Mykonos, Greece

I flew out from Milan after a week in Italy. I will miss the truffle sauce and gelato but I was ready to trade that in for beach and fruity drinks. The flight took a few hours and the flight was neat as you flew over little islands with the bluest waters. As we started to descend to Mykonos, we experienced some intense turbulence. There was a point where people did a load scared groan when we dropped a bit. I even grasped the sides and just said, "Just let me get to Mykonos". We made it and when I walked out of the airport I was overwhelmed by the people asking you if you need a place to stay. I had to take a taxi to the center where my hotel was and waited forever with a crowd of people fighting to get a taxi. Luckily, I am a party of one and I shared (well later found out I didn't share at all) a cab with two other tourists. I found out later that taxi's in Greece combine people but charge the passengers the same amount and don't split it. So they can make DOUBLE of the same distance! sneaky.

I made it to my hotel where I was greeted by the nicest people. One was from Romania and she told me she loved Prague and went on a lot of family vacations there because at the time, that's the limit of how far you could travel when you lived in Romania. (That's another story).

I got a quick bite to eat nearby and had a greek salad. I might be the only one who thought this but the actual greek salad had no lettuce which I was used to. It was green bell peppers, tomatoes, red onions, and feta cheese. It was nice and light and I was ready to put on my bikini and find a nice beach. My hotel asked if I wanted to party party or have a calm relaxing beach. I said definitely calm. They said, "Oh the bus just left so it will be best to take a taxi to St. John's beach" So I ventured to the bus stop after many twists and turns, and tried to find a taxi. The one thing living in Europe has taught me was patience and to go with the flow. It was completely hectic and tourists everywhere. It was impossible to get a taxi as people would try to steal your cab and aggressive to get it. There were many buses coming and going and just chaotic. I asked the bus driver if this bus went to St. John's and he was like, " Yes, but 15 minutes". So I wait, buy a ticket, and 15 minutes later get on the bus that was labeled Paradise. In Greece, the bus drivers just want to get as many human bodies as possible on the bus and not at all care about people's safety. The bus was packed and the bus took off. It must be so stressful to be a bus driver in Mykonos because the streets are VERY narrow and steep. Also you have to deal with other cars and scooters. We finally made it to Paradise beach where I was ready to unwind in a quiet peaceful beach. To my surprise, when I got off the bus I heard club bumping music. Uh oh. I walked down the road that pointed beach and when I got to the beach it was a club on the beach. Great! It was like an Mtv spring break full of college kids. It would have been fun perhaps if I had my girlfriends with me, but since I was carrying my book and looking like a mom I just wanted to have some relaxing time. I saw a separate entrance on the left that was on the beach away from the club and had chairs and umbrellas. I sat and it was a nice beach and enjoyed the bumping house music.

That evening I went to town and saw a place where you can watch the sunset and have a cocktail. I found the BEST little spot to sit and have a cocktail right by the water. I had a blue hawaiian and watched the sunset. People applauded when the sun finally set. Besides the confusion of Paradise beach, it was a great day in Mykonos.

The next day, I went to the RIGHT beach and figured the bus system out to the T. I met a couple girls from the UK and they even said that I must be from around here since I know how the system works. I think from using public transportation for 1 year and in many different countries, you get the general gist of how it works and it's not as stressful as tourists make it to be. I got off at the right beach St. Johns and bought a chair and umbrella they have set up. Aw now that's what I'm talking about. Sunshine, crystal clear waters, and a beautiful beach. For lunch I had a fresh plate of hummus and pita bread with a coca cola light. In Europe they don't call it Diet Coke but Coca Cola Light. It was everything and more and I spent the whole day at the beach.

That evening I showered and went to Little Venice town to window shop. Then when sunset came back I sacrificed me dinner to go back to the cocktail bar and watch the sunset again. I this time sat upstairs with an amazing view of the water and the wind mills. I ordered a strawberry daiquiri but the bar tender said I should try something different like a peach, pineapple, or blackberry daiquiri. I'm easily persuaded and got the blackberry daiquiri. When it arrived (as you will see in the picture) it's covered in fruits. It was the best cocktail I have EVER had. I met a VERY nice couple from Scotland who were on vacation. One used to live in San Diego coaching football (soccer) for a year and lived in La Mesa. Talk about small world.

The next day, I had to pack up and head to Santorini by ferry. I was a bit nervous if I did this correctly as I bought the tickets online and only had a confirmation paper. I found the office and got my tickets for the ferry. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy. The ferry took 2 hours and I can't remember the last time I was on a boat. It was strange and I tried not to get sea sick by thinking it has the same bumps as a bus.

I made it to Santorini and my first impressions were "WOW look at the MASSIVE cliffs with houses lining down the sides. INSANE looking". Santorini, I have arrived.