Change is on the way
- rnv178
- Jun 15, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 19, 2022
We are feeling it is time to move on, not that the hotel is a disaster area - it is far from that and exactly what so many holiday-seekers desire. Men swagger through the resort’s grounds in smart shorts, long trousers in the evening, while the ladies invariably wear something expensive. One walked past our table at dinner wearing a see-through stringy dress and bright yellow somethings beneath. It must have cost a bomb, and nothing was hidden. I choked on my pizza and settled a bill where a litre of water cost the same as a half-litre of draught Greek beer.
Few of our fellow guests are what I would call real travellers. The hotel is a destination where guests stay, everything is provided and there is no need to go anywhere beyond its walls. The sole requirements are to relax and spend. There are occasional outings to nearby areas of interest, but they are rarely sought. The hotel regards itself as sustainable. I differ in that view. For starters, this resort has upwards of 500 rooms, but only two electric car chargers. By what logic is that sustainable? Meanwhile I am drinking coffee from a paper mug, which was delivered wrapped in plastic.
We see ourselves as different, although suspect that everyone here feels different, too. We see the puzzled look on others’ faces when we say we have driven from England in a hybrid car, as most of our fellow guests have flown here, reaching the resort from distant Athens or nearby Kalamata. We have the right clothes, we look the part, and I doubt you can tell us from the rest, but if this journey is declaring nothing else, it is that mankind is destroying its surroundings, fast and without control. Society is headed in only one disastrous direction. There is much talking the talk, and barely any walking the walk. The world seems happy to support the concept of sustainability, so long as society can still do what it wishes. Sadly, that circle cannot be squared.
I saw a ton of sea turtles today, at least plenty of their surface bubbles as they fed. It was in a large and peaceful lagoon, the Limni Divariou, near the small seaside town of Gialova. In turn, Gialova is a short drive from the perhaps better-known harbour town of Pilos. Pilos with an “i” and Pylos with a “y” are the same. For a lesson in sustainability, look no further than the sea turtle, a reptile that is rapidly becoming extinct. Doubtless there were plenty of sea turtles a hundred years ago, which was why I was happy to see their bubbles in the early morning sun. The chief threat to the reptile’s existence is plastic, which the animals eat without thinking, as a plastic bag looks like a jellyfish. To a sea turtle a jellyfish is the dish of the day, which is why sea turtles munch plastic, and perish as a result. I walked through the fluffy sand of the nearby Voidokilia Bay, now a tourist trap for snorkellers, sailors, swimmers, lovers, and photographers. The tracks of sea turtles were clear to see but so was the plastic. There was plenty to demolish a sea turtle, evidence of mankind destroying its surroundings.
Despite its modern-day plastic-damaged turtles, Pilos has long played its part in history, and has not always been a focus for pollution. It is a scenic harbour town, still with active fishermen, and had a frontline seat during the Battle of Navarino in 1827. This battle was the last fought by sailing ships in history, although most were at anchor at the time. A combined Allied force of British, French, and Russian craft overwhelmed a larger but similar force of Turks and Egyptians for the Ottomans. The Allies won, thanks to superior firepower and skill. Within two hours, the job was done. No European ships were sunk, but three-quarters of the Ottoman force was destroyed. Navarino Bay has become a serious sailors’ graveyard. This resounding defeat of the Ottomans helped lead the rapid drift towards Greek Independence, which happened five years later, in 1832. A monument stands proudly in the town centre, commemorating the parts played by the Allied forces, which were under the overall command of an Englishman, Edward Codrington.
Apart from sea turtles, the sand around Pilos carried plenty of tracks, and not all were human. It was a wildlife haven, despite the turtle struggle. There were insects and beetles, felines and canines, and birds of different sizes. There was also a slithering snake, which terrified me as I slowly patrolled the area. I was alone, there was high scrub around me, so no one could have seen me anyway. Fortunately, the snake was nowhere to be seen, and I imagine had taken fright, but its track was fresh and as clear as day.
Yet top of my nature list was the butterfly. The flowers were out, so the bees were hopping from plant to plant. Beside them was something different, not one but many. They fluttered and flapped from plant to plant. Butterflies, plenty of them, and mostly bright yellow. Yellow for a butterfly means good luck and change. Wonderful. Whatever it is, something is meant to happen. Change is on the way.
***
Stayed at:
The Westin Resort Costa Navarino
Navarino Dunes, Costa Navarino, 24001 Messinia, Greece
Tel: +30(0)2723095000
Ate at:
The hotel
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