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Published: July 28th 2013
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We remarked that our next stop was Santorini. Santorini, Santorini oh beautiful Santorini, there has to be a song in there somewhere. Santorini is an island in the southern Aegean sea about 200km southeast from Greece’s mainland.
The town of Santorini is situated on the top of the cliffs surrounding this island and there are three ways of getting to the top and no other alternatives apart from not going at all which defeats the purpose of being there in the first instance. Your options are either take the cable car and the ride lasts about 2 or 3 minutes, you can walk the whole 588 steps which in my estimation would take some considerable time especially as the path zig zags up the cliff. I would estimate the height to be 200 to 250 meters high. However there is one final way…………. Catch a Donkey, Ass or Mule; they all look similar to me. We took the equine option, well what a laugh. Our observations of health & safety in general (not the cruise ship) have been that recognition of it is optional – very optional and with that, it is ignored completely. These rather unkempt chaps
all smoking like it was their last cigarette were sitting on a step and were very keen to get their little Greek fingers on our hard earned Euros. We duly paid and were told to wait, (interestingly enough there were not queues of people waiting - there must be a story here) the transport would be here in a few minutes. Two cigarettes each later and around the corner comes a herd of about 30 donkeys. Steve can see that there is a little size variation between the animals and as one would expect be allocated the biggest strongest beast……………. NOT! Jane says I’m not going first as a large animal is readied and presented, unfortunately Jane hadn’t dressed for the occasion. Bloke says “you here” to which Jane had no answer and was summoned to mount this behemoth. Skirt, mule, saddle, big animal don’t mix. Skirt hitched up somewhat and a little stretching and Jane is on board, animal knows it and heads for the top, feet not in stirrups, feet don’t reach as stirrup straps are too long. We were expecting some form of guidance (a nicely led group of donkeys all attached to one another) but that
Santorini
The view near the top of the island was not to be and as each of us mounted, our charges took off, crashing into each other, kicking biting and generally being little monkeys trying to wipe us out on the walls and trying every equine trick known to man. They zig zagged their way to the top rockin & rollin & crashing & bumping. They took us exceptionally close to the edges and it was vertical, we held on for all that we were worth. Getting off was no easier, one thought there would have been a step to dismount onto, but no, do your best John Wayne or Clint Eastwood dismount and make it snappy because this beast was not waiting for anybody remotely slow. What a hoot, laughing all the way, lots of excitement and well worth the 5 euro each - it might be the bargain of the trip!!
The views were simply amazing and the shops inviting. After a wander around we thought we would catch a bus to Oia (pronounced ear). Jane had wanted to take us there as she had wonderful memories of sunsets from past experience. Unfortunately as the wind had blown up the day before our captain
Oia
Views from our lunchtime restaurant had diverted us to Mykonos and we were no longer leaving at 11.00pm that night as planned so instead of the sunset we had to settle for lunch. On the way to the bus we needed a bathroom stop, another exciting experience for the girls, Jane was in the correct attire this time (skirt) Janet not! Leaving right on time we jumped on the local bus for 1.60 Euro and enjoyed some of the Santorini scenery. Oia was just magnificent we had another beautiful Greek lunch with more wine (yes more wine & food) and enjoyed the scenery across the cliffs and down to the water, just beautiful. Well thinking that we couldn’t go to Santorini and not go to the beach, we caught the local bus back to town from Oia and then another bus to Kamala beach. Hired a couple of chairs late in the afternoon had a beer or should I say a bucket of beer and a swim and relaxed, how much better can this get? The local buses are amazing here and all look like ex tour buses and are in great condition too. On our way back to town we got on at the
Cable Car
All of us posing for the ride down - no donkey this time!! first stop so got seats, as we progressed the bus got fuller and fuller. The ticket man has a lovely job squeazing past everyone in the aisles to ensure that he gets paid for every seat, service with a smile especially passing some of those lovely young girls!!
A cable car ride back down the hill, we weren’t taking those dam donkeys again – a short ride in the tender back to the ship and we were back at our home away from home. We decided to eat in the Collonade Restaurant for dinner and watch the sun go down as we left beautiful Santorini behind. The sunset, well not as spectacular as imagined, the lights on the island twinkled away as we pulled from the shore and the full moon rising from behind the island finished a perfect day.
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