Passage III

Traveling on the Back Roads of Greece

[1]

In Greece, backcountry bus drivers are true entrepreneurs. Most of them own the buses they pilot along the narrow roads that wind through the low, scrub-covered hills of Greece's interior. As a result, these drivers show a sincere interest in making his passengers experience as enjoyable as possible. More often than not, they succeed.

[2]

Each Greek bus is decorated to reflect the personality of the individual driver. All kinds of ornamentation are added to the standard blue paint on both sides of the coach, and most of the time, the front grilles are usually covered with a mosaic of seashells, driftwood, and brightly colored stones.(34) The exteriors of these bright buses provide a stunning contrast to the dusty countryside among which the drivers ferry their loads.

[3]

[1] The buses' interiors, too, are remodeled to give passengers the impression that they are not making a journey so much as taking part in a joyous celebration. [2] Beneath the suitcases and canvas bags, men and women unwrap bundles of hearty bread and homemade cheese; and share them with their fellow travelers. [3] Tassels woven from brightly colored yarns decorate the overhead luggage racks. [4] Sometimes a bottle of retsina, a favorite Greek wine, is produced and passed around with the food. [5] All the while, music was blaring from a set of speakers: the reedy wail of the schryari, the quick notes of the boukina. [6] The music is hard to resist. [7] Often, two or three passengers will rise from their seats and dance in the aisles. [8]Their bodies swaying with both the beat of the music, and the motion of the bus as the driver guides it through tight turns.(43)

[4]

At the journey's end, the passengers' excitement at seeing friends and relatives who have come out to meet the bus, it is often mingled with a sense of regret. As they step off one of these delightful buses is like leaving a good party behind.