Hopping Ferries To Athens

So now I'm hopping ferries to Athens... Ugghhhh… The ferry port at Santorini was absolute tourist hell when I arrived. It sits at the bottom a large bay formed by a long steep and almost cliff like mountain ridge. It’s quite spectacular but the small port at the bottom is jammed with tour buses, tour operators, and tourists waiting to board the ferry your getting off.

The first thing I felt when arriving on the island of Santorini by ferry is stress. It’s in the air. What the hell had I done I asked myself? I did a good job of finding the chill sweet spots all throughout Crete but there I was booked in for 3 nights. And the touts? Plenty. I was told I needed a rental car or a 20 euro private transfer etc. No. I went into backpacker 101 mode. Where’s the local bus? 2 euros and I was out of there. Well, slowly, as we chugged up the very steep road barely clearing the long line of cars and buses going down but not moving. There must be some kind of system because I couldn’t figure out how the traffic was supposed to work much less where there would be room for it.

Santorini is a NOT an inexpensive destination. With high season just beginning I whimsically booked the cheapest private single room I could find online which is around $47 USD a night. It looked ok and the reviews were fine.

It took two local buses close to 2 hours to get Perissa beach where my accommodation is. The main road into Perissa is busy with traffic. There are lots of cars, motorcycles, trucks, four wheelers, and it’s all very loud. I saw the hostel where I was supposed to check in as we passed it on the way to the bus stop. When I arrived at the hostel, which is located right next to the busy road, there was miscommunication because of all the noise. The room I booked was not at the hostel. They simply have a scheme with a nearby hotel but I was at the right place for check in. A nice older fellow arrived and drove me about a quarter of mile further out of town to a place located right next to the busy road.

Well luck was bestowed on me. The hotel is comprised of two buildings. My room is located in the back of second building which is a reasonable distance from the road. It’s a corner room with balcony. The view is decent. As I sit on the balcony I can hear constant traffic but it’s just far enough away to be quite tolerable. The room is ok. Fine for 3 nights.

Happy that my room was acceptable I went to water front. Its about a 15 minute walk to the beach and with black sand it’s kind of nice. I found a traditional taverna and ordered a very good local pasta and Greek salad. I had the Poseidon spaghetti thinking it would have seafood but instead it was sausage and ham. I washed it down with a beer and went for a swim in the sea which really took the edge off.

Every island has a different vibe and in some ways every island is like its own little country. Santorini is full throttle tourism. It’s what drives the island. It caters to an international crowd and spoken English is the norm. English is the international language and its the language that gets the most money. If you can get beyond the crowds of tourists and all that goes with it the island is quite beautiful and the cliff strewn bay towards the west is quite spectacular. Geologically speaking it’s a bit of a marvel.

I spent my second day on the island walking/hiking. I started from Perissa beach and took trails over the highest peak and down to Pirgos. From Pirgos I took a bus to Fira and walked to Oia which was quite nice once I got out of the crowds swarming about Fira. For the most part is was a good walk and quite scenic. I essentially traversed the island.

In Oia I had to take the public bus to get back to Perissa. I was lucky to get on because it was packed. The driver disregarded the people waiting along the way at other stops as the bus was full. You could see the frustration in their face as we blew past them. Who knows how long they had been waiting. Fortunately I timed it right and was able to switch quickly in Fira for a direct bust to Perissa. The walk had been worthwhile but the crowded buses and narrow roads chocked with traffic made me not want to go anywhere for my third and last day on Santorini. I stuck close to the beach, walked around and made arrangements to leave the island the following day. Three days was enough for me.

So, I was left with two days to get to Athens for a flight to London. Today I used up one of those days on a ferry to the island of Paros for a single night layover en-route to Athens. That’s where I am now. I booked ahead to keep things easy. The accommodation is nice but noisy. I can hear the people beside, below me, and at the balcony next door. Why talk when you can shout? There are kids in the room below and I can hear one scream periodically. I call July and August the screaming season. Whenever you are in a crowded touristy area in the summer I guarantee you will always hear a kid screaming. Not to mention there’s an occasional dog bark, someone coughing somewhere, excessively loud pipes, and the ever so common banging door. The room is nice and clean though.

The manager of the small family run hotel met me at the ferry when I arrived an hour and a half late which was nice. Check in was very easy. I went for a swim which was pretty good then had dinner at a taverna the hotel manager recommended. It turned out to be the most disappointing meal I’ve had so far. Portions were small and tasteless which added up to way overpriced. I felt took. It’s probably a friend or family members taverna. Sometimes you need to be careful about local suggestions in the tourist areas. Locals are most likely to suggest restaurants based on relation to family or friend and not because it’s necessarily good. Most of the time your better off deciding for yourself or look up tripadvisor reviews whenever possible. When I returned to the hotel I had no problem telling the manager how disappointed I was with his suggestion and told him to be careful about recommending the restaurant to other guests because it makes him look bad.

More than anything I think I’m simply tired at this point and don’t really have patience for the touristy scene and the B.S. that goes along with it. I feel run down and have a sore throat. I seem to be little over sensitive to noise which for me is a sign I’m stressed. I’ve just got a couple of more days in the tourist rat race and I’ll be out of it. I think I got a little spoiled on Crete. I was able to find a nice balance the entire time I was there. Should have just stayed on Crete.

On Friday I’ll fly to London for a few days in England then I’ll fly home. As for tonight? One word, Earplugs.