Day 22 - Rhodes -> Santorini -> Istanbul

Ok, Santorini. You win.

In what I thought was going to be a mediocre experience for me in Santorini, this island has exceeded my expectations. Everyone knows the typical image of Santorini: the white washed villas with blue domed roofs on the cliffs against the backdrop of the blue Aegean Sea. For some reason, I had it in my mind that these photos were angled perfectly each time they were taken, with maybe some post processing, and that you can only get this shot at a very specific place in Santorini. I was wrong on all of those accounts.

I arrived landed on the island around 3 PM, in the blazing heat of June. Although the temperatures said it was mid 80s F, it surely felt much hotter, with the humidity, and the reflection of the sun on these really white walls and houses. Even after my shuttle dropped me off "at" my hotel, I still had to walk about 2-3 minutes of steep hills and cobblestone roads to finally reach the building. This is characteristic of this part of town, Fira. Lots of up and down hilly roads, and just walking a few steps will leave you in sweats, more so if you're carrying a heavy backpack.

I first checked out one of the beaches, Kamari. The bus route here is like a star topology. The center is Fira, and from there, you can reach the outskirts of the island, each way typically costing 1.80 EUR. There was about a half a mile of beach, each equipped with rows of sunbeds and umbrellas, and right next to the beds, are the restaurants who own them. The idea is that you buy a drink or a meal, and you can use the beds for free. I wasn't really wanting a tan, so I skipped out and went back to Fira, and for the first time saw the picturesque view of Santorini that I've always seen before. It was really breathtaking.

Sunset was near, and there were a lot of people waiting for that perfect sunset moment to snap their souvenir photo. Even though there were a lot of people, it still didn't take away the charm of the area and the wonderful view. And I instantly realized how wrong I had been about Santorini, and knew why people come here and rave about it.

Sunset in Fira.

Fira.

Dusk in Fira.

Even if there were no white washed villas and restaurants, the natural view of the cliff by itself would have been spectacular. The cute buildings just adds an extra dimension to the panoramic scenery. I felt like I was in a fairy tale, and it wasn't just one spot. You could walk along the coast, and each turn and corner was just as beautiful. I walked along until it got dark, and I turned around to return to my hotel.

I'm glad I visited Santorini. It would have been stupid of me if I avoided this place because of how touristy it was. I'll accept that I've become a coffee/pastry/bread snob. However, I should give some of these places a chance without becoming a "tourist snob."

You can actually hike all the way from Fira to Oia, the northwestern part of the island. I planned to do this early in the morning, because I had a flight to catch in the evening. I started a bit before 7 am, and finally made it to Oia by 10:30 or so. After you leave the town of Fira, you no longer had the shops and villas along the way, but you were still rewarded with the beautiful view of the island itself, and far away in the distance, you could see Oia. And if you turn back, you could see the white and blue of Fira, like a dollop of paint splashed on the magnificent cliffs of the island.

The hike about 6 miles long, and is a bit strenuous, as there are steep hills along the way. I thought it would be a bit less hot and humid in the morning, but even around 8 am, the heat was really intense, and my shirt and pants were soaked with sweat. Normally, I would have hated being so hot and miserable, but the view of the hike really made me disregard my misery. With each stride, I saw a new view of the island, new flora, new villas, and the villas of Oia slowly becoming more and more detailed. 

Starting my hike.

About half way into my hike. Off in the distance is Oia.

Beautiful flowers along the way.

Panoramic view during the hike.

Patch of villas about half way between Fira and Oia.

After reaching Oia, I ate a light breakfast at a bakery consisting of a croissant, baklava, and iced coffee. Then I took a bus back to my hotel and packed up.

Oia. Flowers everywhere.

Oia.

Oia.

Just got into my hotel in Istanbul. I had arranged the hotel to pick me up, and the car they put me in was a large van. The roads coming out of the airport seemed normal, just as you'd find in most big cities, but as we got closer to my hotel, the roads became uncomfortably narrow, just enough to let one car pass by, daring any drivers to make these impossible turns. And it seemed like the concept of "one way streets" doesn't exist here. If two cars are going towards each other, one car must somehow find an empty pocket on the side of the road, or must back up all the way to the last intersection and let the other pass by. There was one time when three cars came together on an intersection, and what followed seemed like a combination of car tetris and choreographed car dance, where maneuvered out of the way to let the other car position itself so that our van could squeeze through, all while pedestrians are walking around us, as if nothing exciting is to be seen here. I would go insane before I could drive in these conditions.