We arrived on Kos late at night after a four hour flight. We were both tired and a little nervous. The coach trip from the airport to our hotel seemed endless and it was too dark to see much through the windows. We were the last drop off. The hotel was small and appeared to be in a back street well away from the town.
I had packed enough mosquito repellent to protect a small country, but had not thought to use any before our arrival. By the time we had unpacked the sprays and plug-ins, word had got round the local insect population and feasting had already begun. I knew that my holiday was about to begin with huge blisters on my arms and legs and could only hope that antihistamines would prevent the worst of my usual allergic reactions to the dratted creatures.
The apartment was small, clean and reasonable well equipped. We had a bedroom each (both with access to a small balcony) and a view of buildings shielded by trees.
When we arrived, we had noticed that there were still people drinking and chatting on the small terrace at the front of the hotel so we decided to join them for a little while.
Both tired, Marika and I said very little as we sipped our drinks and enjoyed the soft warmth of Kos evenings that we would come to love so much.
The barman was also the receptionist. A tall, friendly Russian who we were to discover was a fount of information about Kos and extremely good company. He had a daughter studying in England and a Greek wife named Marika. My daughter had never met anyone who shared her name before so a photograph was a must.
As relaxation gave way to exhaustion, Marika and I made our way back to our room for a few hours sleep. Our first night on Kos and the beginning of a very special holiday.
Comments