Santorini and random tid-bits

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  Santorini, Cyclades, Greece
Wednesday, June 11, 2008

mood: sleepy

Well its 8.42am and i dont think i have been up this early for a least a week. I have some spare time before we catch our fast ferry to Ios so i thought i may as well do an entry.

Hope you have all checked out the photos i have posted! I went a bit nuts on the last entry but there were just so many good ones i didn't have the heart to cull...

I have spent most of my time in Santorini adopting the laid back atmosphere and doing a lot of nothing. I especially approve of their afternoon siesta, i petition that we being that one back to Australia. I dont know how i am going to adjust when i come back home!

picnic crowd

! And not having shops open till 11pm... what the hell are we thinking. Greece has certainly got one thing right.

Yesterday caught the bus back to the town of Akrotiri and visited the "red beach", which is actually black and red'ish coloured rocks with a backdrop of red cliffs. Its a pretty spectacular hike into the beach, the cliffs are stunning, but the beach itself isnt anything special, the water is quite dirty as the mud is red it stains the water a bit, along with lots of seaweed. the beach is also covered in the seaweed, and when the wind blows you get covered in the dried up crusty bits! It wasnt very comfortable lying on my towel on the rocks, but it was still a site to be seen and im glad that i went there.

The new group is so much smaller than my last 3, which have all been between 25 - 30 people, this one has about 15. I like the small group but it means that there are less people to meet! This group is a bit of a mix of everything, couples, americans, canadians, aussies and new zealanders. I went on the sunset picnic again last night with them, it was still overcrowded and not as spectacular, but it was okay.

Meanwhile, i meant to mention this the other day, but i would like to say to the people who i left in charge of keeping an eye on glyn - YOU ARE ALL SHIT! i had been gone for only 2 weeks and he has already broken his hand?!? you are all fired. i hate to see what state he will be in by the time i get back. Donna please wrap him up in cotton wool and lock him in his room until i get back!!! haha :)

As i really havent been doing much i thought i would just add in some little random points that i have been meaning to mention but not found a time to add them..

red beach

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- my tan has been going spectacularly in case you were all wondering!!!! I dont know if you can tell from the pics but my face and shoulders especially are getting very freckly - i love it.

- because it hardly rains on the islands, water has to be shipped from the mainland for showering etc, and bottled water is probably the only thing safe enough to drink here (that i am game enough to try anyway!). water here is so cheap though, in the supermarkets you can buy 2ltrs for 38c, and small bottles from stores/bakeries etc are about 50c each. so much better than aus.

- i feel like there is a bigger population of "smart cars" (those ugly little cars that fit 2 people and nothing else) in greece than greek people. and scooters too. its discusting. 1 person dies in a bike accident in greece every day. probably due to them not wearing helmets or propper clothes. idiots.

- i have been finding that the people on the islands are a LOT nicer and friendlier than those in Athens. Im dreading having to go back to that place. 3 days to go...

- the weather here has been amazing every day since i arrived (except 1, and even then, it was just a little overcast). i cant get over how every day is clear blue sky and 28 degrees. im really enjoying it. it only starts to get cold about 8 or 9pm, and even then, its not freezing. i had the aircon on last night.

Santorini Sunset

- i think i have been splurging a bit with my money, not on material things (the only thing i have bought since i have been away was a bracelet in athens) but more on dinners, nights out, and tours during the day. i think once i settle down into my pattern of travelling i will stop spending so much. and i am still adjusting to the exchange rate. its horrible!

- by speaking to alot of people, it seems that most are doing the travel and working, or travel and study, rather than just pure travel. i have only met a couple of people who are doing the length of time or longer that i am, and everyone seems amazed (and jealous haha) at how long i am spending travelling. lets just see how long i actually make it. the rate my money is going, it might not be that long!!!

- although the weather here is quite clear, the views to the other islands are quite hazy. apparently this is due to the high salt content in the sea and evaporation. Which makes you feel like your incredibly far away from everything. its nice.

- in a moment of pondering the other day, i was thinking how i would be leaving Santorini today, proabably never coming back, and it made me really sad! and then i realised that there would be many times that this would happen through my trip, its amazing how big the world is and how much there is to see. and you become attached to places very easily, i guess you just have to appreciate everything and live in the moment, not in the past or in the future.

- im getting really excited about starting my proper tour of europe and having the flexibility to do whatever i want! although the islands tour has been great fun, i didnt get the options of changing my plans like i will when i join busabout. and i cant wait.

- its crazy the ammount of girls and aussies in general that are here in greece! i feel like the tourist ratio is 3 girls for 1 guy. i walked into a store yesterday and without even saying anything (except smiling) the guy asked me if i was australian. we are everywhere here. hahaha.

- the soccer has just begun over here, and to be honest i have been getting into it a bit! its good because i can watch it live without having to be up at 3am. and even though i cant understand the commentators, its very easy to follow. all the pubs have been playing it, and the bar that we have been frequenting has it on a huge screen.

- omg i am soooo over wearing the same clothes!!!!!!!

- about 100 years ago santorini imported gum trees from australia to plant along the roadsides here as they are so drought tollerant and dont require any water. now they paint the trunks white and use them as those poles along the sides of the roads. how practical!

- the sun here is definately not as strong as back home. i have only been slightly burnt, but not badly. its good, but you also dont tan as quickly.

- sorry if you are appauled by my spelling and grammar, but when your paying money for each minute of internet, you want to try and be as fast as possible. as long as its readable, thats all i care about.


While i am bored i might just compile some lists of random things:

loves so far
santorini views
paros boat trip
gyros and crepes... mmmm yum

dislikes
crazy traffic/drivers
athens
the time zone differences between here and aus

what i miss
driving
making my own dinner
everyone back home

things im glad i brought with me
my vegemite!!!
my ipod - if it was legal i would marry it - its my saviour
my diary, its keeping my head sane

well my brain hurts from thinking so much, so i think that this is enough for now. i cant believe that it has been almost 3 weeks already. the time is just flying. thanks for reading! :)

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