Where: Santorini, Greece
Date: July 26, 2007
With: Rachel, Lucy, and the Contiki crew
Santorini was such a bittersweet place on our cruise itinerary. It was the last stop on the boat and where our new, tightly knit group of friends would sadly start to break apart. Some of us would be getting off the ship and staying on the island for a few days, while the rest of us would sail back to Athens to return to our various corners of the world. We were feeling as blue as the waters below us as we crossed the Aegean from Crete knowing that we were about to embark on our last adventure together. However, the sadness soon melted away to excitement as Santorini began to show up on the horizon.
The view was incredibly surreal. The "island" of Santorini is actually the remnants of an old volcano. A very long time ago, half the rim of the volcano crumbled into the ocean and the caldera filled with water. Therefore, the "island" is really just the rim that remains standing. The bright white buildings that make up its towns are balanced precariously on top of the cliffs. It's quite a sight to see from a distance, as it looks more like snow-capped mountains than a village on a volcano.
The excursion most of us had chosen to take in Santorini was aboard a pirate ship to explore the tiny islands and volcanos around the rim of the caldera. Obviously, mention the word "pirate" and I'm totally in.
The tiny islands were as you would expect from volcanic terrain: very rocky, a bit ashy, and most of all, hot! We got to hike up a couple of the islands, and it was toasty!
However, the views were so unique and beautiful. I could almost connect the islands into what was once a massive volcano.
Thankfully, after our volcano hike, the ship took us into a cove where we could cool off by jumping overboard. The main draw of this section of rocks was the volcanic mud that covered the shallow floor. We were encouraged to slather ourselves in this mineral-rich sludge and enjoy a spa-like experience.
There was a little white church next to our cove that made the views even prettier. And as we all slathered ourselves in mud, I looked around at this surreal view and reflected back on this trip and all that I had done. I almost forgot I had a life back home. There were coworkers currently sat in the office, working away on their computers, and next week, I'd be doing the same. It was definitely my ah-ha moment of how amazing traveling is that it can completely transport you away from all that is normal. It's so rejuvenating.
After all that pontificating, I snapped back into the moment and we were back on the boat. We dried off and enjoyed the cool breeze and Santorini views as we sailed back to mainland.
So happy we took this trip.
Obviously, we also acted like pirates the whole way.
Oh, and those views.
One last dried off photo on the pirate ship.
The pirate ship took us around to a part of the island where a small dock was built. There, a bus was waiting to take us up the steep cliffs to the top so we could mill about the town a bit.
While our bus was climbing, our tour guide, Linda, pointed out a cordoned off section of water back down in the caldera. Throughout the trip, she had alluded to a tour she had led where they had a little "snafu" in Santorini. Now that we were safely on shore, she was comfortable telling us the story.
Only three months earlier, one of the sister cruise ships to ours, the MS Sea Diamond, was pulling into Santorini, just as we had, when a random stalagmite in the caldera scraped the bottom of the ship. The ship immediately began to take on water and everyone was evacuated. Linda was leading a Contiki tour that had to climb the cliffs of Santorini in the dark as their ship sank to the bottom of the volcano. Sadly, a French father and daughter who were on the bottom deck got vacuum pressured into their room and were never found. The ship, and everyone's belongings, remains at the bottom of the Santorini caldera. Authorities were still trying to figure out how to siphon the remaining fuel out, and as such, had cordoned off the area. In memory of the MS Sea Diamond, our ship served a cocktail named after it...?
Anyway, we were glad to hear the story while our feet were safely on land, but it was wild our tour guide had been through that ordeal, and only a couple months prior. Here's the wikipedia article on the ship, and a photo of the ship going down.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Sea_Diamond
I did say we had a bittersweet experience in Santorini. So now back to the lighter side. We were dropped off in the main town of Fira. It was absolutely stunning. The only sad part here was how little time we were able to spend. As the sun set over the water, it couldn't have been a more perfect ending to our trip.
All the cruise ships milling about in the caldera below.
The rest of the town along the rim.
Some final group shots, although we were already down a couple people. Aww.
But once again, the sad moments quickly dissipated when we looked straight down, and asked the question "how do we get back to our ship?"
Excellent question. And here is the answer:
Yes, that's right. The only way down this part of the cliffs to the water is by donkey. And what an experience it was. These guys are latched together in groups of 5-7 and smacked on the behinds to get moving. They know the way almost too well, as they don't listen to anyone and just keep moving. The old, Greek men that lead the way are equally well-seasoned and continue down the mountain with the same resolve.
The way down is a series of switchbacks along the side of the cliff, so the view over the edge of the trail is not for the faint of heart. (You can just make out the zigzags of the switchbacks in this photo). Also, for added adventure and excitement, there were people walking UP the mountain as we were going down. All we could do is yell "get out of the way", apologize, and hope no one was thrown over the side as our donkeys barreled through the crowds.
Melanie and I terrified, but we survived!
As we got back on the ship, down a couple of companions and a little bummed for it, our tour guide knew just the trick to liven things up. What would Greece be like without a toga party??
Not sure if this was ship sanctioned, but it definitely took our mind off things to party the last night away dressed in togas.
As the remaining male left in our little group, Marc definitely played up the "Greek god" role in his toga.
Our wonderful tour guide Linda, who knew how to tie a mean toga and made this trip so easy and unforgettable. I wanted a Linda to take home and help me with life everyday.
Shenanigans ensued well into the night.
Enjoying a drink like Dionysus would have wanted.
To say this was one of the best trips of my life would be an understatement. There aren't really words that sum it up. So I'll say this: this trip showed me how easy it is to travel, how fun it is to meet people from all over the world, and set me on a path where travel has become an inextricable a part of my life. And even if it's another 20 years before I reach Australia, I know I'll be able to contact Mel or one of the other Aussies and it will be just like old times.
The only consolation prize on the trip home was the release of the last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We thankfully found an English version in the airport and used this to make the flight back a little less painful.
I would easily go back to Greece again. Maybe everyone will be up for a reunion trip one day?
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