Tsipouro!

After two full weeks enjoying and meandering my way down the coasts of Italy I had had my fıll of pizza pasta, and gelato and was ready to make a hop, skip, and jump from Italia over to Greece.  As a frınge benifit of having my Eurail Pass (which I used for train traveling around Europe) the ferry from the port town of Bari, Italy to Patras, Athens was free.  But though free in cost, it was not so in time!  After a long 2 days and a walk, bus, ferry, train, transfer train, ferry, bus, train, metro, sleep, taxi, ferry, and van ride I found myself exhausted but contently eating yougurt filled pita wraps on Santorini in the Greek Isles! 

Santorini is one of the more well known islands and famous for its architecture, sunsets, and volcano.  Though heavily trodden my tourists during the peak summer months it is now the start of the off season and consequently less crowded.  In fact, it was nearly dead!  The people take full advantage of the peak months by working non-stop without a day off for 7 months straight... then close up shop and move off the island or chill out the other 5 months a year.  Arriving during the transition afforded me a smoking deal on the cost of my accomodations (10 Euro per night), activities & food, and gave me the opportunity to relax and reflect on my last 3 months away from home and travels throughout Western Europe.

Originally planning on spending just a couple days on Santorini and island hoping to another locale before heading to Athens I stayed put and spent 5 days exploring all the nooks and crannies of the area:  On day one I hired an ATV 4-Wheeler and drove all over the island from coast-to-coast, shore-to-peak, and end-to-end getting a bearing on the place and mapping out places to explore further in the days after.  Trekking to the ancient city ruins of Thia, taking in the sunset view from Oia, naps on the black sand beaches of Perissa, and eating Pitas was how I passed the time!

My last day included a short boat trip and tour of the sunken volcano crater, a swim in the salt water Hot Springs, a donkey ride up the adjacent island of Therasia, and a near death experience with the driver back to my accomodations from the boat port!  Along the way I met my first fellow Hawaiian travelers (Royce from Oahu and a honeymoon couple from Waimea), a Canadian girl (named Jenny), and two students from Pennsylvania on exchange in Greece (Lauren and Larissa).  We were travel buddies for the day and scored sunny skies, excellent Gelato, and each others company :)

Back in Athens it was time to see the Acropolis and celebrate my BIG 30th with some familiar faces from home (Kanoa & Sonya Chung)!  The Chungs had been on a visit to the Holy Land of Israel and, though I had hoped to rendezvous wıth them there (did not coordinate with my schedule), we caught up in Athens.  Admiring the Acropolis, visiting the ruined Temple of Zeus, and accompanying them on their hunt for authentic Greek sandals made for a great couple days.  We shared some excellent meals and the one in particular on my birthday evening at Gods Restaurant (I ate here three nights in a row after getting a suggestion from a local and making friends with the staff) will be well remembered - birthday bonuses included chocolate cake and a round of glasses of Tsipouro (it will put hair on your chest let me tell you!).

After getting my hands Greecie it was on the road again... and the beginning of the transitiıon from the Western part of the world to the Eastern via Turkey!!!