Even though we don’t fly out until tomorrow morning, I feel like this is really the end. There is nothing new left to see and we are headed back to where it all began – Athens. So it’s safe to say we are on our way home. We’ve come full circle.
At the moment, I’m writing this on the hydrofoil – the “Highspeed 3” – from Santorini to Athens. We got up at 8:10 this morning and our group of girls took the ATVs down to Mama’s House for breakfast. It was really chaotic in town for so early in the morning. We parked our ATVs and saw police everywhere, pulling cars over, writing tickets. But we were determined to enjoy our last few hours in Santorini.
Mama herself greeted us at the door and sat us outside. She was a funny, old, typical Greek woman who immediately told us that she was taking the day off to move into a new house. She called us “sex bombs”; what a sweet lady. The food was fantastic, but the mood a little tense. As we were waiting for our food, Sarah ran up to check on our ATVs and saw a couple of our friends pulled over by the cops. The rest of us at the restaurant heard lots of yelling and hitting of some sort. Everyone was panicking because the ATVs were blocked in but had to be returned by 10 AM. It was all very stressful, but I still enjoyed my omelet, hash browns, and fresh OJ.
The ATV situation worked out fine and we checked out of the hotel, luggage in tow, to get the bus down to the port. Our boat was an hour late – not fun to stand in the sun for that long. I was sweating buckets. Then chaos ensued once again because of the European disregard for what the rest of the world calls a line. Masses of people flooded the boat and we were herded into the lower deck where all of the cars are parked for transport. A bunch of men yelling translated to putting our own suitcases in a random corner. I’m crossing my fingers that it’s still there in five hours, but since it’s at the very bottom I might just get that lucky.
This hydrofoil is so much better than the last! It’s absolutely huge with three levels. Six of us are seated across from each other by a table and there are TVs, nice bathrooms, and two full food/drink bars. It’s very comfortable so I’m about to get situated for a nice long nap ...
... The hydrofoil ride wasn't too bad at all. I ate my PB&J, talked, slept, attempted to sleep, listened to music, and started my new book, The Time Traveler's Wife -- because I saw that the movie is coming out soon and it looks really good. Because we'd left 45 minutes late, we didn't arrive at the Piraeus port until 5 PM (4h. 15m. travel time). The exit process wasn't nearly as stressful as the boarding hours earlier.
We were shuffled onto a private charter bus by our guide-of-the-moment, Robert, who had a lovely Scottish accent we were privileged to listen to for the 25 minute drive. We are staying at Hotel Arethusa just like last time, so it's a bit of deja vu. Sarah and I are in the room right next to where we stayed back in that first week.
I went out with some of the girls to get Katula a framed group picture since he's been an awesome professor. Then I broke off on my own to shop around for some last minute food for everyone at home. I have two large bags of goodies, so everyone better be ready to taste test! At 9 PM, we all met as a group of 22 for the last time to have dinner together. We went back to the trattoria in the plaka -- the third time for most of us. It was really nice though, and Niki, who toured with us in the Peleponnese, even joined!
Sarah and I did our usual "halfsies" of Greek salad and cheese pizza. We all did a big "stinyammas" (the word for toast or cheers) to Katula and our trip over some wine. It was so funny to see how far we've come since that first dinner when we didn't know each other. We had to say our first of many goodbyes - to Meghan, who is heading to Germany with family. It was sad! Endings are always so bittersweet.
We talked about going out for a sangria, but most of us still need to pack, and that wake up call is coming at 4:30 AM - just about four hours from now. I'm having such mixed feelings! I'm so grateful for this amazing experience because it's been the time of my life ... so sad it's already over ... so happy about the people I've met ... yet so excited to go home.
Home. I think this month has given new meaning to that word. It’s such a great experience to be immersed in another culture for a period of time and really open your eyes to other parts of the world, but at the end of the day, it also makes you appreciate your own culture. I miss orderly lines, English language, my TV shows, security as a pedestrian, guys who dance at clubs, non-nude beaches, HYGIENE ...
It's going to be a long journey.
7:30 AM Athens --> Madrid
3 hour layover
Madrid --> Boston, arrive 3:30 PM
4 hour layover
Boston --> Philadelphia
1 hour layover
Philadelphia --> Cincinnati, arrive 11:45 PM
A full 24 hours of travel.
Wish me luck!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Santorini: Day 4
I was woken by Lynnea tapping on my shoulder and whispering in my ear, “Time to get up.” After all of last night’s wine, I just wanted to sleep in to the 9:30 alarm I’d set for myself. But against my will, I was up.
At 10 AM, our entire group set off on rented ATVs. We all sort of went off on our own to explore the island. I didn’t understand a word of the explanation given to me on how to drive an ATV, but I also wasn’t listening too carefully. When it comes to “toys” such as these, or any type of electronic, I disregard all direction to figure it out on my own. Much more fun that way. Katula joked later that the scariest moment of the trip was watching me speed away on the ATV.
I turned out to be a fabulous driver, and my partner Kristyn would agree. I found the balance between crazy/daring and safe. I had so much fun driving! The ATVs go up to about 55 mph and can drive on any terrain. We didn’t have any kind of map, so just set out towards the water. It was such a windy day; the huge, goofy helmet we had to wear (to escape a 150 euro fine) kept flying back off my head causing the strap to choke me. I spent most of the day driving with one hand, the other a top my head.
We ran into a dead end and pressed every button to go into reverse but had no luck. Some young guy finally came over to explain that ATVs don’t reverse, so we had to get up and physically turn it around. We drove up some steep hills to the site of ancient Thira, which had some really cool views of the water and hillside. Though we’d been sent off on a full tank of gas, our empty light was flashing after only 45 minutes. I had no idea what to do so just looked everywhere for a gas station. I pulled in and the guys just filled me right back up for 7 euro – which lasted on full for the rest of the day, so clearly the rental place scammed us.
We stopped back at our hotel to pick up a map and see if we could find the rest of the group. The hotel manager said a lot of people went out to the Red Beach at Akrotiri, so we headed in that direction. We got lost once, but arrived in about 40 minutes. I stopped for a water and (excellent) spinach/cheese pie, and all of a sudden Sarah and her partner rolled up on their ATV. I don’t think we’ve ever been so happy to see each other! It was nice to see a familiar face after being separated. So the four of us hung out at the Red Beach, which was very cool. We climbed up a cliff to look out on the huge, dark red rock-mountains above the red-sand beach. There were tons of rocks in the water that you could swim up to and sit on. The water looked so refreshing that I couldn’t help but go for a swim, despite not having a towel. It was freezing, and the rocks really hurt my feet, but so much fun.
We made the trip back to the hotel about 3 PM and I fell asleep while blogging – which just turned into a 2 hour nap. Sarah joined me at some point and we woke up to find everyone gone. It was 8 PM at this point and Katula had asked us to watch the sunset with him on the front porch. The colors were amazing – maybe better than Oia. But again, afterwards was more beautiful. The lines of yellow, orange, pink, and purple just melted together on the horizon. Everyone finally returned from the wine tasting they’d gone on (so disappointed I missed it) and Kristyn wanted to learn to drive the ATV, so we went out for a little bit.
Our short sunset drive turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. Kristyn’s driving was short-lived and before I knew it I was back in control, exactly where I like to be. I drove down a long, narrow road hoping to do some off-roading – but it turned out to be the drive way of a mansion. Then I went up a really steep hill to see where it led, but it was a dead end. It hadn’t occurred to me that we might have to go back down that steep hill, and I think that was the scariest experience all day. I was holding the break, but was convinced we were going to flip forward. Kristyn kept saying she trusted me and we’d be fine, but all the way down I didn’t even trust myself! Obviously … we survived.
The sky was gorgeous, like I already said, and it had really cooled off. It was so surreal; driving an ATV at sunset in Santorini. I felt a sense of freedom I’ve never before experienced. I really made a memory of it, because it will almost surely never happen again.
We had a very low-key evening. Most of us just went into town for some take-out dinner. I grabbed a gyro (my last!) and met up with the group. I walked around a bit afterwards, then drove the ATV home in the dark, which was kind of fun. Sarah and I packed, and I was up finishing until 1 AM. But I’m very organized and pretty much packed for the return trip home.
I’m so sad to leave Santorini tomorrow! It came and went so fast, which I knew it would, but I wish we had more time. I can’t believe I made it here. This was probably the one place in the world that I wanted to visit and it actually happened. I feel so lucky, and truly appreciate everything it took to make it happen. But hey, if I can’t stay in Santorini, the only place I’d rather be is … headed home.
At 10 AM, our entire group set off on rented ATVs. We all sort of went off on our own to explore the island. I didn’t understand a word of the explanation given to me on how to drive an ATV, but I also wasn’t listening too carefully. When it comes to “toys” such as these, or any type of electronic, I disregard all direction to figure it out on my own. Much more fun that way. Katula joked later that the scariest moment of the trip was watching me speed away on the ATV.
I turned out to be a fabulous driver, and my partner Kristyn would agree. I found the balance between crazy/daring and safe. I had so much fun driving! The ATVs go up to about 55 mph and can drive on any terrain. We didn’t have any kind of map, so just set out towards the water. It was such a windy day; the huge, goofy helmet we had to wear (to escape a 150 euro fine) kept flying back off my head causing the strap to choke me. I spent most of the day driving with one hand, the other a top my head.
We ran into a dead end and pressed every button to go into reverse but had no luck. Some young guy finally came over to explain that ATVs don’t reverse, so we had to get up and physically turn it around. We drove up some steep hills to the site of ancient Thira, which had some really cool views of the water and hillside. Though we’d been sent off on a full tank of gas, our empty light was flashing after only 45 minutes. I had no idea what to do so just looked everywhere for a gas station. I pulled in and the guys just filled me right back up for 7 euro – which lasted on full for the rest of the day, so clearly the rental place scammed us.
We stopped back at our hotel to pick up a map and see if we could find the rest of the group. The hotel manager said a lot of people went out to the Red Beach at Akrotiri, so we headed in that direction. We got lost once, but arrived in about 40 minutes. I stopped for a water and (excellent) spinach/cheese pie, and all of a sudden Sarah and her partner rolled up on their ATV. I don’t think we’ve ever been so happy to see each other! It was nice to see a familiar face after being separated. So the four of us hung out at the Red Beach, which was very cool. We climbed up a cliff to look out on the huge, dark red rock-mountains above the red-sand beach. There were tons of rocks in the water that you could swim up to and sit on. The water looked so refreshing that I couldn’t help but go for a swim, despite not having a towel. It was freezing, and the rocks really hurt my feet, but so much fun.
We made the trip back to the hotel about 3 PM and I fell asleep while blogging – which just turned into a 2 hour nap. Sarah joined me at some point and we woke up to find everyone gone. It was 8 PM at this point and Katula had asked us to watch the sunset with him on the front porch. The colors were amazing – maybe better than Oia. But again, afterwards was more beautiful. The lines of yellow, orange, pink, and purple just melted together on the horizon. Everyone finally returned from the wine tasting they’d gone on (so disappointed I missed it) and Kristyn wanted to learn to drive the ATV, so we went out for a little bit.
Our short sunset drive turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. Kristyn’s driving was short-lived and before I knew it I was back in control, exactly where I like to be. I drove down a long, narrow road hoping to do some off-roading – but it turned out to be the drive way of a mansion. Then I went up a really steep hill to see where it led, but it was a dead end. It hadn’t occurred to me that we might have to go back down that steep hill, and I think that was the scariest experience all day. I was holding the break, but was convinced we were going to flip forward. Kristyn kept saying she trusted me and we’d be fine, but all the way down I didn’t even trust myself! Obviously … we survived.
The sky was gorgeous, like I already said, and it had really cooled off. It was so surreal; driving an ATV at sunset in Santorini. I felt a sense of freedom I’ve never before experienced. I really made a memory of it, because it will almost surely never happen again.
We had a very low-key evening. Most of us just went into town for some take-out dinner. I grabbed a gyro (my last!) and met up with the group. I walked around a bit afterwards, then drove the ATV home in the dark, which was kind of fun. Sarah and I packed, and I was up finishing until 1 AM. But I’m very organized and pretty much packed for the return trip home.
I’m so sad to leave Santorini tomorrow! It came and went so fast, which I knew it would, but I wish we had more time. I can’t believe I made it here. This was probably the one place in the world that I wanted to visit and it actually happened. I feel so lucky, and truly appreciate everything it took to make it happen. But hey, if I can’t stay in Santorini, the only place I’d rather be is … headed home.
Santorini: Day 3
Today we got up at 10 AM and immediately got ready for the beach. Eight of us girls headed into town to catch the bus down to the water, but saw it coming our way. We started yelling that it was the one we needed, and the nice gentlemen aboard stopped so we could get on. Only in Santorini …
Kamari Beach is a black sand beach covered in rocks that really hurt to walk on. It’s really pretty, with tiki huts lined up along the water. We decided to forego the beach chairs and save our 7 euro. The first time I set foot in the water, I got totally rocked by some huge waves. The one experience we’ve had with waves in Greece involved some small ripples. I was just making my way into the ice-cold water, no more than calf deep, when a huge wave took my feet out from under me and dragged me across the rocky bottom. I let out a scream and as soon as I came up from that, another one rolled right over my head. It was a rough entry to say the least and I spent my time in the water emptying my swimsuit full of rocks and sand.
The other funny thing about this beach was the Chinese ladies giving massages. They came around trying to convince us that for only 15 euro, we could get all oiled up and rubbed down. My friend Kristyn finally caved. The lady un-tied her swimsuit at the neck and then, to Kristyn’s surprise, pulled the back piece over her head. We were all hysterical watching Kristyn try to cover herself as the Chinese lady ripped her top off. The lady started to rub, and then pulled down her bottoms exposing even more of her body to everyone. By that point, Kristyn was too relaxed to care, but we were once again hysterical.
We grabbed coffee and lunch at one of the tavernas and then caught the 1:45 bus back to town. I ran to the grocery, showered, and did my last load of hand-washed laundry (yay!). Then we all got ready for our evening in Oia! A private bus came at 4:00 PM to take us to the village – about a 10 minute drive. When we arrived, it was very quaint and quiet; not as many tourists which was so nice. We found one of the famous views near the church on all the postcards – blue, dome roof with a white cross on top. We took tons and tons of pictures. I bet I took 100 just of Oia.
We spent the next three hours exploring the village and shopping. We found some spectacular views of the white buildings on the side of the cliff, all with blue windows, roofs, and doors. I can’t even come up with words to describe the beauty, but there are images that will forever remain in my mind. Oia also had the best shopping we’ve come across; I definitely spent more on shopping there than anywhere else. Someone in a shop told us the area where The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was shot. I’m not even gonna lie … I can’t wait to watch it when I get home.
The big draw to Oia, besides it’s obvious beauty, is the sunset. Katula said it would get so crowded in the streets of the side the sun set on, that we should just eat at one of the restaurants there. After looking at menus and realizing they were all going to be expensive, we eventually decided on one called nothing other than “Sunsets.” We sat down at 7 PM, so dragged out our dinner to make it last through the 8:30 sunset. The food, scenery, and general ambiance were amazing, so none of us really minded splurging for the night. I had “chicken with multi-colored peppers” (not only because I wanted to say the full name when ordering), which was so good and reminded me of my family ‘s cooking.
We were all a little disappointed by the sunset. It was pretty, but difficult to see with people standing up everywhere, and actually got better as it got darker. The sky turned into an orange-pink color and once all the people left, we were able to get some great pictures of the landscape. We walked around a little more after dark, and found the site of the most marriage proposals. Personally, I found a lot of better spots in Oia where I’d rather be proposed to. Earlier in the day we saw a bride getting her picture taken. Man, to get married in Oia …
A private bus took us back to Thira at 9:30, and after a little rest, we drank some wine to prepare to go out. We had the best “pre-game” ever! About seven of us chilled on my bed and watched funny Disney songs on YouTube and I DJ-ed from my iTunes library.
At 1:00 AM we all made our way to Enigma, a club in town. I wasn’t happy about the 10 euro cover fee, but it did include a drink. We spent some time on the dance floor and I couldn’t get over the fact that all the short guys were dancing with me! What the heck?! I’m 5’8”, any guy better be a solid 6 foot!
When we tired of the club scene, we went to get crepes. This time I had Nutella with strawberries. I am really going to miss crepes. I think they should have them in the states; they’re so great because you can eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. On the walk home, some creepy guy was following us in his car so we ran all the way back to the hotel. It felt good to run again. Sarah and I opened up what we’ve come to call our “love nest” (the curtain hanging over our bed), but it was a little disappointing. We thought it would drape around the bed and be like a tent. It was really just hanging directly on top of us – but that’s how we fell asleep.
Kamari Beach is a black sand beach covered in rocks that really hurt to walk on. It’s really pretty, with tiki huts lined up along the water. We decided to forego the beach chairs and save our 7 euro. The first time I set foot in the water, I got totally rocked by some huge waves. The one experience we’ve had with waves in Greece involved some small ripples. I was just making my way into the ice-cold water, no more than calf deep, when a huge wave took my feet out from under me and dragged me across the rocky bottom. I let out a scream and as soon as I came up from that, another one rolled right over my head. It was a rough entry to say the least and I spent my time in the water emptying my swimsuit full of rocks and sand.
The other funny thing about this beach was the Chinese ladies giving massages. They came around trying to convince us that for only 15 euro, we could get all oiled up and rubbed down. My friend Kristyn finally caved. The lady un-tied her swimsuit at the neck and then, to Kristyn’s surprise, pulled the back piece over her head. We were all hysterical watching Kristyn try to cover herself as the Chinese lady ripped her top off. The lady started to rub, and then pulled down her bottoms exposing even more of her body to everyone. By that point, Kristyn was too relaxed to care, but we were once again hysterical.
We grabbed coffee and lunch at one of the tavernas and then caught the 1:45 bus back to town. I ran to the grocery, showered, and did my last load of hand-washed laundry (yay!). Then we all got ready for our evening in Oia! A private bus came at 4:00 PM to take us to the village – about a 10 minute drive. When we arrived, it was very quaint and quiet; not as many tourists which was so nice. We found one of the famous views near the church on all the postcards – blue, dome roof with a white cross on top. We took tons and tons of pictures. I bet I took 100 just of Oia.
We spent the next three hours exploring the village and shopping. We found some spectacular views of the white buildings on the side of the cliff, all with blue windows, roofs, and doors. I can’t even come up with words to describe the beauty, but there are images that will forever remain in my mind. Oia also had the best shopping we’ve come across; I definitely spent more on shopping there than anywhere else. Someone in a shop told us the area where The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was shot. I’m not even gonna lie … I can’t wait to watch it when I get home.
The big draw to Oia, besides it’s obvious beauty, is the sunset. Katula said it would get so crowded in the streets of the side the sun set on, that we should just eat at one of the restaurants there. After looking at menus and realizing they were all going to be expensive, we eventually decided on one called nothing other than “Sunsets.” We sat down at 7 PM, so dragged out our dinner to make it last through the 8:30 sunset. The food, scenery, and general ambiance were amazing, so none of us really minded splurging for the night. I had “chicken with multi-colored peppers” (not only because I wanted to say the full name when ordering), which was so good and reminded me of my family ‘s cooking.
We were all a little disappointed by the sunset. It was pretty, but difficult to see with people standing up everywhere, and actually got better as it got darker. The sky turned into an orange-pink color and once all the people left, we were able to get some great pictures of the landscape. We walked around a little more after dark, and found the site of the most marriage proposals. Personally, I found a lot of better spots in Oia where I’d rather be proposed to. Earlier in the day we saw a bride getting her picture taken. Man, to get married in Oia …
A private bus took us back to Thira at 9:30, and after a little rest, we drank some wine to prepare to go out. We had the best “pre-game” ever! About seven of us chilled on my bed and watched funny Disney songs on YouTube and I DJ-ed from my iTunes library.
At 1:00 AM we all made our way to Enigma, a club in town. I wasn’t happy about the 10 euro cover fee, but it did include a drink. We spent some time on the dance floor and I couldn’t get over the fact that all the short guys were dancing with me! What the heck?! I’m 5’8”, any guy better be a solid 6 foot!
When we tired of the club scene, we went to get crepes. This time I had Nutella with strawberries. I am really going to miss crepes. I think they should have them in the states; they’re so great because you can eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. On the walk home, some creepy guy was following us in his car so we ran all the way back to the hotel. It felt good to run again. Sarah and I opened up what we’ve come to call our “love nest” (the curtain hanging over our bed), but it was a little disappointing. We thought it would drape around the bed and be like a tent. It was really just hanging directly on top of us – but that’s how we fell asleep.
Santorini: Day 2
I’m writing the beginning of this blog at 10:30 AM, sitting on our balcony. I am surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, mountains, and little white buildings. The sun is shining and it’s warm with a cool breeze. The weather here is perfect. It gets hot during the day but there is so much breeze that it’s never stifling heat. Last night it actually got chilly, but that was so refreshing. It’s just amazing.
I got up at 9:25 and went to breakfast in my pajamas. Whereas Sarah was hung over and wouldn’t get out of bed, my sober night finally paid off and I ran off to eat. Breakfast was disappointing, despite Katula calling it “great.” Now I am going to get ready for the day ahead. We are getting on a bus at 11 AM, wearing sneakers and a bathing suit. We’re taking a pirate ship around the islands, walking on the volcano, and then swimming in the sulfur springs!
A private bus picked us up and drove us down to the port to catch our “pirate ship”. Apparently we were late because it was so full we had to sit on benches along the side, which didn’t last too long because the water came splashing over the edges. Our first stop was the volcano. It’s explosion in the 1600s destroyed the ancient Minoan civilizations and it hasn’t erupted since 1956. According to Katula, that was the most recent volcanic eruption in the world. We climbed the black lava rocks all the way to the top to find a pretty nice view of the islands.
Our ship then took us around to the other side of the volcano to swim in the hot sulfur springs. We jumped off the boat into the freezing, clear Mediterranean water and then the water gradually became warmer and muddier looking. We made our way into the brown sulfur water, which smelled pretty bad, and scrubbed the mud onto our bodies because it’s supposed to be good for the skin. The ship sounded it’s horn and everyone set off swimming for it. It was like something out of Titanic; everyone fighting their way out of the cold water.
Our final stop was a village on the island of Thirassa. We had lunch at a seaside taverna with excellent seafood. I had octopus souvlaka, which is basically a shish kabob of octopus, with rice and potatoes. I really like the octopus, but I think I still prefer squid; the octopus is a little tougher to chew. I had some crème chocolate gelato afterwards while sitting along the water. It was a very nice day! But when I was getting back on the boat, I hit my head while going up the steps (because I’m tall) and that hurt.
We stopped at the ports of Oia and Thira before arriving at Santorini’s primary port. That gave us our first glimpse of Oia – I cannot wait to go tomorrow! We sat at tables on top of the ship and enjoyed the waves. It got pretty rocky and at some points felt like that ride at theme parks where the ship swings back and forth.
We finally got back to the hotel about 7 PM, so I showered and then took a nap until Sarah woke me up at 9:15 for dinner. Tonight we decided to just grab gyros to save some money. I got the lamb for the first time, but it wasn’t as good as Sebastian’s at home! In Greece, I like the chicken gyros best. A prime example of typical Greek men (notice I omit the “gentle”): the only seating at the gyro place was a bar with maybe 8 stools. We had to eat standing up because a group of four guys was just sitting at the bar with no food in front of them. They didn’t even flinch to offer up seats.
The big beer here in Greece is Mythos and they always serve it in big glasses with the name on it. Some of my friends were determined to acquire these glasses, either by theft or money. We set off and ended up in Murphy’s Irish Pub, which is just your average American bar. They had a 2 for 1 deal that Katula told us was a joke because they would make one drink and split it into two glasses. I just wanted one “Sex on the Bar” – orange juice, vodka, grenadine – but they gave me two! There was so much vodka in it, I barely finished the first one and gave the second away. Yuck.
As American as Murphy’s was, it was a pretty good time. There was dancing and we met a cool guy from South Africa who sounded Australian. Once we tired of that, we set off again in search of the Mythos glasses. The girls found a restaurant owner who said they could have the glasses if they sat down and bought a beer. So we all had a seat and the guy brought out three of the biggest beers I’ve ever seen in my life. We sat and talked over the beers for a solid hour, which was funny because usually you drink and talk before you go out to bars, but we had done it just the opposite.
The night ended with crepes. I had cinnamon/sugar and it was so delicious; just melted in my mouth. We got home about 2:30 AM and hit the sack.
I got up at 9:25 and went to breakfast in my pajamas. Whereas Sarah was hung over and wouldn’t get out of bed, my sober night finally paid off and I ran off to eat. Breakfast was disappointing, despite Katula calling it “great.” Now I am going to get ready for the day ahead. We are getting on a bus at 11 AM, wearing sneakers and a bathing suit. We’re taking a pirate ship around the islands, walking on the volcano, and then swimming in the sulfur springs!
A private bus picked us up and drove us down to the port to catch our “pirate ship”. Apparently we were late because it was so full we had to sit on benches along the side, which didn’t last too long because the water came splashing over the edges. Our first stop was the volcano. It’s explosion in the 1600s destroyed the ancient Minoan civilizations and it hasn’t erupted since 1956. According to Katula, that was the most recent volcanic eruption in the world. We climbed the black lava rocks all the way to the top to find a pretty nice view of the islands.
Our ship then took us around to the other side of the volcano to swim in the hot sulfur springs. We jumped off the boat into the freezing, clear Mediterranean water and then the water gradually became warmer and muddier looking. We made our way into the brown sulfur water, which smelled pretty bad, and scrubbed the mud onto our bodies because it’s supposed to be good for the skin. The ship sounded it’s horn and everyone set off swimming for it. It was like something out of Titanic; everyone fighting their way out of the cold water.
Our final stop was a village on the island of Thirassa. We had lunch at a seaside taverna with excellent seafood. I had octopus souvlaka, which is basically a shish kabob of octopus, with rice and potatoes. I really like the octopus, but I think I still prefer squid; the octopus is a little tougher to chew. I had some crème chocolate gelato afterwards while sitting along the water. It was a very nice day! But when I was getting back on the boat, I hit my head while going up the steps (because I’m tall) and that hurt.
We stopped at the ports of Oia and Thira before arriving at Santorini’s primary port. That gave us our first glimpse of Oia – I cannot wait to go tomorrow! We sat at tables on top of the ship and enjoyed the waves. It got pretty rocky and at some points felt like that ride at theme parks where the ship swings back and forth.
We finally got back to the hotel about 7 PM, so I showered and then took a nap until Sarah woke me up at 9:15 for dinner. Tonight we decided to just grab gyros to save some money. I got the lamb for the first time, but it wasn’t as good as Sebastian’s at home! In Greece, I like the chicken gyros best. A prime example of typical Greek men (notice I omit the “gentle”): the only seating at the gyro place was a bar with maybe 8 stools. We had to eat standing up because a group of four guys was just sitting at the bar with no food in front of them. They didn’t even flinch to offer up seats.
The big beer here in Greece is Mythos and they always serve it in big glasses with the name on it. Some of my friends were determined to acquire these glasses, either by theft or money. We set off and ended up in Murphy’s Irish Pub, which is just your average American bar. They had a 2 for 1 deal that Katula told us was a joke because they would make one drink and split it into two glasses. I just wanted one “Sex on the Bar” – orange juice, vodka, grenadine – but they gave me two! There was so much vodka in it, I barely finished the first one and gave the second away. Yuck.
As American as Murphy’s was, it was a pretty good time. There was dancing and we met a cool guy from South Africa who sounded Australian. Once we tired of that, we set off again in search of the Mythos glasses. The girls found a restaurant owner who said they could have the glasses if they sat down and bought a beer. So we all had a seat and the guy brought out three of the biggest beers I’ve ever seen in my life. We sat and talked over the beers for a solid hour, which was funny because usually you drink and talk before you go out to bars, but we had done it just the opposite.
The night ended with crepes. I had cinnamon/sugar and it was so delicious; just melted in my mouth. We got home about 2:30 AM and hit the sack.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Santorini: Day 1
We got up at 6:45 this morning and had our last breakfast at Hotel Ideon. Sarah and I realized that we had no means of getting our suitcases back down the three flights of stairs now that they each weighed five lbs. heavier. The front desk claimed it was too early so they couldn’t send anyone to help. In the end, Katula and his son were very nice and successfully delivered our luggage to the bus.
We drove an hour to the port at Heraklion and immediately boarded our hydrofoil – “FlyingCat”. It was nothing like I had imagined. The inside looked very similar to that of an airplane, with rows and aisles of assigned seats, and big TVs on the front wall. It was even stranger once we started to move; kind of like an indoor jet-ski gliding across the waves. I loved it, felt like I was being rocked to sleep the entire two hours. It was so cool when a huge wave would splash up against the window. A lot of other people have motion sickness or felt dizzy. Apparently lots (not in our group) were throwing up. Personally I can’t wait for our next ride to Athens because I hear it’s four hours!
We pulled into the port and I was just in awe of Santorini. There are some tavernas, rental places, and lots of tourist traps down there, but nothing else because the towns are up on top of the cliffs. We immediately boarded a bus that drove us to our hotel in Thira – only a five minute walk to the center of town. Sarah and I must have finally earned our hotel karma, because we were put in the honeymoon suite! We don’t even mind that we have to share a bed. It’s a big room and the bed has one of those canopy drapes hanging above, then a hallway with a small eating area that leads to the bathroom. And we have a huge balcony overlooking parts of Thira. It’s awesome!
So we checked-in, got settled, then walked into town for lunch. I wasn’t too hungry because I’d eaten a PB&J on the hydrofoil, so just had some tzatziki and bread. Man, it is so expensive here! A Greek salad was 7 euro, when it’s been 4 everywhere else. Next we met our one-day tour guide at the Thira archeological museum, which has artifacts from the ancient Minoan civilization that is believed to have been devastated by the historic earthquake in the 1600s. Santorini is widely known for being located on a crater. One of the islands is an active volcano that we will visit tomorrow.
This guy has become our favorite tour guide, and of course he was only with us for an hour. He was funny and explained how everything originated in Santorini. Make-up did not come from Paris; it came from Santorini because there are frescoes depicting women wearing blush a full 1,000 years before anything in France. And a wood-burning grill was found in the ruins, suggesting the Greeks invented pizza; not the Italians. He was totally full of it, but it was entertaining anyways.
Then we walked up to the top of the town and shopped around a bit. I didn’t buy anything, just enjoyed the amazing views. All of these tavernas and hotels are built right into the side of the descending cliff overlooking the Mediterranean. It’s unbelievable. And we haven’t even seen Oia – the part of Santorini that you see in the movies, like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. And, even though I’ve associated Mamma Mia! with Santorini, it wasn’t actually shot on this island, but one further north. I’m so excited for Oia; we go there on Saturday for dinner and to watch the sunset.
It’s funny because I think I had a false impression of Santorini. I guess just from watching the films, I had an idea in my head of what it would be like. It’s depicted as this tiny, quiet island tucked away in Greece, when really it’s pretty big with multiple islands and villages, and crawling with tourists. I’ve seen more Americans here today than I have combined over the past month.
So we bopped around for a bit. I got some more cash from the ATM, ate some delicious chocolate banana gelato, went to the grocery for fruit and sandwich supplies for the week. Sarah and I had been planning to just grab gyros to save some money and because we hadn’t had them in awhile. But around 7:30 there was this fabulous idea that the group should go have Chinese food. I really didn’t want to go but at the same time didn’t want to eat alone, so of course I caved, knowing it was a really bad idea. It was such a tourist-y thing to do: Eat Chinese food in Greece.
Most of the group went, and Katula led us to this gaudy, decked out Chinese place. It was pretty expensive, everything a la carte, with very small portions. The sweet and sour chicken wasn’t bad, but there wasn’t much chicken in it. I was pretty pissed that I spent 7 euro when I could have gotten a gyro or 2, or even a Greek salad. Oh well. It was an experience.
After dinner, we came back to the hotel to have some of our own drinks before going out. I was sort of in a funky mood. At this point, we have been around each other almost an entire month and there are quirks people have that drive me a little crazy. I was just very irritated by everything so wasn’t going to go out. But at the last minute, one of the girls said she met a guy who got us a deal at one of the hot clubs. I decided I’d go to check it out, but I wasn’t drinking.
We got in a place called Koo Club without having to pay the 10 euro cover, and all 21 of us sat at a reserved booth. But what we didn’t exactly calculate was the fact that we were required to do bottle service. So the end result was 2 small bottles of vodka, chasers, and water for 200 euro. That’s right … 200! I only paid a few euro because I didn’t have any alcohol, but what a rip off! For 14 euro you could just have a whole bottle to yourself.
Next we went to a bar called The Highlander, which had dancing. I was totally sober but managed to pull out a few moves. I didn’t enjoy it because it was so American – American music and people. Just not very fun; we can do that at home. I’d rather find the more authentic places. But some of these people were crazy. At one point a guy stripped down to his underwear and was dancing on the bar. The bouncers jumped on him and threw him out within seconds.
About 3:00 AM, four of us decided to head home. I would have left long before but didn’t want to make the walk alone. We stopped at a gyro take out stand on the way. I didn’t have any but it looked like some tasty drunk food. I’m definitely getting a gyro for dinner tomorrow night.
There was some drama going on, so we didn’t get to sleep until after 4:30. Argh. I mean, wake up call wasn’t until 9:15, but less than five hours just doesn’t cut it for me.
We drove an hour to the port at Heraklion and immediately boarded our hydrofoil – “FlyingCat”. It was nothing like I had imagined. The inside looked very similar to that of an airplane, with rows and aisles of assigned seats, and big TVs on the front wall. It was even stranger once we started to move; kind of like an indoor jet-ski gliding across the waves. I loved it, felt like I was being rocked to sleep the entire two hours. It was so cool when a huge wave would splash up against the window. A lot of other people have motion sickness or felt dizzy. Apparently lots (not in our group) were throwing up. Personally I can’t wait for our next ride to Athens because I hear it’s four hours!
We pulled into the port and I was just in awe of Santorini. There are some tavernas, rental places, and lots of tourist traps down there, but nothing else because the towns are up on top of the cliffs. We immediately boarded a bus that drove us to our hotel in Thira – only a five minute walk to the center of town. Sarah and I must have finally earned our hotel karma, because we were put in the honeymoon suite! We don’t even mind that we have to share a bed. It’s a big room and the bed has one of those canopy drapes hanging above, then a hallway with a small eating area that leads to the bathroom. And we have a huge balcony overlooking parts of Thira. It’s awesome!
So we checked-in, got settled, then walked into town for lunch. I wasn’t too hungry because I’d eaten a PB&J on the hydrofoil, so just had some tzatziki and bread. Man, it is so expensive here! A Greek salad was 7 euro, when it’s been 4 everywhere else. Next we met our one-day tour guide at the Thira archeological museum, which has artifacts from the ancient Minoan civilization that is believed to have been devastated by the historic earthquake in the 1600s. Santorini is widely known for being located on a crater. One of the islands is an active volcano that we will visit tomorrow.
This guy has become our favorite tour guide, and of course he was only with us for an hour. He was funny and explained how everything originated in Santorini. Make-up did not come from Paris; it came from Santorini because there are frescoes depicting women wearing blush a full 1,000 years before anything in France. And a wood-burning grill was found in the ruins, suggesting the Greeks invented pizza; not the Italians. He was totally full of it, but it was entertaining anyways.
Then we walked up to the top of the town and shopped around a bit. I didn’t buy anything, just enjoyed the amazing views. All of these tavernas and hotels are built right into the side of the descending cliff overlooking the Mediterranean. It’s unbelievable. And we haven’t even seen Oia – the part of Santorini that you see in the movies, like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. And, even though I’ve associated Mamma Mia! with Santorini, it wasn’t actually shot on this island, but one further north. I’m so excited for Oia; we go there on Saturday for dinner and to watch the sunset.
It’s funny because I think I had a false impression of Santorini. I guess just from watching the films, I had an idea in my head of what it would be like. It’s depicted as this tiny, quiet island tucked away in Greece, when really it’s pretty big with multiple islands and villages, and crawling with tourists. I’ve seen more Americans here today than I have combined over the past month.
So we bopped around for a bit. I got some more cash from the ATM, ate some delicious chocolate banana gelato, went to the grocery for fruit and sandwich supplies for the week. Sarah and I had been planning to just grab gyros to save some money and because we hadn’t had them in awhile. But around 7:30 there was this fabulous idea that the group should go have Chinese food. I really didn’t want to go but at the same time didn’t want to eat alone, so of course I caved, knowing it was a really bad idea. It was such a tourist-y thing to do: Eat Chinese food in Greece.
Most of the group went, and Katula led us to this gaudy, decked out Chinese place. It was pretty expensive, everything a la carte, with very small portions. The sweet and sour chicken wasn’t bad, but there wasn’t much chicken in it. I was pretty pissed that I spent 7 euro when I could have gotten a gyro or 2, or even a Greek salad. Oh well. It was an experience.
After dinner, we came back to the hotel to have some of our own drinks before going out. I was sort of in a funky mood. At this point, we have been around each other almost an entire month and there are quirks people have that drive me a little crazy. I was just very irritated by everything so wasn’t going to go out. But at the last minute, one of the girls said she met a guy who got us a deal at one of the hot clubs. I decided I’d go to check it out, but I wasn’t drinking.
We got in a place called Koo Club without having to pay the 10 euro cover, and all 21 of us sat at a reserved booth. But what we didn’t exactly calculate was the fact that we were required to do bottle service. So the end result was 2 small bottles of vodka, chasers, and water for 200 euro. That’s right … 200! I only paid a few euro because I didn’t have any alcohol, but what a rip off! For 14 euro you could just have a whole bottle to yourself.
Next we went to a bar called The Highlander, which had dancing. I was totally sober but managed to pull out a few moves. I didn’t enjoy it because it was so American – American music and people. Just not very fun; we can do that at home. I’d rather find the more authentic places. But some of these people were crazy. At one point a guy stripped down to his underwear and was dancing on the bar. The bouncers jumped on him and threw him out within seconds.
About 3:00 AM, four of us decided to head home. I would have left long before but didn’t want to make the walk alone. We stopped at a gyro take out stand on the way. I didn’t have any but it looked like some tasty drunk food. I’m definitely getting a gyro for dinner tomorrow night.
There was some drama going on, so we didn’t get to sleep until after 4:30. Argh. I mean, wake up call wasn’t until 9:15, but less than five hours just doesn’t cut it for me.
Rethymnon: Day 4
Even 7 hours of sleep wasn’t enough for the day we had ahead of us, but I clearly didn’t know that when the alarm went off at 7:15 AM. And the eggs were very runny at breakfast, ew. Not the best start.
Today was the Samaria Gorge, so we drove an hour on the windiest roads I’ve ever seen, to get to the ferry port – which was beautiful. We used the “water closets” and I split a chocolate croissant with one of the girls before boarding our ferry. I can’t remember the last time I was on a boat, and don’t recall ever riding a ferry. I got a seat right on the edge of the guard rail in the hot sun, but didn’t mind because I thought the ferry was pretty cool. I just stared at the blue water. You know when you’re at a baseball game and someone popular is about to hit? And then everyone starts taking pictures, so you just see flashes all over? Well that’s the only way I can describe the water. Sparkles of light just flashed everywhere. It was beautiful.
We arrived at Samaria and stopped at a small taverna to leave our bags. It was a 2 km walk just to get to the entrance of the gorge, the largest in Europe, by the way. Once we paid the 5 euro admission, we set off on our hike. It is all rock terrain and wooden bridges or planks to cross the water; so a pretty legitimate hike. There were some treacherous areas and I twisted my ankles probably every 200 feet. We made it 2.8 km to the first station, with bathrooms and a spring water fountain, in about 35 minutes. It really wasn’t too bad.
After sitting for ten minutes or so, five of us decided to hike one more leg to the second station because it was only 2.2 km further on the map. Well, 45 minutes in, we realized it was clearly more than 2.2 since we still weren’t there. This part of the climb was a lot tougher and my empty stomach began to growl. Unfortunately, I had left my sandwich down at the taverna with my bag. I started to wish someone would suggest we turn around, but no one did.
We did finally make it to the second station, and I was so relieved to drink cold water and rest my legs. It had taken two hours, so all I could think about was the 5 km we still had to hike back. Feet aching, we all turned around and began the return trip. It wasn’t as bad because we knew how far we had to go, and had some decent conversation, but none of us seemed to recognize the terrain. We constantly questioned our navigational skills, however, came to realize there was only one direction and path.
We made it back in only an hour and fifteen minutes, partially, I think, because there wasn’t as much traffic. On the way up (when I say up, I really mean “in” because it wasn’t uphill at all, totally flat) there were a bunch of slow people and not much room to pass, so we’d pull these crazy stunt hiking moves and pounce around them like cats.
The five of us covered 14 km, which translates to 8.75 miles, so sat down for lunch as soon as we got back. I ate my PB&J and ordered a chocolate milkshake, which I’m pretty sure was just chocolate milk. There were hardly any words during lunch, and on more than one occasion, we found ourselves in a state of silence. Then we would just start laughing at the absurdity and awkwardness of the silence. My feet were aching, and I for one, had no words.
With 90 minutes to kill, I gave the beach a shot, but that was short-lived. It was all rocks, so lying on your towel burned because it was so hot. I resorted to sitting in the shade with a couple of girls. We finally boarded the return ferry at 6 PM and it was way more crowded. We had to fight our way to the front of the line, European style. It was an enjoyable ride once again and us girls just talked the whole time. On the bus though, we all passed out.
We got back to the hotel about 9 PM and set a dinner time for 10:30. Sarah and I were not pleased that our other roommate was already in the shower when we returned to the room, because she takes 45 minute showers and we both had to use the restroom.
Some of us went out for pizza and I ended up sitting across from Katula’s son – the U.S. diplomat to Ukraine. He’s a pretty interesting guy and provided good conversation. I had the 4-cheese pizza, which was tasty, but I didn’t like two of the cheeses on it. We were supposed to go to the karaoke bar as a whole group, but found out it’s only karaoke on Mondays, so that was cancelled. Can’t say I was too upset. For that matter, nobody was. Everyone came back to finish packing and go to sleep because we have a 6:45 AM wake up call in the morning.
Tomorrow we are off to Santorini! The next four days are the reason I applied for this trip in the first place. I said this to Katula tonight and he was like, “what about the learning?” but I’m pretty sure he was drunk and won’t remember anyways.
Today was the Samaria Gorge, so we drove an hour on the windiest roads I’ve ever seen, to get to the ferry port – which was beautiful. We used the “water closets” and I split a chocolate croissant with one of the girls before boarding our ferry. I can’t remember the last time I was on a boat, and don’t recall ever riding a ferry. I got a seat right on the edge of the guard rail in the hot sun, but didn’t mind because I thought the ferry was pretty cool. I just stared at the blue water. You know when you’re at a baseball game and someone popular is about to hit? And then everyone starts taking pictures, so you just see flashes all over? Well that’s the only way I can describe the water. Sparkles of light just flashed everywhere. It was beautiful.
We arrived at Samaria and stopped at a small taverna to leave our bags. It was a 2 km walk just to get to the entrance of the gorge, the largest in Europe, by the way. Once we paid the 5 euro admission, we set off on our hike. It is all rock terrain and wooden bridges or planks to cross the water; so a pretty legitimate hike. There were some treacherous areas and I twisted my ankles probably every 200 feet. We made it 2.8 km to the first station, with bathrooms and a spring water fountain, in about 35 minutes. It really wasn’t too bad.
After sitting for ten minutes or so, five of us decided to hike one more leg to the second station because it was only 2.2 km further on the map. Well, 45 minutes in, we realized it was clearly more than 2.2 since we still weren’t there. This part of the climb was a lot tougher and my empty stomach began to growl. Unfortunately, I had left my sandwich down at the taverna with my bag. I started to wish someone would suggest we turn around, but no one did.
We did finally make it to the second station, and I was so relieved to drink cold water and rest my legs. It had taken two hours, so all I could think about was the 5 km we still had to hike back. Feet aching, we all turned around and began the return trip. It wasn’t as bad because we knew how far we had to go, and had some decent conversation, but none of us seemed to recognize the terrain. We constantly questioned our navigational skills, however, came to realize there was only one direction and path.
We made it back in only an hour and fifteen minutes, partially, I think, because there wasn’t as much traffic. On the way up (when I say up, I really mean “in” because it wasn’t uphill at all, totally flat) there were a bunch of slow people and not much room to pass, so we’d pull these crazy stunt hiking moves and pounce around them like cats.
The five of us covered 14 km, which translates to 8.75 miles, so sat down for lunch as soon as we got back. I ate my PB&J and ordered a chocolate milkshake, which I’m pretty sure was just chocolate milk. There were hardly any words during lunch, and on more than one occasion, we found ourselves in a state of silence. Then we would just start laughing at the absurdity and awkwardness of the silence. My feet were aching, and I for one, had no words.
With 90 minutes to kill, I gave the beach a shot, but that was short-lived. It was all rocks, so lying on your towel burned because it was so hot. I resorted to sitting in the shade with a couple of girls. We finally boarded the return ferry at 6 PM and it was way more crowded. We had to fight our way to the front of the line, European style. It was an enjoyable ride once again and us girls just talked the whole time. On the bus though, we all passed out.
We got back to the hotel about 9 PM and set a dinner time for 10:30. Sarah and I were not pleased that our other roommate was already in the shower when we returned to the room, because she takes 45 minute showers and we both had to use the restroom.
Some of us went out for pizza and I ended up sitting across from Katula’s son – the U.S. diplomat to Ukraine. He’s a pretty interesting guy and provided good conversation. I had the 4-cheese pizza, which was tasty, but I didn’t like two of the cheeses on it. We were supposed to go to the karaoke bar as a whole group, but found out it’s only karaoke on Mondays, so that was cancelled. Can’t say I was too upset. For that matter, nobody was. Everyone came back to finish packing and go to sleep because we have a 6:45 AM wake up call in the morning.
Tomorrow we are off to Santorini! The next four days are the reason I applied for this trip in the first place. I said this to Katula tonight and he was like, “what about the learning?” but I’m pretty sure he was drunk and won’t remember anyways.
Rethymnon: Day 3
The 8:30 AM wake up call came all too soon. I wasn’t feeling too hot, so breakfast wasn’t all that appealing. I just continued drinking water.
We took a 30 minutes bus ride to see the Arkadi monastery. The drive there was all winding roads on the cliffs, which made me kind of nauseas, so I closed my eyes and slept most of the way. The monastery was very cool. Today, only four monks live there, but it used to be fully functional and we saw the kitchen, living quarters, and church. No one told us we needed to have our knees and shoulders covered, so I had to tie a bright pink wrap on my waist. It was very attractive. All in all, I was just pretty grateful that I didn’t puke at the monastery.
After the tour, we wandered over to the gift shop and found more than souvenirs. There was a cage of ostriches! They are the strangest animals. We finally settled on describing them as mutant bird-dinosaur-giraffes. One of them was right up against the fence by us and kept snapping his jaw, and I was sure he was going to reach his spaghetti neck through the bars and eat someone. There was also a pen of goats, which were pretty cute but smelly. Later, on the bus, it was revealed that one of the girls dropped her sunglasses in the ostrich cage and another girl hopped the fence to get them out. No way, no how would I ever put myself within inches of ostriches! And for sunglasses!
Our next stop for the day was some small village that specializes in ceramics, or “keramics,” as our tour guide Vangelis would say. He led us into a little shop and we watched a guy make pieces on a pottery wheel. It was amazing! This guy would just throw a lump of clay on the wheel, and within a minute, have a completed piece.
We walked around and looked in several pottery shops, then spent our hour of free time at a taverna. I had the best omelet, with green peppers, cheese, and onions. I was rushed because we were supposed to have been on the bus before our food was even delivered to the table, but I still managed to eat the entire omelet – which took up half the plate.
I still wasn’t feeling fabulous and had a headache on the bus back to the hotel, so laid down for a three hour nap once we got there. I woke up rejuvenated and set out to shop with a few of the girls. We walked down the streets of Rethymnon and through the narrow back alleys. I finally did my “souvenir” shopping and only have a few more things to pick up in Athens.
I ran back to the hotel, took a five minute shower, and met the group for dinner with my hair still wet. Sixteen of us went to Seven Brothers taverna, right on the water, for some good seafood. I got shrimp saganaki, which sounds Japanese, but is not. It was shrimp in a creamy tomato sauce with feta cheese and peppers. Really good!
Afterwards, we all returned to the hotel and went to bed, because Wednesday was a big day full of adventure.
We took a 30 minutes bus ride to see the Arkadi monastery. The drive there was all winding roads on the cliffs, which made me kind of nauseas, so I closed my eyes and slept most of the way. The monastery was very cool. Today, only four monks live there, but it used to be fully functional and we saw the kitchen, living quarters, and church. No one told us we needed to have our knees and shoulders covered, so I had to tie a bright pink wrap on my waist. It was very attractive. All in all, I was just pretty grateful that I didn’t puke at the monastery.
After the tour, we wandered over to the gift shop and found more than souvenirs. There was a cage of ostriches! They are the strangest animals. We finally settled on describing them as mutant bird-dinosaur-giraffes. One of them was right up against the fence by us and kept snapping his jaw, and I was sure he was going to reach his spaghetti neck through the bars and eat someone. There was also a pen of goats, which were pretty cute but smelly. Later, on the bus, it was revealed that one of the girls dropped her sunglasses in the ostrich cage and another girl hopped the fence to get them out. No way, no how would I ever put myself within inches of ostriches! And for sunglasses!
Our next stop for the day was some small village that specializes in ceramics, or “keramics,” as our tour guide Vangelis would say. He led us into a little shop and we watched a guy make pieces on a pottery wheel. It was amazing! This guy would just throw a lump of clay on the wheel, and within a minute, have a completed piece.
We walked around and looked in several pottery shops, then spent our hour of free time at a taverna. I had the best omelet, with green peppers, cheese, and onions. I was rushed because we were supposed to have been on the bus before our food was even delivered to the table, but I still managed to eat the entire omelet – which took up half the plate.
I still wasn’t feeling fabulous and had a headache on the bus back to the hotel, so laid down for a three hour nap once we got there. I woke up rejuvenated and set out to shop with a few of the girls. We walked down the streets of Rethymnon and through the narrow back alleys. I finally did my “souvenir” shopping and only have a few more things to pick up in Athens.
I ran back to the hotel, took a five minute shower, and met the group for dinner with my hair still wet. Sixteen of us went to Seven Brothers taverna, right on the water, for some good seafood. I got shrimp saganaki, which sounds Japanese, but is not. It was shrimp in a creamy tomato sauce with feta cheese and peppers. Really good!
Afterwards, we all returned to the hotel and went to bed, because Wednesday was a big day full of adventure.
Rethymnon: Girl's Night Out
So our big “scheme” worked out perfectly and seven of us girls who have become friends managed to escape the rest of the group for a night out. See, back in Athens there was this guy on the beach who collected money for the chairs/umbrellas. We got to talking to him and he said his family owns the beach chair rental business so he lives in Crete during the week, but works in Athens on weekends. He gave us his number and said to call him for a fun night out.
My friend Meghan called him and apparently he thought it was a date! Haha. Meghan has a boyfriend, so told him that six of us would be joining. I don’t think he was thrilled about it, but then again, what guy objects to taking out seven girls? We had to “scheme” because we didn’t want the entire group to join. At this point, circles of friends are formed and everyone sort of knows who they get along with. It was really nice to go out with people who enjoy each other’s company.
Sarah and I got ready in our cute attic room and the girls “sent word” of when/where to meet them. The two of us had already eaten PB&J sandwiches in our room, so I just had a small tomato salad, bread, and wine. At midnight, we met Kominas (the Athens guy) at a club called Metropolis. There was no cover charge and drinks were only 5 euro. They were playing some great American music and we were all going crazy, dancing to Britney Spears.
I should also mention this was a karaoke bar. Sarah, Kristyn, and I sang Ain’t No Mountain High, and pretty well I might add, but we got cut off in the middle of the first chorus. How rude! The other girls did Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody, but they too were cut off very early into the song. The DJ finally told us that the machine wasn’t working properly, so to make up for it, they just started giving us rounds of lemon shots. They tasted like candy, so I’m pretty sure that was when my downfall began.
One second I was feelin good, and the next, too good. I immediately knew I’d drank too much. We then took cabs to another bar, where I just sat and gulped down as many glasses of water as I could. The bartender was giving us watermelon shots, which looked tasty, but I passed mine on down the bar.
Around 2:45 AM, Sarah and I decided to head back to the hotel and for some reason chose to walk. This was not a short walk! We stopped to wade in the ocean and even had a long, heartfelt talk. Once we got into our room, I looked at my iPod (which tends to switch times on me for no reason) and it said 8:30 PM – U.S. time – but I mistook it for 8:30 AM and told Sarah it was time to get up. Our third roommate woke up and told us it was only 3:30 AM, so we all went to bed.
My friend Meghan called him and apparently he thought it was a date! Haha. Meghan has a boyfriend, so told him that six of us would be joining. I don’t think he was thrilled about it, but then again, what guy objects to taking out seven girls? We had to “scheme” because we didn’t want the entire group to join. At this point, circles of friends are formed and everyone sort of knows who they get along with. It was really nice to go out with people who enjoy each other’s company.
Sarah and I got ready in our cute attic room and the girls “sent word” of when/where to meet them. The two of us had already eaten PB&J sandwiches in our room, so I just had a small tomato salad, bread, and wine. At midnight, we met Kominas (the Athens guy) at a club called Metropolis. There was no cover charge and drinks were only 5 euro. They were playing some great American music and we were all going crazy, dancing to Britney Spears.
I should also mention this was a karaoke bar. Sarah, Kristyn, and I sang Ain’t No Mountain High, and pretty well I might add, but we got cut off in the middle of the first chorus. How rude! The other girls did Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody, but they too were cut off very early into the song. The DJ finally told us that the machine wasn’t working properly, so to make up for it, they just started giving us rounds of lemon shots. They tasted like candy, so I’m pretty sure that was when my downfall began.
One second I was feelin good, and the next, too good. I immediately knew I’d drank too much. We then took cabs to another bar, where I just sat and gulped down as many glasses of water as I could. The bartender was giving us watermelon shots, which looked tasty, but I passed mine on down the bar.
Around 2:45 AM, Sarah and I decided to head back to the hotel and for some reason chose to walk. This was not a short walk! We stopped to wade in the ocean and even had a long, heartfelt talk. Once we got into our room, I looked at my iPod (which tends to switch times on me for no reason) and it said 8:30 PM – U.S. time – but I mistook it for 8:30 AM and told Sarah it was time to get up. Our third roommate woke up and told us it was only 3:30 AM, so we all went to bed.
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