Dave’s shirt lol~

Before our nearly five week stint in Santorini,  we had been feeling really confident about our traveling progression, thinking, yea now we’ve got the hang of this. So the 12am overnight ferry to Rodos was how we decided to put ourselves back into traveler mode and get the ball rolling.  We bought deck class meaning no assigned or actual seat, but ended up crashing in some reserved area. We didn´t even have to be sneaky about it since the ferry was so large and crew members can`t be bothered to check everyone’s tickets. We played it cool and passed out with garments (jacket for me, tech blanket for chels) over our heads just in case, figuring no one would wake us with our invisible cloaks on. Our theory proved correct and we both dozed off to la la land for about four and a half hours until the Ferry docked in Rodos.

Rodos (Rhodes)

Rodos is one of the largest islands in Greece and its main attraction is the old mid-evil city. A massive castle runs the length of the modern port and boasts some impressive sights. The remains have been well preserved thanks to large donations from the EU for the restoration. The old city is walkable and can be done within a few hours as long as you take a few breaks in the shade. After we walked in and around the city we found a nice little cafe with free internet and chilled out till it was time for our ferry.

Ferry service from Rodos to Marmaris Turkey runs twice a day and the cost is alarmingly disproportional compared with the prices from island to island. On top of that we payed a `Port Tax´ then had to buy a Turkish Visa.

Turkish tea!

Any negative feelings we had towards the costs were quickly turned around by the positive energy flowing from Marmaris. We had only planned on being here a few hours and catching the overnight bus to Antalya but decided we liked what we saw and checked into the Maltepe Pensyion. The owner was super friendly and before even discussing if we needed a room he was bringing us in to see his walrus cat. No exaggeration folks, the thing is bloody Massive! After wowing us with jaba the cat he made us some delicious apple (tea) and encouraged our overuse of the free internet… needless to say we liked the guy and the place .. and orca cat.

Second largest cat in Europe!

So after 4 weeks…we were still at Perissa Beach in Santorini…couldn’t seem to get away because now we had made all these great friends to hang out with and have drinks with! He had our favorite hang-our spots…Yazz when we went to the beach – and then mostly Atlas to eat and drink….occasionally we would make it to Beach Bar late night! We were starting to feel like locals!

Our quad!

With that said, we did finally get a chance to go out and explore the island…so some of the tourist things! On one of my mornings off, Brad and I rented a quad and went all the way to Oia at the other end of the island! It was really really nice, with a paved side walk where no cars (or quads) can drive, which makes it sooo much better!

The view in Oia!

It was filled with lots of little shops, which we did our best to avoid! But there were breathtaking views, and apparently Oia is famous for its sunset! Unfortunately, i had to get back to work, so we had to skip that! We headed to Fira, the capital, where we had a disappointing lunch, and were actually pretty disappointed with the town.

Red Beach!

We got out of there quick enough to find our way to the Red Beach! Some people said it wasn’t worth it, but Brad and I loved it. Maybe part of the reason for me was that there were lots of rocks to climb around and it felt adventurous! But i think it deserves the name! The sand itself it not actually red…it is black…but there are red pebbles everywhere and then of course, the red cliffs stand out so much! Apparently there is a white beach too that is only accessible by boat or by making an hour-plus swim! We really wanted to try it, but didn’t have time!

Relaxing at Red Beach

Eventually the day came around for my last night of work, and we decided to make it a big party! The Raki was flowing, and everyone showed up to party with us so i was really excited…then these white t-shirts were broken out that everyone signed for us! It was the best souvenir i could have asked for! Love gestures ike that! Eventually people started leaving, but it was hilarious….when brad and I left, we ran into 3 different groups of people at 3 different late-night food spots! They have these 24-hour bakeries here that serve little pizzas and ham-cheese pastries they warm up for you….the BEST after a night of drinking! But it was funny that we all had the same thoughts when we left without saying anything to each other!

Last night partying!

Our signed tees!

With 2 days left in Santorini and no work, Brad and I decided to rent a quad again and do the sunset thing in Oia! First we stopped in Kamari, which is similar to Perissa Beach….lots of restaurants and shops…very tourist driven. Dave (my boss at Atlas) has a t-shirt shop there, and we got Brad a shirt that says island boy. On the back its really cool though.

“…I guess its the sea…and the sun…you know when you can just hump in the water…dive in…and leave the streets and chaos of the city life behind…down there…just let is drown…the freedom of life…when you can do anything…climb the mountain…bump around the island…or just cruise in the caldera on a boat…yeah…that’s LIFE…that’s what REAL LIFE is all about!!!”

Love! After Kamari we drove to Oia to meet Hannah and Rachael aka “the Beach Bar girls” aka ” The flyhoes” at their parents AMAZING place on the cliffs with the most amazing view!! We had a couple drinks with them and chatted with Rachaels parents before heading out to see the sunset!

Rach and Han!

The sunset in Oia is a funny thing. EVERYBODY is lined up on the walls and house tops and stairs to see this sunset that may or may not be extraordinary! It happened to be a clear night and very beautiful…but honestly i don’t know if its the best i will ever see. I think with a few clouds it would be nice as it would turn them all different colors. Nevertheless, it was still a nice evening shared over a bottle of white and salt n vinegar pringles! hahah. As soon as the sun is below the horizon, everybody breaks out in applause! Its pretty funny!

Sunset is Oia!

We had the quads for 24 hours so the next morning went back to the Red Beach with Drew and Dan. We spent a lot more time in the water this time and swam out to some of the rocks in the middle of the water. The water seems to be significantly warmer at the red beach than the black beach and i had a much easier time getting in! We all took turns diving off the rock and chatting before we left to explore more of the island.

Diving!

That night our plan was to leave on the midnight ferry but we were invited to the outdoor cinema to see Robin Hood with Rachael and Hannah, who then offered to give us a ride to the port….but we found out we wouldn’t make it in time, so switched out our ticket for Thursday night! The American crew from Seattle (Drew, Dan, Ashley, Brooke) offered to let us crash in their extra room for the extra couple nights! THANK YOU! We seemed to just not be able t leave the island ahh!!

The outdoor cinema was really really cool! Very laid back vibe, surrounded by trees, with a bar and snacks! Drew and Dan met us all there so we had a good crew! We also snuck in our own wine, and i am so embarrassed about this, but after 2 glasses…i FELL ASLEEP for the end of the movie!!! Im already turning into my Mum!! Ahh!! I’m positive it was me crashing after working day and night and going out afterwards…my usual reaction! I push it out til the end, but then i need to crash! Haha but the whole reason for staying was so we could “see the end of the movie”!! Oh well!

Outdoor cinema!

A Our next few days were spent relaxing on the beach, taking in our last moments at Perissa…the little town we have come to love so dearly! I gave in and finally got an AMAZING cocktail on the beach at Yazz (8 euros) but worth every penny!! We tried the food i have been dying to try at Atlas that i always served people….and had one more easy night out with the friends! It was a bittersweet goodbye, but we made sure to let everyone know how happy we were to meet them, so left some postcards with goodbyes on them! Confident though…that we will see each other again through out travels!

My tropical delight!

Goooodbye Perissa….we will miss ya!! (and everyone we met there too!)

We found a hostel…Hotel Zeus, and made our way out to see the Acropolis at night! We knew immediately when we were close because all of a sudden, there was outdoor cafe after cafe and music and tourist shops everywhere! We got our first gyro and WOW it was incredible!!! Way too good….and way to hard to resist! After dinner we started our way up the hill to see the Acropolis…unfortunately it was closed off at some point, but it looked nice all lit up!

The Acropolis by night!

On our walk back to the hostel, we only knew one way to go, but it was a BAD way! As if we crossed an imaginary line and without warning, we went from the nice cafe area to the slums. The music was gone, it was dark, there was trash everywhere, and tons of people sitting around on the streets. We were still with Zlatan, so even with 2 guys by my side, we were all quite scared. We tried to get out of it, but every corner we turned gave us a worse result. At one point…we looked ahead and said we are NOT going that way, so cut through a building when a mob of them came around the corner …im clutching my bag for dear life and walking as fast as i can. One of the locals says so us…”GO…before they come for you” or something to that effect and it scared the daylights out of us. We start almost running … passed some prostitutes..when poof…our hostel is right there…in the worst part of town! It was safe inside though and i sighed with relief when we got inside! There were a couple girls in there using the computers and immediately said “You went left didn’t you..we made the same mistake last night”….Thanks for the warning reception man!!

The huge ferry over!

The next morning Brad and i parted ways with Zlatan and even though a bit disappointed to leave without seeing the Acropolis…mostly happy to leave Ath
ens! We hopped on a ferry to Santorini, and being 14 hours, decided to take a nice nap on the benches…broke out our mats and everything! Then we spent the rest of our time playing Rummikub and reading our crazy book about junkies in Dublin!