This morning started off a bit differently from what I'd originally imagined. We were supposed to take a boat to the Caldera, but it's now been postponed to tomorrow morning.
So, rather than let a wonderful day in Santorini go to waste, Maggie and I decided to rent an ATV (only 20 Euros for 24 hours!) and explore the island. We'd heard of some great black and red sand beaches on Santorini, so we were determined to find them, go swimming, and try out Maggie's new snorkeling gear she bought in Athens.
Our first destination was the beach of Karami, which is supposed to be one of the best on Santorini for its black sand beach (plus some nudist beach close by). Driving around on the ATV was awesome! Probably the best decision we've made here so far. Maggie drove; she's done it before, so I was fine with sitting behind and just taking pictures since that's what I do best.
On our drive, we discovered what Taso had already been telling us--that Santorini is wine country. Tons of vineyards all around, up and down the mountain, and all along the coast.
We finally found our way to Karami (it wasn't all that far), and it was already quite packed. There were plenty of people around and, yup, we found the nudist beach. We did not join in though.
The black sand was really just fine black stones and was already quite hot from the afternoon sun. As soon as we could, we jumped right into the water. Cold! Snorkeling was fun though. Since I'm such a sad swimmer and kept getting the breathing tube thing underwater, Maggie, the fantastic lifeguard she is, kept me afloat in the deeper water.
I'm quite bummed that my underwater camera broke (not to mention, I've also lost my camera-to-computer USB cord and one of my two adapters...in three previous trips to Europe combined, all I've ever lost is my medical bracelet, which I have already replaced...blah). There were some beautiful fish underwater. All colorful and swimming around in schools. Plus the water is so clear and blue with the snorkeling gear.
After a quick swim, we wanted to see the red sand beaches too, so we packed up and jumped on the ATV again to head even further south on the island to Red Beach, near the archaeological site of Akrotiri. I had wanted to go to Akrotiri, but it was 8 Euros, and I really didn't feel like paying that much just for a few minutes.
The drive was fun, and we definitely saw much more of Santorini than we would have seen if we'd just taken a bus. More vineyards and stunning views of the Caldera. I had a little fun being artistic with Maggie's camera too.
After a few detours and U-turns, we finally found Red Beach, which required a short little hike along the cliffs to get there. Once we arrived though, it was definitely worth the trip to not only go swimming and snorkeling but also staring in awe at the red volcanic rock and the red cliff side.
We decided to go swimming in the less populated beach. Great idea, since there were some rocks nearby that looked like a great spot for snorkeling. Sadly, Maggie's goggles couldn't handle the whole day and the strap snapped at some point, so I had to go snorkeling with one hand holding the goggles.
The snorkeling here was fantastic! I saw some of the blueish and yellowish fish here, and they were much bigger than the ones at Kamari. However, the water here was also rougher with waves crashing in and plenty of sharp rocks around. I got too close to some of the larger rocks, which were both slippery and rough at the same time, and as one wave crashed in, it smashed my back against one of the rocks. Ouch! Standing up after that hurt quite a bit...as you can see...
I always seem to get hurt swimming. Oh well, it was fun. We decided to head back after that and drive around on the island. The trek back up the cliff was a bit of exercise, but all part of the fun experience.
The drive back was exhilarating as the other drives with the nice cool breeze blowing in our faces as we passed other ATVs and mopeds by, occasionally allowing a car to drive pass if they wanted to. I found more ways to take creative shots with our shadows, which was amusing for a while as well.
We made it home, and we headed straight into the showers since we had to leave in 30 minutes for our group meeting. Nice to clean up after a long day of fun outdoors.
We had our group meeting and then dinner at a fabulous restaurant overlooking the Caldera. This time was much better than last night--no smelly donkeys, better tasting food, and at least in my opinion, nicer music. The sunset though was amazing as usual.
After dinner, we had our seminar that Jordan and I lead on "Democracy in Irons." Quite an interesting discussion on the meaning of democracy and people's duty within a democracy. Nice to have the discussion by the pool. Everything was turning moist because of incoming fog, but it was still comfortable.
We finished our discussion, and then Maggie and I decided to head towards the town of Oia, which is supposed to be the nicest town on Santorini. It's the place you always see in pictures of Santorini with the blue domed church and white buildings overlooking the Caldera. Except when we went, it was quite dark with very little going on.
The ride was fun--fairly dark with an almost full moon shining overhead and a breezy wind blowing in our faces as we turned one curve after another. Six miles or so later, we were driving through the foggy streets of Oia in search of something interesting to do. We finally found something somewhat interesting in the Bay of Ammoudi, which reminded me of a little pirates' cove.
It was quite humid, but the smell of fresh seafood grilling on open fires was quite intoxicating. Yummy! Except I'm allergic to all the shellfish...sad.
A short while later, we were back on the ATV and headed back towards our hotel, but not before a stop at Goody's, a fast food place with burgers and pasta. I was still hungry, so I got a burger with fries and a Coke. I'm not even going to tell you how much it was in dollars...but it was tasty. : )
Anyway, now we're back at the hotel, and my back is still quite sore. It's swelled up a bit since I hit the rock. Hopefully, it feels better tomorrow. Perhaps the hot springs on the Caldera will help.
We hop on a boat to the Caldera tomorrow morning, check out the island, and then head back to the hotel to grab our stuff and head for the port to take a ferry to Naxos. Should be in Naxos by 7 pm tomorrow. Our last Greek excursion is quickly coming to an end sadly, so I'll continue enjoying it as much as I can.
Toodles,
Sam
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