We say goodbye, Santorini

Hello again from Milos! We arrived via ferry from Santorini. Let's see, after the day of wine, black sand and the nice evening in Oia, we awoke in the wonderful Hotel Antonios to frappes (Greek coffee drink) made by our wonderful hotel owner who had saved us from near-homeless-ness that day prior after our many mix ups.

Today it was time to be a package tourist! So many sights here are unlabeled and few people are helpful in helping you find your way, so we thought maybe on a tour we'd accomplish more. We did what everyone told us and walked down to the old port to meet our ship. It was 588 steps, yes please very enjoyable, we were told. After being knocked around by passing donkeys and their keepers, we thought around ever corner, this HAS to be the end of these stairs! But no, it really was 588 steps down. I literally thought my legs were going to fall off. Or that I might die if I didn't faint first from the blistering heat. Ugh. But we finally made it there and we got on an old ship and sailed to volcanic craters.

We hiked... More.... To the top of ancient rocks and craters, which was pretty cool. Then we sailed to the hot springs created by the heat of the volcano. It was so weird and muddy but really cool. It made my skin feel weird and left orange residue on my bathing suit.

We just about collapsed when we finally made it back to our room. My legs are still aching from the steep stairs and the hike up the volcano!!!

Yesterday we hit the beach, Perissa, to be precise. It was also black sand, as many of these beaches are because of all the volcanic activity Santorini has seen. It was fun to swim in the clear water. We capped off our last night in Santorini with the best lamb I think I've ever had and some refreshing Santorini wine. Then we PASSED OUT. This heat makes me so tired.

Today, before we hit the ferry for Milos, we visited the Archealogical Museum, which houses amazing finds from, like, 4000 years ago! Because of the volcanic eruptions, entire societies have been completely preserved under lava. Their society in even 1600 BC was so evolved. So many pieces of pottery, clay and wall are just sitting in this dingy, humid museum, not even covered in glass! I heard that many museums in Greece do not properly care for their artifacts, and this museum, among so, so many others we've visited, have proven this rumor true.

I'm growing tired as we pull into the third week of the trip. Greek manner is so abrupt, so loud, so unconcerned and it can prove tiring to complete seemingly simple tasks that involve others. I'm also tired of the lack of sewage or clean bathrooms, even at fancy hotels and restaurants. Didn't they have aqueducts way back when? What happened to those?

It's that natural lull in any trip, and I'm looking forward to getting to Milos, which is a bit less crowded with European tourists... Hopefully...

Until then, I'll finish this ferry ride by watching the rocky rocking of the Aegean Sea....