11 hour ferry rides.

I am becoming quite good at passing time while staying in objects which transport people from A to B in fashionably long stretches -- 40 hour train rides in India, 10 hour overnight buses in South America, and now, 11 hour ferry rides through the Greek Islands...ahh a true appreciation for the term "slow boat" I now have. The views from the ferry were at first quite nice. But I quickly realized the sea and islands on the horizon don't change much from sun up to sun down (literally). Nevertheless, the ferry was a unique experience.

We were told to arrive and board early so we could have a bench to ourselves, and that was a great piece of advice. Instead of sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair, or the ground, we had a nice long bench for two people. At first, I thought we were being greedy - but then I looked around and quickly realized most of these benches were occupied by only one traveller, also stretched out in various prone positions. In fact, the whole ferry was covered with backpackers who had laid out their sleeping pads and bags and were covering up every square meter of ferry deck. Walking around reminded me of some type of sleep away camp where you're all in a room together, and carefel not to step on anyone when you wake up to use the toilet at 3 am...ahhh the memories I will cherish...

So, 11 hours later we disembarked on the popular (understatement) island of Santorini. It took two different bus rides to finally reach our hostel in Oia (pronounced ee-AH) on the northern tip of the island, which we did just in time for sunset. Ok, so maybe this journey was worth it. Our hostel had a balcony and terrace over looking the incredibly blue sea and faces west for an uninterrupted view of the breathtaking free "show" each night.

Our first day we took a day trip to a close island nearby to hike an active volcanoe, and swim in the sulfuric hot springs. Since there was no dock we just dove right off the boat into the ocean which was pretty cool. The second day we rented an ATV and drove around the island, stopping at various black sand beaches and wineries, all of which seemed to have a better view than the last. We opted for the cheaper and thus less powerful model -- only a mistake on the uphill parts (did I mention Santorini's topography is the Greek San Fransisco?). Comical at times, we putzed along to our, and at times others, thorough amusement. Indeed, these last few days of the trip were filled with many hours doing nothing, relaxing, and reading on beaches, boats, and cafes overlooking prestine views -- not a bad way to end a month long excursion across the pond.

Tomorrow we'll fly to Rome, and there catch a flight the following day to Chicago before finally coming home to MSP. Then, it's back to school for classes and two new sets of impressionable minds to convince statistics is the coolest thing ever! Ugh...sacreligious to even say the word!

CM