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BEWARE THIS IS A LONG ENTRY!!
I walked to the train station with my new Australian friend and arrived around 4am. She was going to a different airport than me (Ryan air and I was easyjet) so we said our goodbyes and I waited for the bus.
I got into the airport and the line was huge. Lucky I was so early. My flight was at 7 and there were 12 flights before it all easyjet. Rome, Malaga, London, Mykonos, Budapest, Dubrovnik the list goes on. I love easyjet I think they will be the only reason I'll be able to travel over the next 2 years.
I went thought security and had so much in my pockets/ wrists I had to keep going through (note this important part of the story so just wait). Then I went into duty free to try and find some sunglasses, still no luck. I wish I bought a really nice pair of ray bans I saw in Cannes dammit. I tried to buy paprika Pringles and a water but only had €3 or a €50 note and they had no change and it came to €3.10 tried to pay card but my pin didn't work so ditched the pringles and continued.
I had been so distracted that I did not notice I wasnt actually carrying my country road carry on bag until I was in the line to board!! I RAN back and in the corner of my eye spotted it in security (so I had never picked it up off the conveyor belt-- that's for you mum, dad and James. Losers). Thank god i didn't realise once I had boarded. I am hopeless and obviously don't function well on 3 hrs of sleep. The flight was fine I slept the whole way. It was only 2 1/2 hrs I thought it was 4 and woke up as we were going over Santorini.
My hostel was meant to be picking me up, this had been organised days before. I waited and waited but no one came. So I called he said to wait 5 more mins and would be there. I waited 30 mins cos I didn't want to sound like a brat ( first error) then they told me to just get on the bus and it was really easy from there (NO IT IS SOOOO NOT)
So I got on the stupid bus 40 mins after my plane had landed and then got off at the stop she said. The driver told me just walk straight and keep going until you see it. And so I did. Until I was in the middle of nowhere, my bags wheels looked like they had been grated and I sweating like a Betty. Then an old Greek man pulled over and said where are you going dear there is nothing down here (correct wise old man). So I called them and they were like ohhh you've gone way past it turn around and come back up. I was like seriously that will take me an hour im so far down the hill. Silence.
I stood feeling very sorry for myself, and then finally decided I had to do it at some stage so I sobbed and dragged my bag up the hill what took me 30mins to get down took me at least an hour to get up. It was like basically vertical with no shade, no nothing. Finally got in and had decided I wasn't staying there. Not only had they completely screwed me around they and never offered to pick me up but it was 15 mins drive to thira and the town itself was ugly and in the middle of nowhere.
I got in and told them what I thought, they made me pay €58 (for the 3 nights) and I said whatever give me the wifi password I'm booking another hotel.
I just grabbed the first hotel out of the lonely planet guide, booked on bookings.com and called them. The owners daughter has lived here her whole life and had never heard of the hostel I was at and couldn't find the address anywhere. So she said to walk to the main square and she'll meet me there (note: she is so so nice, she did not need to pick me up at all and never even asked for money). I lugged my stuff even further up the hill and as I got to the square she pulled in with a big smile on her face. I hugged her I was so happy. My knight in shining armour. She is really cool and let me have my choice of rooms and told me where to have lunch and organised a quad bike for me. Amazing.
I showered and went and had a yiros for lunch sooo yummy and €2!!! Finally I might make my budget. Wandered through beautiful thira, saw a place where the fish eat the dead skin off your feet. Claire said she had done it just the other day so I thought why not! Bizarre feeling but not that tickleish. Then i went back and got my quad bike.
I was a bit nervous on the quad at the start but got the hang of it quickly and was even over taking slow people by the end. I drove to Perissa beach which has black sand (bottled some) and laid around for a few hours.
Around 7 I went back to the hotel showered and came out at sunset (whoops) but still saw most of it. Beautiful. The colour was not as good as Adelaide's can be but it's the white houses and the cliffs that make it so stunning. I will go to Oia on time tm night and watch it fully.
I had chicken skewers with chips and Greek salad for dinner only €9.50 yum then looked at all the beautiful stores and even watched a whole line of donkeys walk by. There are also a lot of dogs who I feel sorry for ( gave one my left over chicken skewer). A particular group sat in the same spot all night so im going to see if they are there tm night. On my way home I found baklava so I had to have it! Only €2. My food today came to <€15. Hopefully Greece can keep this up for me!!
After such a bad start I still managed to love santorini- thira anyway. The rest of he island reminds me of Thailand- messy, half built houses and dirty. But thira is stunning!! I could spend days in there itself.
- comments
Nic Nic Oh wow!! What a great blog. So impressed with you changing hostels after all of that even when they made you pay!! Sounds like you mildly went Oviedo on there asses!! Thats my girl!! hahaha So nice of that girl, what a champ! And the quad bikes sound like great fun!!! I would love to do that when I go :) The food sounds amazing and super cheap which is good to hear. You leaving your bag somewhere and not realising for ages? No, that doesnt sound like you at all!! Love you xxxxx
life-is-more-fun-with-a-tan Hahahha I know I'm hopeless. I was thinking 'go Oviedo Alice do it!!!' haha so I made you proud. Although I didn't yell just talked very very angrily and they knew. I sat like 2 meters away and talked to the person I just booked with. And her and I just glared at each other the whole time. It was in the middle of nowhere though. Like coming to Adelaide and staying in Elizabeth?? I don't know what I was thinking. My new one is 300m from the main square and i have a room to myself although I'm so paranoid at night I checked the door was locked 5 times and every time I went to the toilet haha. Love you long time xxxxx