Carrying the torch for yoga in Olympia!

Ha!The evil eye alleviates a problem.

We arrive in Kotokolon, a port on Peloponnese island in southern Greece. It's a small 3-street town of 600 with a main street lined with sovenir shops spilling over with a variety of products from key chains to accessories with the ubiquitous evil eye motif in hues of blue. Why are we there? It's the port closest to Olympia, the birth place of the modern Olympics. 

Of course, almost every guest on board wants to visit the historic site. Some have pre-arranged  private tours. Some have booked shore excursions. Then there are others like us who try to find  public transport, playing it by ear, as soon as we are at the port. 

We have two choices: take the train or a private bus for which tickets are sold at one of the souvenir shops. The station is only a short walking distance away from the port but, in 2015) only 3 trains ply the 45 min route with a two hour interval between them. This wouldn't do. We cannot risk missing the boat if our return journey is not guaranteed against delays. We hurry to get our round-trip tickets and then wait for the chartered bus. We wait and wait and wait. Some of us are getting jittery. The sales agent is not very assuring. At long last the bus does arrive and we board. Again we wait and wait. There is a commotion at the door. Some people with tickets have no seats. It's been over booked. The agent boards and announces that a van has also been arranged and if some of us could wait for it the other infuriated customers could have our seats. Drink and I thought, out of goodwill ( after all we were literally in the same boat), we should transfer to the van and help ease the furore but we were spared at the arrival of the said van and the herding of the irate into it.

Will our knowledge of Greek letters be put to the test?

The 34 km 45 min bus ride, through verdant countryside finds us in the 5 street town of Olympia. We are  dropped off on the main strip, given 3 hours at the site before returning to the meeting point. There are no clear directions to the ancient site. We follow the crowd. It's fun trying to make out the names of streets written in familiar Greek alphabets. Getting our entrance tickets is relatively easy. 

Conjuring what was

And there we are at the ruins without a clue as to where to start, and in which direction to proceed. As we amble about the ruins trying to reconstruct the buildings, in our mind's  eye,with the pieces lying about, we come across an information board with the floor plan, who constructed it, date of construction and  the purpose of the said building. Luckily oak,and plane trees provide adequate shade .

Fascinating truths and tales

The Olympic torch

The temple of Hera is the oldest temple in Olympia. This is where the Olympic torch is lit by the high priestess before it is relayed around the world signifying the beginning of preparations for the games. Did you know? It is lit using a parabolic mirror to concentrate the rays of the sun. No matches! But there is always a plan B if the weather is uncooperative! Also, the torch does go out at times and other means are used to relight it.

However, originally , the lighting of the torch was not a symbolic gesture. Many torches were lit because one of the competitions was to run with a torch and if your fire went out on your torch you lost!

Temple of Zeus

Only one column, reconstructed, stands among the ruins that housed a huge gold and ivory Statue of seated Zeus, one of the masterworks of the Athenian sculptor Phidias whose residence and workshop is near by. It is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.Some of the sculptures are now in a museum.

Pillipeon: who built it?

This circular memorial building  used to house many statues. The most significant was that of Alexander the Great made of the same material from which Zeus was. The fact that Alexander's father, Philip, had seven wives, could mean that after his death there could  be claims to the throne by other progeny. The presence of the statue (on par with Zeus in terms of material) is a clear statement about who the successor should be. But the motive will depend on who really built it!

Other outlying buildings include workshops, hostels, a senate meeting hall and rooms for councils with a courtyard that served as a swimming pool  when filled with water! 

What's in the word gym(nasium).

Today, the word evokes a place filled with equipment for an exercise regimen that tones muscles. An athletic body is greatly admired. So did the Greeks. But with a difference. The word is derived from the  Greek word gymnazein which means to exercise naked. No gym attire.

But gymnasium also refers to a place of learning. In Germany state-maintained secondary schools that prepare students for higher academic education are called gymnasiums. We surmise that the gymnasium in Olympia also included mental calisthenics.

The Stadium: Baring the truth

We come to the athletes, now. An arch leads to the entrance to the stadium which is simply a bare field with stepping stones at the start line. (The grandchildren sprinted to their hearts content.) There had been statues at the entrance. To glorify winners and remarkable athletes? No! To shame  athletes who cheated. A warning to aspiring athletes.

Beautiful bodies meant a lot in the Greek culture. Athletes competed naked. Hence unmarried women were not allowed to watch. Once a  trainer attended a boxing competition. The son won and when the trainer rose to congratulate him she gave herself away as the mother-cum-trainer. Since then all trainers had to prove they were males before being allowed to watch the sports. 

The Prize

Believe it or not, there was only one winner. Only one competitor had claim to fame. He was crowned with an olive branch twisted into a crown. He brought glory to his family, and community. He would be a celebrity, with the attendant perks, at home. 

Today athletes get gold, silver and bronze medals plus lots of cash.

A once over

We do a quick tour of the museum in town. Not wanting to miss the bus back to the port we trace our steps back to the meeting point. With time to spare we stroll the street coming upon a gelato bar with a cute calf, a quaint church and the Archimides museum which would have been very enlightening to visit, since we all had a mathematics and physics background, had we had more time.

Recipients of ancient hospitality : a sacred duty performed

When we returned to the port DrInk thought he should buy a belt which was reasonably prized. The moment the shopkeeper saw us he asked if I was a Hindu. When I affirmed it he began to tell about how he appreciated the Indian culture and how he was totally taken by yoga. He continued to express great respect for us with various hand gestures. And  then, he wouldn't have us pay for our purchase. We insisted. Then he began to unhook various types of evil eye souvenirs from the racks and thrust them upon us. We took one to please him and then left before he overwhelmed us with more gifts. 

The next time we visited Kotokolo with our grandchildren we went back to the store to gift him with a book on yoga. We found his grandmother there. The young had married since, and they took turns manning the shop. We left the gift with the grandma.

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