Hangin' in Thira

The mix of lone time and good company, combined with the amazing views and charm of Santorini, was the

whole reason why my trip to that island became memorable. 

Ashley and Shannon, sisters from the US and Kirsty from Queensland were heaps of fun to hang out with. I met them right after we docked off the delayed Blue Star Ferries. We were all waiting for the shuttle to the hostel and I asked them “We finally made it huh?”. And that’s how we started talking. I really liked how I found it easy to talk to them. 

Kirsty

After I explored Oia, the girls were already energized from the day’s sleep. I was so woozy coz I didn’t have a shut eye. Kirsty and I were laughing when we realized we were in the same room and I was on the top of her bunk. She invited me to join them girls for dinner and maybe a swim. I said yes and walked along with them to Perissa Beach. 

We decided to have dinner at Tranquillo which was right at the corner of the alleyway leading to the beach from the hostel. There was a long list of options for dinner and everything sounded yummy. For starters we all ordered the beer Mythos. After a long day, I was so up for a beer. For dinner I ordered seafood paella. Ashley and Shannon were so cute trying out the hammock beside our table while Kirsty and I chatted at our table. After some time the girls joined in as we made our orders and chatted away. 

That night, despite my wooziness, I appreciated the discussions we had. I’d say that part of the highlights of my Santorini trip was talking to the girls. We all shared moments of traveling, experiences, some horror stories and what our perspectives were. Kirsty has been working in England for a while and was at the end of the journey, homeward bound. The girls were very young and that was their first trip overseas after saving up for a while. Kirsty and I were saying that they should be really proud of themselves for working it out and taking that leap at their age. Travel indeed makes us more open minded and changes us as a person because it gives us that opportunity to see for ourselves the different cultures and environments outside our comfort zone. 

At some point, there was something that I’d never forget ‘bout what Kirsty said. And she was totally right. A lot of people think that traveling is always a walk in the park and a perfect kind of “holiday”. What they’re not aware of are the challenges and struggles that one can encounter on the road most especially when one is backpacking for a couple of months. And that’s where I shared with them the different modes of sleeping that I’ve experienced through the months. 

We also shared our ideas on how sometimes it can be different when you go back after the travel. Instances where people couldn’t relate would be more apparent only because you’ve been away and experienced something different. Unless of course the people you talk to are travelers themselves once in their lifetime.

At some point there was also discussion about racism, and knowing me, that’s a bit of a sensitive topic. That’s when I shared with them my perspective on things and how I felt about it. Of course, racism in the whole context of the word doesn’t just involve color. It actually goes beyond the black and white thing. Through the years of my travels, I’ve experienced and seen this so many times. It’s inevitable and will always exist in all cultures. Sad but true. 

Kirsty shared a few things about Australia and described the different animals/species that the huge continent

the plunge

had. Majority of the stories were about spiders, snakes, crocodiles and kangaroos. Not to mention the funny discussion about “Joe the Kangaroo” with the boxing gloves. The sisters were giggling while listening to Kirsty’s stories. Yeah, Aus can offer such diversities and dangerous creatures. Definitely something to check out. The girls then had it on their list to visit for their next holiday stint. 

By the time we finished our food, we were all full, happy and couldn’t stop raving about how awesome their cuisine were. Kirsty couldn’t finish the bowl, but yeah, everyone had the same reaction when we tried it…. SUPER YUM! 

After some time we decided to check out the water and go for a swim. I guess it was just too cold for the girls. It ended up only me going for the splash. But yeah, I was shivering in the night’s cold breeze. It didn’t take us 10 minutes before we put our clothes back and headed back to the hostel, giggling.We got back to the hostel and lingered for a while at the common area, checking facebook and emails. After some time we said our goodnights and called it a day. 

On my last night, we heard back from Ashley and Shannon that they were moved to the other building…and how cool was it that it had a swimming pool. So we bought ourselves some booze and food from the nearby dairy store. Kirsty and I were so impressed when we saw the place. It looked more like a hotel coz they had their own room and it was an ensuite. We found out though that the pool closes at 9 pm so the swimming part was out of the equation for that night. Hangin’ for a while was the night’s thing but had to hit the bed soon after coz the girls were so tired from their day’s adventures. It was so cute and funny when they told me about the donkey adventure. They went on a day trip out and about. I also told them about the good news that the lady of the Irish Pub in Mallorca, Spain confirmed that I can go there and play music for a few weeks. They were so excited for me and wished me luck. 

Before I left Santorini, I had breakfast with the girls while staring out at Perissa Beach. It was a mix of yoghurt and fruits, YUM! After that, we decided to head back to the girls place and we ended up having a diving 101 lesson from Kirsty. It was really fun but yeah it seemed like my arching wasn’t working and gravity’s pull was more. Oh yeah, it did hurt. We tried taking underwater shots too. 

They walked me back to the hostel where I packed up my stuff. I hugged them and wished them well with their travels, as they me. 

I was back on the road.