First Day in Santorini

Pictures: 1) the caldera pre-dawn, 2) my hotel, 3) on the black sand beach, 4) the beach

I arrived in Santorini at 6:30 am. The flight was SO short - about 25 minutes in the air. I was nearly passing out from exhaustion when we arrived and was thankful that the hostel owner, John, was there on time to pick me up. (If you buy a private room they pick you up/drop you off at the hostel). The name of it is Katerina and John’s Hotel in Perissa (the far side of the island). Half way through the drive John pulled over so I could see the view of the caldera, he pointed out Oia (pronounced Ia where people watch the sunset) and Fira (the capital) and the volcano and the ferry port. It was SO beautiful, even though it was shrouded in mist that was just starting to lift. The moon was still in the sky, and as we drove away the sun was rising in the other direction like a great orange ball. Despite my exhaustion, I couldn’t help but gaze around in awe.

We got to the hostel/hotel and he showed me to my room. I booked a double hoping someone would come with me, but it was the same price as a single (16 euros a night). Thus I have 2 beds and more room to move around (not to mention an extra pillow). I have my own bathroom and there are 3 windows (one in the bathroom, one in the door, and one by my bed) which offers a great cross-breeze. There is even a TV, though I probably won’t be watching it since I have to finish reading Bleak House while I’m here and write a paper on it. Lol

I went straight to sleep and woke up around 1 pm. I unpacked, dressed, and took my computer to the attached internet café so I could write mom/dad/grandma/grandpa/Tommy and let them know I was safe. Then I walked across the street to the 24 hour bakery where I got a pizza for 2 euros and a pastry filled with apples for 1.70. I took my lunch down to the black sand beach (a 5 minute walk) and sat on the pleasantly warm sand eating and watching a couple trying to brave the cold, huge waves. The water is unbelievable. It is aqua and turquoise. The sands are black from the volcanic eruption thousands of years ago and this makes a nice contrast with the white capped waves. If you look down the beach a huge mountain rises up that apparently you can hike. I’ll do that in the next few days.

When I finished my lunch the 2 people in the water waved over someone down the beach a bit and he came over. I walked up and asked them where they were all from. The couple Vanessa (and I can’t remember his name) were from Canada and the other guy, Tony, was from Detroit and Atlanta, but actually lived in Charlotte for a while opening up about 6 Panera Bread restaurants. He’s somehow involved in the restaurant industry (a consultant of some kind) and he also has real estate all over. Seems like he’s quite accomplished for 30. He apparently came here about 8 months ago and loved it so much he decided to stay a while. The Canadian couple did the same thing. They all stayed at the Katerina and John Hotel when they first arrived, and come here often for internet use and to rent 4 wheelers and vespas.

Vanessa works in a bar nearby which apparently has good music and some dancing so I’m going to go down there tonight to see everyone. Tony said he was going to climb the mountain in the next day or 2, so I think we all might go together and make a group of it. I’m excited - I bet the view from there is amazing!
The waves on the beach were HUGE and Tony said he’d never seen them like that…maybe an effect from the earthquake in Italy? Hmm.

Will write more tonight!