For our last day in Santorini we really weren’t sure what to do. Checkout at 10am and our ferry at 5:20pm left us with a big chunk of time, and we couldn’t visit a beach or hike or anything because we wouldn’t have a shower to clean up in afterward (and in this heat you need a shower). We decided to spend our time further exploring Oia.
Silly picture of the gorgeous view
The evil eye
Those iconic blue dones
We hiked into town and to take more pictures and explore more of the shops. Our favorites were a jewelry shop that used old plastic water bottles to display the jewelry, and the famous Atlantis Bookstore. We had read about this adorable store somewhere months ago and the selection was way better then I expected. We also had fun watching elaborately dressed brides & grooms getting their wedding photos taken in town; apparently this is a major wedding destination for wealthy Chinese couples.
For lunch we hiked down the cliffsides to the tiny harbor of Ammoudi. The walk was steep but fun, until we started having to dodge donkey dung every few steps. I explained to the girls that some people ride donkeys back up the cliffs, but that the donkeys were unfortunately mistreated so we would not be doing that. Then we came across the poor donkeys, and they were even more pitiful than I had described. Their muzzles were tight and made of rusted metal, and they had open sores all over their bodies. It was horrible, and the girls and I were sick for the poor animals. Then the path narrowed, and we had no option but to walk behind the donkeys with only a few inches of clearance from their back legs. My pity turned to terror at the image of the donkeys kicking one of the girls on the head, so Zach and I shielded them with out bodies and shuffled through as quickly as we could. I vowed we would not come back this way, but would take a taxi up had been recommended to us earlier.
The port was cute and breezy, and we ate at a seafood restaurant and greatly enjoyed the local fava beans.
Fresh octopus
More Ammoudi views
The port of Ammoudi
Then we attempted to hike to a nearby swimming cove but the rocky ledge proved too harrowing for us, so we turned back. It didn’t help that all morning I had felt kind of queasy, and had already had to take Tylenol for a nagging headache. Zach recommended I take a Dramamine to help settle my stomach in advance of our ferry ride, so I popped one and we headed to the parking area to catch a taxi back to Oia. But…no taxis. We saw what may have been another parking lot for buses up ahead, so started walking up the switchbacks to find…no buses. With few options available, we ended up walking the whole way back up the cliff on the road in the boiling sun. It was pretty horrible. Thankfully the girls were good sports, and we treated them (and us) to slushies at the top.
We finally returned to our apartment to say goodbye to our wonderful hosts and catch our transfer to port. By this time, my Dramamine had kicked in and at the port I could hardly keep my eyes open. When we found out our ferry was going to be about an hour late I drained a freddo cappuccino to keep awake (the drink of choice around here…we had pictured frappuccinos but it’s more like strong Greek iced coffee with a foamy-meringe topping. The unsweetened version is growing on me). It is a very good thing I did, as you will soon see.
Goofing around at port
The crazy crowd boarding the ferry to Crete
Traveling in style
Our boat ride was actually wonderful thanks to a big, beautiful boat that felt more like a cruise ship than a ferry. Not a sign of seasickness, even for D! But we arrived in Heraklion on the island of Crete at about 8pm having not eaten and with a 2 hour drive ahead of us to get to our family’s Villa in Chania. No problem, I thought, the local car rental company I had found got great reviews and was meeting us at the port, so we should be on our way in no time, right? Boy, was I wrong. It took them an hour to check in the two families ahead of us while the girls were falling asleep in the parking lot, and then we discovered they did not bring the car seat I had asked for and the gps was broken. With no apologies the owner told us we didn’t need the car seat and D would be fine in a booster, and to follow them by car back to the office where he would get us a new gps charger. I was too tired and stressed to argue, and he failed to mention that in traffic this was 20 minutes away in the wrong direction. If he’d told us we could have grabbed food while he got it for us, but no. THEN Zach looked at the gas gauge and it was nearly empty. Again, no apologies, but he said yeah, you’ll have to fill that up right away. When we were finally on our way it was 10pm, the girls were passed out in the back, we we’re hungry and tired, and we had to drive for two hours on pitch black roads with switchbacks and crazy drivers to get to our destination. But we made it, and we are alive. Whew.
Traveling Together 