Yesterday afternoon, after seeing the ruins at Olympia, we left Katakolon, headed for the Aegean Sea and the island of Santorini. Upon our arrival at Santorini, we took our place in the “cruise ship parking lot,” quite a ways from shore. Whoa. Three giant cruise ships were there at the same time. Santorini must be a popular place.
Cruising in the Aegean Sea
Cruising in the Aegean Sea on this September morning was nice. Even before noon, the sun was intense. It was warming up. The scenery was spectacular.
As we cruised along, we passed through an obstacle course of small islands appearing and disappearing on either side of the ship. They were sun-baked brown, except for their tops, which appeared to be covered with a layer of snow. No way. It’s too hot. What’s going on?
Upon closer inspection, the “snow” turned out to be white-washed buildings of villages built on the islands’ highest ridges. Santorini was no exception, at least on the side we approached from.
Santorini consists of two islands, the largest of which is Thira. Thira’s main town is the hilltop village of Fira. Our cruise stop allows only enough time for us to visit Fira for 3-4 hours. We’d have enough time to look around, have some lunch, and maybe do some shopping. But then we’d have to hustle back to the boat.
If we could stay longer, we’d check out the island’s red, white, and black lava-pebble beaches. We’d go to a Museum to see Minoan artifacts, dine on the island’s seafood specialties, and maybe test out some ouzo. We’d be able to get a feel for the place.
That’s the way it goes with cruising. You get to see a lot of places without a lot of effort. No packing and unpacking between stops. But you don’t get to see anyplace in depth. The upside is that you can easily discover places that might warrant a return visit.
Decisions, Decisions…
After weighing anchor a quarter of a mile off-shore, tenders came to get us and bring us to shore. When we reached land, we had a decision to make. The little town of Fira, where everyone wanted to go, was perched 900 feet almost straight up above our heads. How were we supposed to get there?
We had three options: take a cable car, walk up a long flight of stairs, or ride up the stairs on the back of a donkey.
The cable car to the top would have easily been our first choice, but throngs of people from two other cruise ships were already there, waiting to get on. The long line didn’t seem to be moving at all.
OK. How about taking the stairway? It was a nice, wide, stairway made of stone. It appeared to be well-constructed. But there were drawbacks with the stairway…
We’d have to share the stairs with donkeys who had been led to believe that they had the right-of-way. And because of the donkey traffic, we’d have to be careful where we stepped. And worst of all, the stairway was 588 steps up.
How about riding a mule up the stairway?
For a small fee, visitors can hire a fellow to lead them up the stairs while riding on the back of a donkey. A donkey ride could be fun, but some of them appeared to have nasty dispositions. And judging by their pungent aroma, one might conclude that they bathe rather infrequently.
So to boil it down, we could choose between standing in a long, slow-moving line in the hot sun when our time is limited, slog our way up a 588-step stairway that goes straight up for 900 feet, (also in the hot sun), or have the experience of a lifetime riding a surefooted donkey effortlessly up to the top with no waiting.
The choice was obvious – wait in a long line in the hot sun. OK. That wouldn’t have been my choice. I wanted to go for a donkey ride. But I got outvoted. (The vote was one to one, but I got outvoted anyway).
We left the donkeys and went to get in line for the cable car. One of the them gave me a “Hey, where ya goin’?” look. I guess rejection is tough, even for a donkey.
While doing my pre-trip research on Santorini, I saw many pictures of beautiful sunsets at Fira. Cute whitewashed houses with rose bushes growing up the sides. Shoppers meandering happily through narrow streets. Somehow I missed the part describing how to get to the top of this 900-foot cliff.
Ahhhh…
The line for the cable car turned out to be not so bad. And the ride up the side of the cliff in a big gondola was neat.
As we stepped off the gondola into the little town, I knew there was something special waiting for me. That thing that, I’m sure, awaits many a tourist eager to learn the ways of ancient civilizations and enrich their life experience – an ice-cold beer!
To be continued…
