I sail the greek islands since 17 years.
Since 2 years I am located with my boat in Kosmarina, which is (mostly) well maintained and clean (some small things could be easily improved, but one can live with it, more or less)
BUT - now I live her since some months.
I drive around with my bicycle, I walk, I go jogging in the mornings, I go swimming - and it?s a real pity for that island: everywhere it?s garbage, garbage, garbage!
When I speak with friends and family, who visit me, they say: "it is not very clean here...".
When we lived in Germany and foreigners came to visit us (in Munich), they said: "We like it here, because it?s all so clean..."
That?s it: people like it, when it is clean and not covered with garbage, littered with paper, plastic and other leftovers...
I know, that people, who come to Kos would love to dive into their little holiday heaven, they want to live their dreams and imagination for 1 or 2 weeks or longer.
And I am sure: their dreams do NOT contain garbage and noisy motorbikes and cars having races on Meg. Alexandrou street!
Hey, fellow Greeks - I am not here in Kos to teach you environmentalism!
It is your island and the island of your children!
Why is the whole island covered with aluminium-chips-bags, beer- & coke-cans, plastic-bottles, plastic bottles, plastic bottles? Why does everybody get a plastic bag for every very little item he buys in a shop? Why does nobody care when garbage passes his eyes, ways, on the street, in the forests.. why does nobody pick it up...???
Why does nobody seem to think about consequences of environmental mess?
Why do constructors let their packages, plastic foils, cables, and building-garbage just lay, where they lost it? And IF they take it away, why only to the next (WILD) garbage-hill, just outside of their own view (sometimes not even that!)
Many I spoke with blame "the wind" - but why do workers only throw all their coffee mugs (made of plastic, of course) to the ground? Why is (light) building material not fixed with heavy load, to avoid the (strong) wind will blow it away? Why is the garbage AROUND the bins and not IN it??
The town itself is mostly clean, and another complain ther could be the sometimes extreme noise from motorbikes without noise-reduction having races in the narrow streets...what for? A kind of special Orgasm?
But this destroys other people?s life - it endangers children and adults walking on the road.
Many people in Kos complain about lowerage of tourism, in the last years came more and more cheap tourists, who only go to "all inclusive" hotels... but you know: these places are clean (inside)!!!
If one leaves the hotel, he is faced with the garbage everywhere!!!
One could say: "If you don?t like it, why don?t you leave..."
That?s too easy!
I think, the island of Kos especially with it?s long, often unspoiled beaches and the nice, italian-greek-mixed-style old town, it?s many trees (!!!!sic!) has a big potential for quality tourism and a better level of life-quality as well for the people who live here! Some places are on a VERY good way, having quality without sophistication (too much
). But still the garbage is flying around everywhere...
Still the water is mostly clean, but sometimes in certain areas it is full with garbage as well, floating plastic (and not all comes from Turkey, they don?t have greek water bottles and CHAMPION-plasticbags there...)
I want to motivate the people, residents and guests and inhabitants to stop being passive, stop being ignorable.... - if you want to do something for this island today, NO EXCUSES, NO BLAMING someone else - it?s YOU yourself who can start something, just for yourself maybe: if everybody picks 3 bottles or other garbage a day from streets and beaches, and if maybe some people and especially children may learn from that, if some people start to speak about that, it?s a big profit for all of us!!!
Not only for hotel - and restaurant owners and the tourism- industry - for every single person who stays shorter or longer here!
For each turtle, that does NOT die from eating floating plastic bags (but better eat jelly fish, it?s more healthy for them an for us!)
If one wants to start any activity, let me know, contact me - I will gladly support or gladly accept every support!
Thank you
best regards
Hans
Kos island
