Two sides of the cultural coin

So I do not think I am going to go too deep with our first day here. We had two choices for the ferry to the island of Kalymnos. Either have a half day today and then rush to the ferry, or stay here in Athens for 3 days to catch the next one. We didn't feel like spending that much time here, but not having at least one day to look around and also get rid of the jet lag was too hard for us. So we just decided to hang out and catch the next ferry in a couple days. Like I said I do not think that we will post too much and just post after we leave Athens to talk about the whole experience of being here for a few days. But some stuff I wanted to point out from the first day of being here.
First off people around here seem very nice and helpful to us tourists. And their english seems to be good enough that we do not need to worry about that lack of communication. We went to the main part of the city with all the ruins in an area called Acropolis. It was nice and quiet with what was told to us, not a lot of people. Its winter here even though its nice outside, its the low season. It was crazy to see how old all the architecture is and how precise the work they did on these massive buildings are. We spent most of the day walking around these quiet ruins while Cass, Ryan, and Amber spent most of the day behind the lens, capturing the amazing scenery of this ancient city. Its crazy to think how old this city is and the foundation of culture it has had since B.C. times. Especially when you think of how young all the culture is in our very young country of just over 200 years. Some of these buildings and ruins have been around for thousands of years!! To think that these people come from such a rich background, and can trace their families back centuries.
Then, after wandering around the quiet ruins for the morning, it was time to get lunch. We popped out of the park and became overwhelmed with how alive this city really is. We sat down at an outside cafe and had Greek salad that was full of olives and probably a half pound of feta cheese. We were approached by the street vendors. They were playing music, selling trinkets (or stolen iphones), singing, chatting, drinking coffee, and with a slow pace... just enjoying life. The public were just walking the streets, enjoying the sites, and pacing themselves to appreciate the moment. The Greeks here seem to be strongly focused on appearance, looking like they just got off the cat walk. Guys and girls dressed to the 9's even if they were just meeting at a cafe or shopping the market.
These two places with a very different feel seem to coexist so well here. Massive markets and store fronts respectfully surround the protected old buildings and ruins of what this great city used to be in the old days. It seems like they have struck the balance of trying to be a first world culture and all that goes with that, while not just forgetting or destroying their past to make room for more. I hope this trend continues as we explore Athens more, and even when we head to Kalymnos in a few days. We are all excited to get back on the rock after not climbing for what seems like forever. And to get into the groove of what we do best.

Oh yea, I almost forgot. I found their version of Ramen Noodles and enjoyed cooking those in the kitchen here at the hostel for dinner tonight.