Day 3 began with glorious weather and an 80 degree forecast. No worries, always a breeze from the shore. We decided to do the volcano and hot springs tour for a nice boat ride, a peek at the volcano and a look at the hot springs.
We descended on the cable cars to the old port of Santorini to be greeted by the endless trail of cruise passengers anxiously awaiting their ascent to buy yet more useless trinkets to take home. Doesn’t anyone read Rick Steves anymore? We waited around the narrow quay in the diesel fumes of many many boats with no escape. The next foul odor was the parade of 10 donkeys up the steep staircase and even worse, the stench of the man selling tickets for the ride!
Finally we left on the sailboat – less any sails – but had a most pleasant ride out. Halfway there we were told that it would be an additional 2.50 Euro each for the privilege of climbing the mountain looming in front of us.
After buying water on the boat – highly recommended by our tour guide – we left, happy that our wallets were a little lighter for the climb! All I can say is that it’s a good thing we had three weeks of training touring Paris and Venice behind us because this climb was not for the faint of heart. Many were seen from our boat making the return trip less than halfway up the black, lava, silt laden mountain and there were moments yours truly wondered if he would make it to the top. Even more worrisome was the thought of descending the slippery slopes on the return journey.
Ever perseverant, Don was the first to elect to go the last third of the way to the top after our rest at the sulfurous gassy stop where we were forced to listen to our guide telling us about the volcano’s history. Once finished she raced away from us back down the mountain with instructions to “Keep left!” with a wave goodbye over her receding shoulder.
Don chose the longer smoother route to the top when I spied the way back to the same which was considerably steeper but shorter and in a burst of newfound energy, ascended beating him to the top by seconds.
The trip back down was considerably faster – and steeper – and fortunately all the jutting rocks faced upwards so if you kept your feet under you, you could stop yourself from tumbling to the bottom. So far the equivalent of a total of 98 flights of stairs and counting! Ugh!
Once back aboard we were barraged with smokers trying to get their lungs in shape for the hot springs while I waited, desperate for a beer to wash down all the dust and sulfur fumes.
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A quick 30 minutes around the island and we saw the hot springs coming – or should I say the sulfurous mud pit? It seems everything to do with a volcano has something to do with sulfur! Again the warnings began, “Sulfur will eat your jewelry.” “Sulfur will permanently stain your clothing.” “It’s a half mile swim to the mud pit!” “Turn back now!”
Many hardier souls than us decided to brave the elements, some so skinny you could even see their bikinis beneath their huge bellies. The more svelte were invited to dive over the side before the ladder was put in place for the less agile.
Life rings were liberally thrown out for those who overestimated their swimming abilities and many returned well ahead of the departure time, heaving and gasping as they were pulled unceremoniously aboard by the guide and the boat crew. (One woman swore she would have made it if the boat hadn’t hit her. Really? We were tied to the boat next to us!)
A pleasant journey back followed, barring the smokers getting their lungs back into shape. (Has anyone mentioned that all the young people smoke in Europe? It was all I could do not to remind them that they’d soon be broke and hospitalized prior to a painful death.)
Fortunately we were on the opposite path of the cruise ship people again for our ascent in the cable cars. The line back down the hill was easily a quarter of a mile long with people admiring their worthless trinkets and custom made sandals while we cruised right to the top of the hill and had a pleasant walk to our hotel, downhill for a change, for an afternoon of hot tubbing and sunset.
Day 3 was a hit all the way around and day 4 had to be just as good, right?
