Trapped!

It was dark! Of course it was… It was after midnight! 

I needed to catch a plane from Athens to Madrid in the middle of the night. I would not be going to bed, this night. Actually, it would be 40 hours before I would see a bed. I had already been up many hours, and I was quite tired, but I must catch a taxi…then a bus… then a plane. I closed my eyes but...

...there was no time for rest, yet. 

I needed to use the toilet at the Athens Airport. As I entered, I saw a young lady, 21 years old sitting on the floor of the airport restroom. She was crying hysterically. She could not stop crying. Her suitcase was completely open with her belongings exposed to all who entered. I asked her if I could help her. She informed me that she had just been traumatized from the fires that were spreading in Athens. Her hotel burned, and 82 people died trapped between the fire and the sea. Some of them were embracing each other before their horrible death. Many others were severely injured. It is believed that the fires were intentionally set on this very windy day. I could not imagine how awful it would be to be trapped. 

Eventually, I made my way to Madrid and a few hours later to 

Lisbon, Portugal. By this time, my energy was low… No sleep and 

no food. Yet, I must keep going. My plan is to sleep in a former palace, and I must find my way. I took an underground subway 

from the airport to the city center. When I say underground…I mean very far underground! There were at least 500 steps to get out of the subway…maybe even close to 1000…an impossible task with my luggage which one was almost 23 kg and the other not far behind. Even if I was a bodybuilder with a full nights rest, the task would be daunting! 

This is only one of many sets of stairs

 that I must carry up my bags!

I must find an elevator.… I see one, it is in the corner. It is a big elevator with a see-through glass door. There is only one elevator. There are many people entering with their suitcases. I must hurry to get in, but there are so many people! I do not know that I could fit with my bags. Before I could enter, the doors closed…not one more, could enter, including me! I must wait for the next lift, because the the elevator was packed. (I remember when I was in Munich, I entered an elevator like this with my bags, and then it filled with other people and their bicycles and luggage. I was so glad to get out of that claustrophobic box.) 

As for now, I was not happy about waiting for the next elevator, since I only had six hours of sleep in the last 58 hours, and I needed 

to lay down before I collapsed. 

Ut oh...something is terribly wrong? I hear banging, and I can see through the transparent door. The elevator is stuck. The people are trapped and panicking. I try to open the door... pushing the buttons to help them. The look of terror on their faces was heart wrenching. The trapped elevator victims were desperate. What must be done? I must find help, and so help was found. The security man tried to get the doors open but could not. I have no idea how long the people were trapped. 

I do know that now I must carry my suitcases up the flights of stairs. Somehow, I had strength to do it. I was just grateful that I was not stuck in the elevator. Yet, I am a bit trapped…500+ steps to get out from the underground...Here I come!