A Memorable Sunset..

Santorini, Greece Day 2

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Sarah and I decided to try a different bakery for breakfast that morning. We ended up liking the first bakery we went to better, but I did have a very delicious "chocolate" and banana croissant. I say "chocolate" because that's another thing about Europe that took some getting used to.. the fact that when they advertise something being made with chocolate, it's usually Nutella.

We hopped on the bus to one of the two cities in Santorini, Fira which is the capitol. If you ever visit Santorini (which I highly recommend), I would absolutely advise renting a car or quad if possible because the buses are extremely unreliable. They never come on time. Thankfully they are cheap and are nice coach buses, but it's a bit annoying having to wait at the bus stop not knowing when it will arrive.

Fira was very beautiful. There's something about all of the clean white buildings against the bright blue sky and sea that is just breathtaking. There are also streets and streets of cute shops, which is where Sarah and I did most of our souvenir shopping.

Another thing you should know about Greece: You always need to watch your step. Many of the streets and sidewalks are made of marbled tiles or cobblestones which is aesthetically pleasing, but also very slippery. They amount of times on this trip that Sarah and I almost fell is actually ridiculous.

After walking through the dozens of shops, we stopped for a quick Greek gyro lunch. Unfortunately the place we chose to eat was more of a grab and go type of establishment, so there was no bathroom. So after we ate we had to find a restroom, but were very displeased when we discovered that in order to use any of the public bathrooms on the island, you have to pay. Places that force you to pay to use the restroom personally really make me angry. It is human nature to have to go to the bathroom. Everyone has to do it, and they're charging you for it. I think that's ridiculous, but sadly we had no choice.

We then took the bus to the second city in Santorini: Oía. The island is a lot smaller than it looks, so it only takes about 15-25 minutes to get from one place to another on the bus. We arrived in Oía and I was immediately in love with its beauty. The entire city is so aesthetically pleasing. The only drawback to this city is that it was pretty expensive compared to Fira and Perissa. Luckily though we only had to eat one meal here. We walked around for a while exploring the shops and amazing views the city had to offer, and then grabbed dinner. We had to eat relatively quickly because we needed to secure a spot to watch the famous Santorini sunset.

We had found a spot earlier in the day that we decided would be the perfect place to watch the sunset, so we made our way back to that spot. Before heading there, I had looked up online to find out the best place to watch the sunset, and came across a man's blog who said to get to your spot at least 3 hours in advance. We figured since the island was just starting to enter its peak season, we wouldn't have to get there that early. The blog also took note of the overwhelming amount of Asians who were present. He made the joke that it was as if a newsletter was distributed to all Asians explaining exactly where to be at what time. He sure wasn't kidding. I've never seen so many in one place.

Disclaimer: I am not a racist by any means. I think all people are equal and I have no problem with people from other parts of the world. I just was very shocked by the large amount of people from the same part of the world being in the same place at the same time. And let me tell you, they were aggressive and will do anything for a picture.

Sarah and I saw a small opening up on the ledge so we decided we would sit there to watch. When we first sat down, there was an Asian woman sitting on the ground near where we were. A few minutes after we sat down, she said something a bit mumbled behind her mask so it was hard to make out exactly what she said, but it was something along the lines of "I sit there." There was a small stoop right below the ledge, and the stoop is where she was pointing. So Sarah and I just kind of said okay and turned back around. After a bit more time passed, she addressed us again and said "you come down and I sit there now." Sarah and I were a bit confused, but quickly figured out she must have been sitting there earlier in the evening and then moved to the ground, assuming that seat would remain reserved for her. Unfortunately for her, that's not how the world works. So we said no, that we wouldn't move, explaining that she hadn't been sitting there when we arrived, and we turned back around. She was clearly saying nasty things about us to her friend in another language, but I didn't care. I wasn't moving. As the sun got lower in the sky and closer to setting, she tried a third and final time to tell us to move. Again, I refused.

To help you develop a mental image, Sarah and I were straddling the ledge and I had my purse and water bottle sitting in front of my lap. There was a woman behind Sarah, and a little space in front of me. After refusing to get up for the third time, Sarah and I scooted backwards a bit to make room so that the woman could sit in front of us. Instead of being content with the space we made, she still told us to get down and we still said no. Finally, the woman gave up and went to sit down where we had made space, but instead of using that space, she sat literally in my lap and on top of my belongings (clearly on purpose) because she had at least a foot of space in front of her. So Sarah and I were literally in an Asian sandwich.

Luckily, we were still able to watch the beautiful sunset and capture some amazing pictures, but that encounter made it even more of a story to tell. After the sun set, trying to get out of the city was madness. It was similar to the crowds after a 4th of July firework display. We finally got to the bus and went back to Fira (because we had to switch buses there to get back to Perissa). When we arrived in Fira we saw on the schedule that supposedly the next bus wasn't for another hour, but thankfully one of the buses changed its destination and we were able to get back to Perissa.

After we went to our hostel to put on some warmer clothes, we walked to the beach and enjoyed some gelato under the stars. It was very relaxing and we even saw a couple shooting stars!