| Submitted by: Mark NowakUnited States |
| Submission Date: 10 February 2005 |
|
 |
|
We met the waiter (Kostas), the bartender (Vitas) and a couple at the bar, Eva and Nick. Eva's mom is from Singapore, so she had striking Asian features, but spoke English very well. She lives in Athens. Vitas and Kostas started pouring free shots for all of us. In the end the girls and I had each had 4 free shots, the last ones being vodka and ouzo. They invited us to join them at a club called Trapeza (which means bank in Greek). We agreed. So within minutes of meeting these people, we were getting into their car and driving off to a dance club. The girls and I were wearing shorts and I wasn't sure we'd get in like that. I asked Eva what the cover was and she said that she didn't know -- she never had to pay it. We walked through the door, and they obviously had connections because she motioned that we were all together and they let us right in. I think I was the only guy there wearing shorts.
The girls quickly set about to meeting guys. I was enjoying the great music and the women dancing on tables. That was enough to keep me there all night if nothing else. It was fun. It took only a couple of minutes before Anne was propositioned. After being up early for an intense day of hiking, I didn't return to my room until about 5:00. I did, however, get some sleep that night.
|
IRAKLION, ARHANES, HERSONISSOU
|
I got up to visit the church of St. Titus with the others. Like in Italy, shorts were prohibited at most of the churches we visited throughout Greece. We then visited the weekly bazaar in Iraklion that reminded me a lot of Taste of Chicago with vendors selling food and wares for blocks. We bought some fruit and had it prepared for us at the swordfish place. We then took in the Museum of Cretan History. The afternoon was free, but a few of us took taxis out to Arhanes, a nearby town not used to tourists, where we ate a real meal under a roof of growing grapes. Nick, Marriott, Frank, Mary Jane, Luz and I went -- I think Janet and Audrey were there as well. Afterwards, the others took a bus home while Nick Mary Jane and I hiked to the top of a big hill that is referred to as the Face of Zeus. I was up ahead and lost the path. That was bad because that meant I would have to basically hike/climb vertically through prickly plants basically the whole way -- in shorts. I'd seen a snake before while hiking and that didn't make me feel any better. It was pretty terrible, but going back didn't look any better. I gritted my teeth and told myself that I had to keep going. I made it to the top, but my legs were pretty scratched up and the palms of my hands got it too but not as badly.
The view was tremendous. I took a few pictures while I waited for Mary Jane and Nick to join me. They had found the path, and I was glad it was there for the trip down. We had to walk to the town square to find a taxi that would take us back to Iraklion. It seemed like all eyes were on us as if we were from another planet. I also noticed that the cafes were filled with men just hanging out. The only women I saw seemed to be serving the men. I stayed in the taxi which took me back to the Hard Rock Cafe in Hersonissou and then brought me home. I ran into the cafe only to find out that they were out of Hurricane glasses -- Ugh! I settled for a black T-shirt and left. I did, however, get a great view of the sun setting on my way back into Iraklion.
Tae had rented a car today and spent time at a far off beach. He couldn't get enough of the Greek beaches, and he very much valued being on his own and free. After another swordfish dinner, Luz, Tae, Anne, Erin and I went cafe hopping. We went to three in all (actually Tae left us after the first one to get to bed by 1:00). The last one was back at the off the beaten path square. We met Kostas' sister Evi there and struck up a conversation. She goes to school in New York. We went to Trapeza again. The cover was 1200 or 1500 drachma, but that included your first drink -- I had ouzo. The music wasn't as good this night, and it was mostly guys again, but with Luz there I had a steady dance partner. Kostas and Vitas were there a swell. Kostas introduced me to a girl named Peggy who as it turned out is from Chicago. She's going into her 4th year in biology/pre-med at UIC. She had been visiting in Crete for about a month and a half. Although she was born in the US, she had returned at the age of 10 and then gone back to the US when she was 16. We talked a bit, but she was with friends and had to go. We exchanged addresses and phone numbers before saying goodbye.
Anne and Erin were surrounded by guys again. Evi was there as well. Luz and I joined her and talked about politics and the differences between our cultures. I walked Luz back to the hotel and came back the club. Even the Greek guys were getting tired. One said almost pleadingly, 'It's time to go home.' The girls wanted to know if there were any other places still open. This time when we got back, it was getting light. There was no point in going to bed.
|
SANTORINI (THERA): KAMARI, FIRA
|
I felt pretty good at breakfast. Nick looked tired. He said the girls looked like they were in bad shape, and when others commented about him, he gave climbing the mountain yesterday as an excuse. I said I climbed the same mountain, and he came back with, 'Yeah, but there's something wrong with you.' I asked him if he'd gone anywhere last night. He said he just went to bed. I told him we just went the bank and asked where the bed (meaning dance club) was located. We got a good laugh out of that one. You had to be there.
Our ferry was late, so we went to see a service at the Church of St. Titus. It was interesting. I wrote postcards from the roof of our hotel as we looked into the sea for the ferry. When we saw a white dot, Nick had us take taxis to the port where we had to wait a little longer. The ferry trip took about 4 hours and was extremely windy. I managed to take a little nap on board sprawling out across a couple of seats. I woke Nick up for the arrival. It was fabulous. Santorini (named after St. Irene) is what's left after a volcano that erupted violently in 1450 B.C. The island is in the shape of a crescent and has a still semi-active caldera in the center that can be visited by boat for those wishing to swim in hot springs and inhaling sulfuric gases. The views were extremely beautiful.
At the port we were greeted by a throng of people trying to get us to stay at their hotels or homes. We took a bus to the Hotel Litsa, a block from the black sand beach at Kamari. The pebbles were more on the grey side, but walking on them with unprotected feet was unbearable. We ate at a traditional taverna before a bus took us to the main town of Fira. Santorini is covered with plenty of blue and white houses, giving Fira a kind of Magic Kingdom look to it. There were shops everywhere open very late, giving the place a commercial feel to it. I cynically said they could advertise the town with the phrase, 'Come for the view, stay for the shopping.' It was undeniably beautiful though. I bought a Santorini T-shirt. Nick, Mary Jane, Audrey and I avoided the cable cars and hiked down to the marina where we had drinks. The path is used by donkeys, so we had to watch where we stepped. I had some iced coffee again.
We had met up with Janet earlier. She gave me a piece of rose quartz she had bought. At some point during the trip I had told her that when I was in New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year, a fortune teller told me that I would meet my soul mate this year and that I could help attract her by carrying some rose quartz. I was touched by her thoughfulness and at remembering such a thing.
We listened to some traditional live music on our way up. There were a lot of couples around being quite the romantic spot. We ended up taking a taxi home because we missed the bus at 12:30 or so. However, the island is small enough that I could have jogged the 6 or so miles home. The water was off when we got back and Tae was out with the key -- this was the only time we were supposed to carry our keys with us in Greece. The faucet water tasted a little salty but was okay to drink. I heard they use some kind of reverse osmosis process to get their water. Anyway, we walked around the beach. Tae met up with us, and we went to a beachside cafe where I had some ice cream.
|
FIRA, KAMARI, PYRGOS, OIA
|
Tae went beach hopping today. I got up at 9:30 and joined Audrey and Mary Jane on a bus trip to Fira. Bus fare was 190 drachma one way. We walked around. I took some pictures. We visited the Catholic Church and Monastery of St. Catherine and had lunch at a cafe with a spectacular view where they were playing Yanni -- very cool. After we got back, I spent a couple of hours on the black sand beach, swam some, talked a little with a topless girl and got too much sun. I was starting to feel a little lightheaded by the time I got up for another bus excursion at 4:30. The sun was so strong and the beach so hot that you would wince if your elbow strayed off of your towel.
Nick took Erin to the local pharmacy to get something for canker sores. You can get all kinds of drugs more easily in Greece without a prescription. While she was crossing the street no less than three guys on motorcycles or scooters asked her if she wanted a ride. I decided that if there is such a thing as reincarnation, I would like to come back as a blonde female.
We had dinner at the local taverna before going sightseeing. The views of the island from the bus were outstanding. We visited Pyrgos and went up to Monastiri where we had to watch where we pointed our cameras because pictures of the military installation up there were prohibited. Because of the dryness of the climate, there are many vineyards on the island and throughout Greece. We then made it in time for sunset at Oia where people come out and sit on the tops of houses to get a good view. It was beautiful but also a little too hazy. There were many couples around. After walking around town for a while and getting some ice cream, we came home. Tae and I joined Janet, Luz and Audrey for ice cream. Luz and I were the last ones left, so we spent time talking and people watching. |
|
| Copyright © - "Mark Nowak" |
|
 |
| Other travelogues by the same author: |
|
|
|
