disadvantage, no en-suite shower and toilet. These are outside, and its structure is more or less like toilets for dormitory. I recalled,  when I wanted to take a shower (shared men-women),  I saw a middle-age guy was brushing his teeth at the sink. Try to imagine - it is like an army barracks shower... He didn´t look up to the mirror in front of him. He just let the water  run  and his face looked down to the sink. I took a super-speed shower. I was scared as even at 1000 nobody was around and the first person I saw was this ´guy´. I finished my shower, and he was STILL THERE brushing his teeth facing down!!! I went quickly back to my room. Weird plus spooky. 


My room was HUGE compared to other room that the old-man at the reception showed me earlier. The price for each room were the same at that time. He assisted me upstairs. I found it was strange because in my room, there were 3 big mirrors that whenever a person standing in the middle of the room, then you can see your body from all angle. A kind of scary. Since I have paid nights in advance (the old man insisted that I need to pay all at once), then I have to be STRONG. Luckily I have my 'Yaasin' so I read it first. Yet the spookiness remained.

Still I had to do my errands. I washed my clothes at noon.  Went out for sight seeing. The reception old-man told me that I can hang them upstairs on rooftop. I went climbing the old spiral stairs and at the rooftop, I saw there was a box-like house.. very small with tiny door and windows. Erm.. what kind of hotel having such an extra room for renting like this? It looked like a storage room but can fit with one single bed. There were clothes hanger but no clothes were hang except mine. I told myself that I will pick them up at night, once I am back from dinner etc etc.. which I DID! 

It was nearly 12.00 midnight, when I walked to the second floor, it was always dark (no lights), no movements, so silent. On the way up, at the stairs I saw a lady with long dark hair, wearing a pure black dress covered up her shoes. She was holding a candle. It caught me by surprise because I didn´t hear her footsteps-shoes. The stairs are made of wood and every single step a person make will make a lot of sounds.  It would be impossible to tolerate that. I stopped and looked at her as she passed by next to me. She looked weird and I felt a very cool-eerie-breeze brushed my shoulder. I tried to looked down (as she went down the spiral stairs)... but she was a kind of ´gone´. At that point, I realized, that lady was not walking, she was a kind of ´flying´!!!Gosh... 

On the rooftop, I saw there was light in that ´small storage´ room. There were people talking... and the minute ´they´ saw me ( I only saw one man with his undergarment.. not 2 people), the storage door closed and lights out!! Ok, might be the Greeks were not too friendly. Back to my room... pfff...

When I was in my room, trying to sleep, I heard a lot of movements. You couldn´t really see the people-guests but you could feel ´they´ were there. It started after midnight. There were knocks at my door, but when I opened, nobody there. I decided to put chairs to block my door and covered the mirrors with my kain batik and whatever I had so that I won't see any reflection. I didn't really sleep at night and I kept the lights on. There were knocking on my door all the time. Thank God I had my 'Yaasin" and  it was my best companion. I felt scared, frightened and that include every single word which delivered the same meaning.

Furthermore, exactly after midnight, I smelled 'nice' perfumes  (err only at night okay - during the day bad dusty smell) everywhere in that hotel. Very strong. On the contrary, it seems like the hotel is ´alive´ at night and during the day ... silent.
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When we were in Athens, we saw many fliers being distributed, but never took one as the alphabets are different from roman alphabets. When I checked my email later that day, I knew what it was all about. The next day, March 5th, the strike was on  again. Our flight was canceled. I was so pissed off. Luckily our flight company replaced the flight. We can choose any time or destination without any extra fares. So I opted for  a flight leaving Athens on the next day.

To make the scene with extra unwanted effects, the internet was slow and kept disconnected. It took all our patience, our energy and our mood to complete everything. Rearranged the flight, re-modified the hotel in our next destination, and extended the hotel that we stayed. We were lucky. The staff worked out so we could still get the same rate as we booked. Other guests (mostly students), played and entertained our daughter while we worked things out.

So, what's the plan for next day? We went out and be ghostbusters! The truth, the hotel was really eerie and spooky. I did not have the courage to get near. So standing 20 meters away, my husband went in. He took several snaps before the same old man appeared at the reception. (We managed to process the picture where the old man is clearly visible, and our friend confirmed that he did not change at all!). He was pissed off to catch my husband taking pictures but reluctantly answered all questions posted. The hotel rate is 40 Euro per room a night and it was full house. If we want to stay we have to come again tomorrow, early morning. But, who cares! We left the hotel quickly.

Oh, there was also a lady, standing in the doorway, looking sharply with me. I tried to ignore her by playing with my daughter but at the corner of my eyes she stayed looking at me with piercing eyes. When we left she still did the same thing. Not a minute movement of her body can be seen.

So, those who really want to test their courage on unexplained super natural, please contact us. We will give you the address, with one condition - tell us your experience.


Strike in Athens - what a good experience!

Friendly guests - mostly Erasmus students

The spooky hotel

Our friend told us that the windows near the climbing plants are where the toilets are located

Regardless what had happen to us in Greece, the trip was terrific! Acropolis, Agora, friendly helpful people, amazing history, beautiful scenery and good bargain - all in Athens! As a man we met said, ' Don't worrry, we arrr Grrreek!'

1 comment:

babYpose said...

Salam ingatan :)