I decided, that since the past few entries are just down right negative in tone, that if I have to rant, I'm going to force myself to write about something positive as well...you know, to stay sane and all. So here goes, the long promised post about Santorini. Just make sure you also read the rant below.
Santorini was lovely. Even though it was my third visit to the island, and most everything is familiar, it still holds this sort of magical sway over me. Cara and Vanessa were not so impressed, but I still get struck with this sense of awe and wonder even thinking about it.
It seems the weather has an odd sense of humor this year, because it also rained our first day in Santorini. And we all know how much I hate traveling in the rain, especially in Greece. Feeling very much like the day I arrived in Athens two weeks ago, we stepped off the ferry into a cloud of bleakness. Cara, passed out from a combination of exhaustion, anxiety, and Tylenol PM, slept soundly in the hotel room as Vanessa and I braved the storm and ventured out into town. Our hotel was located in Karterados, a small village outside the main town of Fira, which shares the same name as the island.
After a 10 minute trek, by the end of which, we were soaked to the bone, Nessa and I had found food and were settled in a not-so-glamorous little souvlaki stand, seeking refuge from the downpour. We decided a little shopping therapy was needed, so we spent the next few hours wandering around the winding little streets of Fira. Smoothies at Fresco, one of my long time favorites, rounded out the afternoon and we headed back to the hotel.
After a much-needed siesta - the 12-hour ferry ride had turned into a 13 1/2-boat ride from hell - we finally managed to rouse Cara and made plans for dinner. A rooftop garden taverna in Fira was selected for its beautiful caldera view, with the promise of a dazzling sunset as we ate. Glad to finally be in the mood for some good Greek food, I ordered a huge plate of soutzoukakia - Greek meatballs in a tomato sauce over rice - and laughed as Cara and Vanessa struggled to find something 'normal' to eat.
We ended our first night with a little more shopping, and then walked back to the hotel, where a night full of drama awaited us. Cara, who had been very homesick from the start, decided to leave Greece when we got back to Athens. Not only was that saddening, but then a crazy person broke into our hotel and started screaming in the lobby. Thankfully, we were tucked safely away in a corner room on the second floor, but it was terrifying nonetheless. We called Artemis, the hotel owner, and he rushed over to check things out and make sure we were okay. He then stayed camped out at the front desk until morning, just in case. The screaming man roused me from a deep sleep and scared me so badly that I ended up throwing up all night, so we ended up sleeping well into the next afternoon.
Our trip into Fira on Wednesday turned into a spontaneous excursion to Oia, so after touring the (tiny) Museum of Prehistoric Thira, we boarded a bus for the other side of the island. Determined to find Cara and Vanessa a 'postcard' image, I figured Oia was our safest bet. They had both arrived under the impression that all of Greece would look like the postcards, and were rather disappointed with the reality of Athens, I think. And so our afternoon in Oia, the typical postcard setting of Greece, cheered them up. After a very late lunch at a rooftop cafe, a rambling walk through town, and a stop in the very awesome Atlantis Books (maybe one of the coolest places I've been), we headed down to the Castle for some prime touristy photos.
Still in a spontaneous mood, we took off down the huge winding staircase that lead to little old port situated at the bottom of the rock. Cut into the side of the cliffs, the stairs were exhausting, but provided incredible views of the town. Having heard that they were filming scenes from the sequel to Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, we had joked about telling people we'd seen the stars. But as we finished the last few legs of our descent, we overheard a family of tourists talking about seeing Ugly Betty (America Ferrera), and noticed a group of film cameras clogging up the port area. So, naturally, we took off running and soon found ourselves camped out at a table in a little seaside taverna, where they were filming for the afternoon. Asked to be extras, we stayed at our little table for a few hours, as the quartet of actresses filmed their entrance to Santorini.
I, of course, was taking stalker pictures the whole time. And dying of laughter as Vanessa made fun of Alexis Bledel's outfit, not knowing who she was.
After that excitement, it was torture to walk back up those stairs. But we managed to make it to the bus in time, and then collapsed at the hotel in exhaustion.
Thursday was our designated beach day, and as I was determined again to show them some more postcard worthy scenes, we took the bus out to Akrotiri and then climbed our way to the Red Beach. The Red Beach is so well hidden, that if you don't either have an excellent guidebook or know what you are doing, you would probably never find it. Crossing a small beach dotted with tavernas, we then hiked up the mountain, went around a small path at the town, and then climbed down the other side. As you approach the Red Beach, you encounter the sheer awesomeness of what the volcanic explosions created all those years ago. The journey begins with black rocks, ventures through some regular sand and rock at the top, and then finishes with a descent through giant craggy iron colored cliffs. I think it finally took Cara and Vanessa's breath away.
We found a spot at the far end of the beach, a small strand of red and black pebbles, and spent the next few hours relaxing in the sun. Our little excursion ended at a beach side cafe, enjoying Cokes as we waited for the bus to take us back to Fira. An hour by the poolside at Hotel Olympia rounded out our island stay, and then Artemis drove us down to the port, just in time to board the 12-hour ferry back to Athens.
Each visit to Santorini has been incredibly different, and each has held something special about it. The first year, we were in such awe to be there - we didn't know what to expect or what to do, so everything, by default was amazing. Then last year, knowing how to get around the island, we camped out in a small beach side town and proceeded to explore the island on our own. This past trip however, became special that afternoon in Oia, when I noticed all the actresses smiling at us as they tiredly walked past after finishing a scene. We were three girls, three friends, on an island in the Mediterranean, enjoying the beauty of a hot summer afternoon without a care in the world. Had I been in the actresses' places, I would have envied us.
~RLM
Thursday, May 31, 2007 at 03:33AM 
rachellake
