ATHENS -- Some people still feel inspired walking through the Acropolis’ monumental entrance, the Propylaea. No wonder. The temples of the "holy rock" can astonish any visitor. They are a testimony to Athens’ Golden Age, a time when the arts and democracy flourished in the city. The Acropolis is one of the architectural wonders of the country and the Greeks are well aware of what they owe Pericles -- now that tourists are one of the most important economic wild cards they have remaining. The temperature in Athens is 93 degrees, but some brave souls are still climbing the hill en route to the holy place. At noon, flocks of tourists keep ascending the road towards the monuments all the way from the Monasterakis metro stop. On the way, they can stop and visit the Ancient Agora or the Roman Agora to have an idea of how people lived back then.
Tourists in Ermou Street / Carlota Ramírez
Ermou Street, which leads from Syntagma to Monasterakis, is brimming with tourists. Martin and his wife, both 50-year-old Germans, are among them. They stare at a homeless person who is begging for food and money. Martin draws near and gives him two euros. The couple just arrived from the island of Mykonos and now intend to travel all around the country. “We haven’t noticed anything strange,” they said. They haven’t used the ATM, since they brought cash, “just in case.”
Martin spoke of Sunday's referendum. "I am not sure if they did the right thing by voting ‘no,’ but I know they did the right thing by voting," he said. "It’s what they decided and I think it was honest to give them the chance to decide. They are the only ones who know what their situation really is." The couple added how well the Greeks treated them during the time they’ve been in the country.
Tourists in Monasterakis. Photo: Carlota Ramírez
The heat becomes more oppressive as you climb up the hill towards the birthplace of democracy. A family of Americans is on the way down from the Acropolis. The parents are chiding their kids for fighting. They also came prepared.
"After everything people said, we preferred to err on the side of caution and bring cash," the older daughter said. "We’ve been surprised by how attentive and open the Greeks are. A week with the banks closed up and this uncertainty can make anyone lose their nerves."
They feel safe and are “very happy” with how they’ve been treated and surprised that the Greeks have been so nice, "given everything that’s happened," they said.
In the terraces that surround the Acropolis, people chat, catch some air and sip drinks. A man who manages one of the gift shops among the cafés said he has noticed a slight decline in the number of tourists, but it’s nothing to worry about.
“Next week will be better, I’m almost sure of it. This one hasn’t been a very good week for us,” he said.
The man from the shop next door responded rudely as he set up some postcards for display: “I won’t answer this sort of question. I hope I don’t have to repeat myself again.”
Tourists walking near the Acropolis / Carlota Ramírez
Close by, some taxi drivers waited in the parking lot. They said the number of tourists has decreased “between 10 and 15 percent,” though there are far fewer buses in the parking lots than at this time 10 days ago.
“Four years ago, there were cruise ships full of Spaniards every day,” said one taxi driver. “Now they barely come.”
“Don’t you see that they are also facing a crisis?” a fellow driver asked. “They don’t have money; they are almost like us.”
The drivers are angry at Germany and especially at Chancellor Angela Merkel. They said that “she wants our heads under her new expensive shoes” and that “the youth of southern Europe have to wake up and say ‘no’ like the Greeks did.”
The oldest of the drivers is worried. He knows that tourists are a major source of income for the country.
“They are our last domino in the game,” he said. “They can’t leave us without it.”
A train going down from the Acropolis / Carlota Ramírez
At lunchtime in the Ancient Agora, in the shade of Emperor Hadrian's statue, a Norwegian couple prepares a snack for their little girl. Unlike the Germans and the Americans, they have noticed changes since the last time they visited.
“The cab driver who brought us here told us how angry he was about the situation. He said that they don’t know what’s going to happen,” the father said. He has been to Greece several times, he said, and this time he noticed that the Greeks “have sad and more serious looks.” They said they haven’t thought about canceling their trip, since “there is no reason to be afraid. Historically Greece is a very rich country with lovely people and no one should pass on the chance of visiting.”
The little girl, in English, said she liked the Acropolis very much.
“Did you know that bad people tried to burn it down and that they had to rebuild it?” she said. “And they didn’t even have cranes or machines like we have now!”
The Norwegian couple did use an ATM and had no problem withdrawing the 150 euros they needed. Patricio and Marisa, who come from Chile, are surprised by the normality that permeates the city.
“In a democracy, you have to respect the voice of the people. We believe that they are scared, economically speaking, but that they are proud of their decision,” Patricio said.
“Look around you,” Marisa said. “How are they going to allow this country and all of its people to starve? We are very satisfied with this trip.”
Each carries a frozen drink they bought at a kiosk by the parking lot. The young men who made those drinks are somewhat less satisfied. They bemoan that in the past 10 days there has been a decline in the number of tourists and that Greek television has already announced several flight cancellations.
“If you ask anyone around here, they will tell you that there are no problems and that they are happy,” one of them said.
And he is right.
After an entire morning traveling around the Acropolis, it is a pleasure to go back to the hotel and relax. The center of Athens is full of hotels that range from three to five stars. Michaelis, 32, works in one of them.
“It’s not the tourists’ problem. It is our problem, the Greeks’ problem,” he said. He is angry at the international press because, he said, they “are instilling fear to destroy our tourism [industry]. And we need it.”
They do. The tourism industry in Greece accounts for one-fifth of the GDP of the country, whose future is now hanging by a thread.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost Spain and was translated into English.