Got the ferry in the morning from Paros to Santorini. Peeved off that someone stole my battery charger. It was the beginning of a bad day for Brett Harden. The dog that he befriended in the camping site barked at him and he got stuck in the sun on a crowded deck and obtained a headache. This was then enhanced when arriving at the port, there was no camping pickup. He caught the bus into Fira (main town) walked 10 minutes to the camping ground. Saw it went "WTF" there was no one else there apart from a couple of old couples and no tents to rent because of the beginning of off season. He then had to pay 11 euros for a built up canvas shack (with no pillow). He decided to do his washing which costed 10 euros. He filled up their tub. They say "No too much". It was only just above the top of the little tiny tub. He took a whole heap of things out. They said ok. When they turned around he put everything back in except the jacket. They said ok. Then he put the jacket back on and said "its only 1 jacket comon" they said no. He walked away and though "Shite i have to tell them to do it hot because it has to be hot to kill watever is attacking me" He ran back and said "please do it hot" they werent happy but they said ok. Then as he is walking away he though "shite i better tell them to do at 90 degrees like the doc said" He ran back and they said no too late. Sons of B*tches he thought. Now i have to re wash my infected clothes again. He bought a gyro (the same thing he was amazed by in albania is everywhere in greece and prob australia too, its called a gyro) used the net and booked a hostel for the next couple of nights (at half the price- Hostel anna) after camping. He thought that the people in the town here werent that nice so he was happy to change. He got his washing, rewashed it for another 10 euros at another place. 40 bucks down the drain. He was cured for about 5 days and now today as i write this its all begun again. More bites. I spent hundreds of dollars of lotions, creams, , 90 degree clothes washes, ive even stood naked in front of greek men and i still am getting bitten. I wouldnt wish this on my worst enemy. It sucks. Anway...
Next day i got a bus to Perissa, on the other side of the island. Immediatley i realised this was more my thing. Hired a bike and took off around the island. Was a fair bit busier than Paros. I got a better bike though. This was a Peugot offrode scooter thingy. Got it up to 90 k's! You may see in some of the pictures people on quad bikes. They look cool yeah, but they only reach 50 k's and they are such a im a tourist. Do as the locals do get a bike. I remember John battam telling me with his fat lip how to lean on the bike and yes john it worked.
On the first day to Perissa I rode to a place called unique sunset and the sunset was average, i rode around the thow of Oia, the picturess town, the town flooded with tourists. You have to take this cliff road to get there which is terrifying. If your not paying attention you could go off a 100 metre drop as there isnt really any railings. Apparently around 30 people die a year on scooters on the island. Mostly dumb tourists i think. A couple of people in the hostel had scabs and broken bones from bike accidents. Mainly girls hehe
First night in the hostel, i met all the main people. Was only a little hostel. Had dinner with em all. Went out on the town to a bar called the Full moon bar. A canadian girl walks around the beach (where people go topless!) and advertises the place, except its always dead. A couple from the hostel were at the beach and this guys gorgeous gf just goes completley topless. I felt like saying "Excuse me, could you tell your gf to turn her high beams down, my eyes are attracted to the light" But i didnt.
Anyway went out on the town, it was about 5 canandians, few oz and a american girl. Dont have any pictures yet because people are sposed to send them as they always are meant to. I only had 1 drink beacuase of price. Everyone else was on 2 week vacations. They went bezerk on 6 dollar drinks. We went to some beach bar, There was dancing with an old lady, a old greek man trying to pick up young girls, then there was skinny dipping. Everyone did it, except.... me!. And also one of the candanian girls who was glad i didnt because she felt uncomfortable. It wasnt that i felt uncorfotable, so much as it was cold and i well ive already been naked in front of enough greek people. It was funny all the girls striped nude and ran in, but the guys kept their undies on and then took it off in the water. Partying kept going on and on, (Men at Work came on) It comes on everywhere i go now. It had to be sung. I went back at like 4:30 but most kept going till daylight. I was so tired, was tired from riding even before going out. I wrecked myself. Sick now beacause of it i think. Next day, everyone i met the day before left but 2 oz guys.
We got our bikes and quad and cruised around the island. Me steve and simon. Simon for some reason never ever took his helmet off for 2 days. It was a good thing because he seemed to walk into walls a lot. Simon was pretty slow on his piaggio and steve had a slow quad. I would take off and wait for them to catch up. I felt like the fonz again. Had one of the moments of the trip so far. We rode past he airport. There was a long straight road outiside the airport that ran parrel to the runway. You could achiece top speed here. Im going 90, as im going a little passenger jet takes off. We are equal for a little but. I had the sunnies on. Suddenly Top gun music enters my head. It was a top gun moment. I saluted the jet as it took off. I guess you had to be there though!
We rode up a mountian with a winding road going up. See pics. To some place called ancient thira which was rubble. Went to fira got some Gyros, road around to a dirt area, doing skids and stuff, gettting bogged on hills. Rode to oia. I stayed for the famous sunset, which died behind clouds. The day i left had a magnicificent sunset as is usual. There were hundreds of people around to watch the sunset. It was disgusting. I hate being surrounded by tourists. I rode back at night and realised by headlights didnt work. My high beams worked though. I took the low rode back. Took me over an hour for a 1/2 hour trip.
For some reason i got an insane idea to go with simon to Turkey the next morning. Thinking i would just go overland through syria to jordan. Took my bike back early, the pub next door had to phone the guy to come back after closing to bring my license back. I bought a ticket to a greek island near turkey. Hang out with the boys, went to sleep, woke up and sat out the front. Looked at my lonely planet and realised i couldnt go through syria overland because i couldnt get a visa on arrival. I panicked, the mini bus to the port came. Which i paid 3 euros for, i said i cant go. It moved off. Simon yelled out. "Hey cant u get a plane from Instanbul!?" "Hey yeah i thought" I ran and made the minibus stopped got on. Then something in my gut said this is a very bad idea. I thought its a boat to the island. then a overnight bought to turkey then a couple of days to get to instanbul. What if i get to instanbul and prices for flights are enormous or flights dont go to jordan. I panicked, made the driver stop 100 metres up the road, said sorry cya simon, the driver was blowing up, thought i was a dumbass. I walked back 100 metres to the hostel, feeling better that i was going to stick to my original plan and catch the overnight ferry from Santorini back to athens and fly out the day after. It was a real Brett Harden moment.
I bought a ticket for the overnight boat. 30 euros (60 bucks). The boat didnt leave till 10 pm. The weather was crap, so i just used the net and read a book all day in front of the hostel. I wasted 18 euros on a ticket and bus i never used. The minibus driver who worked at the hotel was giving me filthy looks all day. As i spose he should.
It is wierd when everyone who was there you knew in the hostel has left brfore you and new people arrive. Its like youve been left behind at a school camp again. I always feel ansi and feel like i need to leave asap. But if i arrive somewhere and talk to no one, or people i meet are staying there a while, i can stay there for ages and not feel ansi.
I caught a bus at night into Fira, then got a bus to the port. Saw a couple of bites and thought hmmm.... nahh couldnt be... Got this massive boat back to athens. Slept on the deck on a park bench type thing, woke up freezing. Realised everyone else up there had a sleeping bag. Went down stairs, there was even a disco (a dead disco). Sleept in the hallway among heaps of others sleeping on floors. It just looked so third world. Made it back to athens in the morning.
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