Heaven in the middle of nowhere
Trip Start
May 31, 2005
1
17
89
Trip End
Dec 25, 2005
Santorini,
Greece
Sunday, July 17, 2005
I took the ferry from Athens to this Santorini, which meant another night on the boat deck chair. Unfortunately my boat was going to THE party island (Ios) so it was absolutely packed with backpackers who were drinking and loud and I think about 17 years old. That and it was windy as heck, and I quickly decided I was going to go 'steal' a reclining chair inside. I've come to the conclusion you can sit in them as long as no one kicks you out. They announce the ports throughout the night and I was so tired that I woke up after an announcement and everyone was getting off the boat, and I mean everyone, so I figured it must be my stop (the ferry is always delayed so you can't really go by time). I walk down the stairs off the boat and see a big sign: 'Ios Camping' so I'm obviously in the wrong place. I had to get back on the boat and then noticed there were about 30 people still on the boat - all the older people (30's and up) :). The entry onto the island is described by one of the travel books as 'one of the great travel adventures of the world'. I'm not sure about that, but it was amazing.
I'm staying in Oia, a town at the end of the island which is the place everyone on the island goes to watch the sunset. Someone said to me that the town is what you would you would expect of a typical greek island town - beautiful architecture, white and blue houses build into the cliffs. I love it because if I walk around it in the morning or in the day no one is there, they only come at night.
I take buses around the island because renting a car for one just isn't practical and they wont rent scooters with an international drivers license because there are so many accidents. The buses go everywhere and are cheap so it's been fine. I went to a black sand beach and today took a boat ride to an active volcano in the center of the island, an island that has a hot spring (it felt like a spa treatment in the middle of nowhere), and an island that is very sparsely populated.
Things are still going great. I am peeling a little from the sun and my little tube of lotion is almost gone and I'm too cheap to buy the expensive big size from the little stores. But I really look like I have some kind of skin disease; maybe that's why people haven't been sitting next to me:) Except the smokers. I am so tired of all these people smoking. I feel like I'm wearing a sign asking smokers to sit next to me. Everyone seems to smoke here. Don't worry, I haven't started nor will I ever especially after this trip where I inhale packs a day. Luckily I'm always outside. I will have to work in more of the outside into my days when I get back.
I got word that I might have my first traveller to come visit me! (Christina you don't count, because I visited you!). My mom is thinking of coming to Thailand. Now why did she have to pick the cheapest country that I actually could have afforded on my own :)
I'm back to eating normal meals but Greece does have some good food. Last night I had a peach and a piece of Baklava for dinner. Bonnie, remember when we used to make Baklava? It tasted nothing like this. I think the secret is saturate it in honey, then pour on more honey.
Off to see another sunset!
