Anna and I had seven days in Greece, and it was a vacation of EPIC proportions. In Athens, we roamed the ancient ruins of the Acropolis, visiting the Parthenon and a handful of other incredible archeological wonders. We made friends with fellow backpackers, most notably Lucy from Australia and Kat from Pittsburg, and we hung with them at an Athens beach club, soaking up the sun and floating through the salty water.
Above: Yours truly in front of the Parthenon on top of the Acropolis and in front of the Temple of Olympian Zeus
Below: Kat, Lucy, Anna, and I on the roof of our hostel with the Acropolis in the background
We were very fortunate to be in Athens for the grand opening of The New Acropolis
Museum, which opened just five days before our visit. While building the museum at the base of the Acropolis, they uncovered an entire ancient neighborhood where the mosaic-tiled streets, homes, and public works projects were well preserved. Usually, construction is terminated upon discovering ruins; however, the controversial issue ended with the museum built on top of the ruins, where glass floors show visitors the way of life for ancient Athenians. Not only is the museum and architectural masterpiece but it also houses an impressive collection of artifacts found around the Acropolis, including a combination of real fragments and cast imitations of the Parthenon friezes.Athens is a HUGE city, but most of its tourist attractions (aka ancient ruins) are concentrated around the Acropolis. Since our Australian-run hostel was a 5-minute walk from the amphitheater where Greek tragedy was born, we didn’t have much reason or motivation to explore the vast city of Athens. Instead, we were challenged with navigating the Pireaus port of Athens, where massive high-speed ferries and cargo ships linger just long enough to refuel and load up before maneuvering out to sea. As we were directed from one dock to another in our search for the ferry boat that would take us to Santorini, we learned from the Port Authority that the Megajet ferry was not operational due to mechanical problems. After frantically rushing around the port, we were relieved to be seated on our new ride, the Speed Runner II, which from the inside appears more like a spacious airplane with a snack bar than a boat.
Upon arrival in Santorini, a shuttle took Anna and I to our charming hostel, Blue Sky Villa, in Fira, the largest town on the island. With stomachs rumbling, we asked for an restaurant recommendation and were surprised to find, half an hour later, ourselves reviewing an upscale menu at Ellis Restaurant, complete with white-table cloths, nice china, candlelight, adoring couples, and an incredible view of the caldera (http://www.ellis-restaurant.gr/). We dined on real Greek salad, which included a slab of Feta cheese the size of a brick, and a succulent roasted lamb and vegetables dish. Not long after we cleaned our plates, our conversation was suddenly disrupted by an intense shaking that rocked the entire building for a few seconds. Eyes wide and mouths open, Anna and I stared at each other and then looked around at the other diners and the serving staff. Animated discussions ensued across tables about earthquakes and speculation over the magnitude of ours. Moments later, a smaller quake rattled the dishware again, yet not as strong as the first. That night, as Anna and I were getting ready for bed in our room, another good-size quake hit and shook the room. Two days later, we were told that we experienced an earthquake that registered 5.1 on the Richter scale.
With only two full days on the island of Santorini, Anna and I made the most of it by dividing our time between land and sea. On Saturday, we rented an ATV and drove all over the island, passing by tomato and grape fields, winding along the curvy unmarked roads, and marveling at the view as we drove along the upper ridge. We explore the famous town of Oia (pronounced ee-uh), which is most likely what you think of when you think of a Greek island village: white-washed buildings, blue domes, small alleys, and a view unlike any other. In the afternoon, Anna and I got lost on the southern end of the island—the maps were missing a few roads—and passed by the beaches full of tourists sunning in lounge chairs in the black volcanic pebbly shore or swimming in the cool green waters. Unfortunately, Anna and I had issues with our ATV, one requiring a mid-afternoon check-up at the rental shop and the second involving us abandoning our ride at the southern point of the island and taking a bus back to Fira. Despite map and mechanical problems, renting an ATV was a great way to see the variety of landscapes and seascapes found on Santorini. On Sunday, Anna and I opted to take a sea excursion where someone else would be in
charge of the transportation entertainment arrangements. We hopped onboard a schooner and were first taken to the volcano situated in the middle of the caldera lagoon. There we hiked up the rocky slopes to reach the zenith of the multi-cratered still-active volcano. Eva, our guide, relayed interesting facts and information about the history of the volcano and its explosive past events. This is the volcano that blew up around 1000 BC, wiped out the Minoan civilization on the nearby island of Crete, and sent ash all the way to China. After the largest volcanic eruption on the face of the planet, the center sunk into the sea, forming the caldera, while the outer slopes remained and are now the islands of Santorini and Thrassia (which some suspect may also be how the mythical city of Atlantis disappeared). The volcano is still active and still growing, the last eruption happening in 1952. The lava lurks only 5 kilometers below the surface, and the hot stones are evidence of the fiery reservoir not far from our feet.
After hiking the volcano, our tour continued with a stop at the hot springs on the newer volcanic island, where we had to jump off our ship and swim to the sulfur-rich cove. Next, we sailed to the smaller, barely inhabited island of Thrassia to spend a couple of hours. Finally, our schooner sailed to the port of Oia, but Anna and I were reluctant to leave the water, so we walked the rocky shore until we found a secluded place to swim in the crystal clear water. From the port, there are only two ways to reach the town of Oia: hiking up the cliff via an intense series of switchbacks or riding a donkey that does the work for you. Obviously, we chose the latter. Anna was on the lead donkey, and she swears it must have been either drunk or suicidal because it swayed back and forth, threatening to send my friend over the edge. My donkey was hitched to the donkey-driver’s, and my leg was repeatedly assaulted by the rear end of the other donkey. Gross. Yet although my right leg did not enjoy the journey very much, I appreciated the unique travel experience.
Oia is known for its sunsets and the solar spectacle was the final event of our day’s excursion. With time to spare, Anna and I ate at a fabulous little restaurant where we shared another delectable Greek salad, stuffed peppers and mushrooms, and freshly baked bread. With full tummies and salty skin, we walked back through Oia to find a decent sunset-viewing perch along the overcrowded sidewalks. It was the quintessential Grecian sunset, as you can see. 
Before leaving the island on Monday afternoon, Anna and I spent some QT at our luxurious hostel pool, did some shopping in Fira, and stopped by our two favorite eateries, Nikolas Taverna where the waiter remembered the “two girls from Alabama” and a snack shop where another acquaintance makes the gelato himself. Thankfully, our ferry back to Athens was on-time and in working order. We rode the whole 8 hours on the top deck, which allowed us to check out the dozens of islands that we passed along the way. Around midnight, we arrived back at Pireaus and eventually found the bus stop to the airport. Anna and I spent that night in the Athens airport, easily one of the most miserable seven hours of my traveling experiences, because they wouldn’t let anyone crash on the floor.
Severely sleep-deprived but nevertheless ready to go, Anna and I got to my Madrid apartment around 1:30 pm on Tuesday, June 30. For a moment, I had flashbacks to the Acropolis as my eyes glanced over my own ruined apartment. Angelica hadn’t completed the moving process, but almost all the furniture (including fridge, stove, and washer) were already missing, leaving heaps of dirt and grime behind. Disgusting. I called up SK for moving-reinforcement, and we packed up and moved my belongings down 7 flights of stairs. Yadira, also just arriving from a brief trip, met up for a farewell dinner. Twelve hours after picking up our bags from the carousel, Anna and I were back in Madrid Barajas airport. We curled up on the floor for a couple of hours (because you can do that at Barajas) to sleep before I had to check in and catch my 6:30 am flight to Frankfurt, and well... you know the rest.
I’ve always dreamed of going to Greece, and I feel so lucky to have had such a fun and exciting opportunity to finally do just that. However, there are many more islands to explore, many more mysteries to uncover, and a multitude of adventures to be had in that ancient land. While I do wish I could have spent more time traveling around the Aegean Sea, I find myself looking out on a different body of water, the Grand Lagoon of Panama City Beach, and I must admit that after all my travels this year, I am thrilled to be home with family in a place that I call home.
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