Day 2, 03:22 hrs, Athens Port
Day 2,11:07 hrs, Hora, Mykonos
THE WORLD OF HEINEKEN
from 27 litres in the 1980s to 40 in the 1990s and with our successful
activities we strive for a further increase. That's a major change and that's
through branding at great occasions, such as on the beach. In fact, on
Mykonos you'll see one of our sponsorships for Amstel Pulse, a volleyball
tournament. Check it out when you're there," Mavrikakis advises.
I assure him I will and get an early night's sleep; 3 AM will come quicky.
We're late, awake, and by a recklessly driven taxi, we find our way to the
port. We locate the ferry that will be transporting us—and the beer—over
the Aegean, to Mykonos.
"That's the one, The Pegasus, "Kontovraki says pointing to a hulk of
wood and iron that has men loading crates and pallets onto it.
We board and meet the crew, friendly workingmen who—dusting
themselves off after loading the cargo—settle into rounds of backgammon
and card games.
Observing the route to Mykonos, Kontovraki says: "I told you, not very
glamorous." As the boat bobs and sways, I wonder if we've made the right
choice, considering this open water passage takes five hours. Before we
even hit the seas, I'm feeling green. Nobody ever said this would be easy.
But sailing into Mykonos' port, it all seems worth it. Mykonos is one of
Greece's most famous islands, the jewel of the Cyclades, a place that was in
its heyday in the 1960s, made famous by the likes of Jackie Onassis, Jimi
Hendrix and the best of the global jet set.
"It was really well known, but then, because of the political situation, it
took a dip in the 1980s. The good news is that a high-end level of tourists
are coming again, many famous Greeks and international celebrities. It's a
beautiful place, it really deserves that," Kontovraki tells me.
The blue and white architecture of the capital of Mykonos, Hora, is a mix
of ordered chaos that invites our boat into the harbor. We pull up to the
quay to be immediately met by Giorgos Pimpas, the Sales Representative
for Athenian Brewery S.A., with responsibility for Mykonos and the centre of
Athens. He is a representative born for the job, with his people skills and
love of the product.
"It's still a bit low season, but you'll get a feel for Mykonos these days.
It's starting to fill up," he tells me happily. He also describes the movements
of Mykonos, seasonally as well as on a day-to-day basis. "People start
coming to Mykonos in early April, very slowly. We Greeks love our islands,
so most weekends, a Greek will head to one of them. To unwind, feel the
sea in your heart."
Pimpas continues, with a massive smile: "Then towards June, it starts
picking up, and from July to August, well, it's just a big party. Every night
there's something to do, a club to attend or a beach happening. That is,
after all, what we're famous for and we don't like to disappoint, do we? As
for the daily rhythm, people go to sleep in the early hours of the morning,
say 4 or 5 AM, after clubbing all night. Then they wake up in the late
afternoon, go for a swim in the sea, relax on the beach, maybe have a light
snack. By around 10 or 11 PM, they have dinner and some drinks. By 2 AM,
maybe 3, they start going out, and then it starts all over again."
I can see that, while many people would consider it a dream job to get paid
to go to clubs and foster relationships in such an atmosphere, for Pimpas,
it's clearly work.
"I've had six hours' sleep in three nights. I have to do the PR in the clubs
with the owners at very late hours, but then I have to be up early with the
wholesalers when they have needs. It's hard work, trust me," he states
flatly.
I do: one can see that this environment—hot, fast-paced, super-social—
takes more energy than one would realise.
The Heineken and Amstel shipment comes rolling off the gangplank,
wheeled by a strapping man named Valantis Antonini, a Mykonosian of
three generations. Antonini works for an independent wholesaler—the
biggest on Mykonos—named Yiannis Ploumistos, a 93-year-old who is a
living history book of Mykonos. The near-centenarian works every day,
making sure that beer gets delivered to his customers at bars and cafes.
Literally and figuratively, he's seen it all, from watching Mykonos develop
from the little fishing village of his youth, to both World Wars and the Greek
Civil War, to the rise of tourism—one of the most important changes of all.
"The island has changed from a small fishing village to a cosmopolitan
town. That's a big change that's happened in the last thirty years. Prime
ministers, the Krups family of Germany, Hollywood stars, they all come," he
The bar of Super Paradise sees some of the heaviest partying on the island
