The next few days consisted of us staying at granddads whilst we looked for campervans, ate like pigs as well as doing all the things that we needed to sort out whilst we had free accommodation and internet. Plus rejuvenate ourselves for a couple of weeks with Ben & Jackie whom maybe are a little more active than us so we needed to prepare ourselves as much as we could. We had a rather early start to make sure we were up in time and we kindly woken up by grandad yelling “get up, get up” walking past our room in his underpants! Finally made it to the airport in record time as sat around for a few hours waiting for our flight to Istanbul where Ben and Jackie were going to meet us.
We landed slightly later than we thought and were really hoping B&J were waiting for us to get a taxi into town as we had no idea where we were staying or anything and knowing us, our hotel would be in the backstreets of nowhere. Luckily as we walked out, we saw blondes sitting there and knew everything would go to plan. After an intense taxi ride, we arrived at the hostel which was in the old town of Istanbul and really close to major tourist’s spots... even the top of the hostel looked out over the Blue Mosque and the Haghia Sophia. So after unpacking a little, we decided to head up to the bar and catch up on the goss before we planned to go out for dinner. Needless to say, some people might have hit the beeries slightly harder than expected, which might have included Jason spitting beer out all over Jackie, so dinner ended up being at the hostel followed by a few shih’s, some yogurt choc (hey yog’s) and then some Russian vodka in the room just to end the night on a high note! Well that was until we woke up to find Ben had unknowingly stolen Jason’s pants and put them on his bed.... thankfully Jase wasn’t wearing them at the time.
Next day we were awoken to B&J coming home from a run at ridic o’clock so we had a nice early start to the tourist sites. First of all we headed to the Blue Mosque, then to Haghia Sophia followed by the Palace. Just as we arrived at the palace, the rains set in and we were stranded in the gardens getting soaking wet whilst in more a less a white t-shirt – real fun! After that and attempting to dry ourselves off we made our way to the Grand Bazaar to get some food and have a look around. However before we arrived I managed to walk under a restaurant umbrella just as a guy walked past and knocked all the water sitting there onto me. Just great! We grabbed a feed from a restaurant in the bazaar, Ben bought another poof and then we decided to head over to the spice market to grab some authentic Turkish delight for everyone detouring by the University so we could all find somewhere to pee. After the Spice Market and Jackie demanding that she taste test as much as she could, we headed over the bridge to go and try Baklava at a famous cafe as I had never had some before. After a rather intense day of sightseeing, we headed back to the hostel to recoup and prepare ourselves for a night out. Ben did all the research into finding out where this bar was and after 30 mins of getting the tram and then train, we ended up in the slums of Istanbul with locals staring at us, can’t speak any English and me slipping on a dead rat in the middle of the street. We really didn’t think that this expensive bar would be in the area so managed to hail a cab which then took us back more or less to the starting point – for this we will never forgive Google maps! The bar was lovely and had some great views overlooking the city, especially at sunset. Knowing how expensive the drinks were at this bar, we weren’t game to eat there, so headed out to a restaurant recommended to us - however clearly this wasn’t our night and after 45 mins of walking up and down this one street, a few arguments and a bruised knee later, we decided to eat at any old place which of course just happened to be the one of the crappest places on the road.
Next day we got a morning river cruise to take us around and across to the Asian side of the town which was really nice and a great way to get some sun, and read a book that I just wasn’t able to put down. We then decided to end the relaxing morning with a Turkish bath so we randomly picked one out that was close to the hostel and headed there. As we entered the bath, we saw pictures of Kate Moss and other celebrities hanging on the way so Jase and I knew we might be in for a rather expensive arvo. We then had to choose which package we wanted and the girls choose a wash, bath, scrub and massage whilst the boys just opted for the steam and scrub. All I can really say is what I experienced was waiting 20mins sitting in the bathing room, a fat lesbian whale with no bra on and granny pants with holes and a rash walked in and started washing herself. She then donned this black swimsuit, getting naked in front of us, and then yelled at me to lie down whilst she continued to throw water over me and strip me naked in front of everyone (Jackie being 2m away) and then washed and scrubbed me everywhere... nothing was sacred! I finished slightly earlier than Jackie and was led to a room to get changed and sat their quietly in the room for 10 mins reflected on what had just happened. Jackie then came into the room and without saying a word we broke out in laughter wondering what experience the boys had just been put through. We then walked out to find the boys giggling and drinking beers on the step, reflecting on their man love experiences! All I can say is that for 40 Euro I want my next Lesbian rub down to be slightly less violating! On a high after the day’s activities, we continued to have a few beers and shisha’s and decided that a quiet night in the hostel might be the best option as we were flying out the next morning. A quiet night was an understatement as we drank litres of beer, messed with the hotel staff and then continued to take over the bar in a major karaoke session led by Jase and Ben plugging their iPod up to the stereo, standing on the steps yelling out at everyone! This was whilst Jackie and I played a game with some other travellers where she was voted the most likely to have Herpes! J
Surprisingly enough we all woke up feeling like crap and a few had an odd spew so as we had to wait a few hours before the taxi came, we all decided to do a group outing to find a McDonalds and get a grease fix to sober us up. We then got the airport and flew to Crete via Athens which more or less took up most of the day. The next day was a early start (5.30am) as we decided to walk Samaria Gorge which is a 16km walk and to ensure we weren’t walking in the height of the summer sun we decided to go early. The walk itself wasn’t too hard at all just long and a little boring although very pretty, however at the end of it we had planned to sunbathe at the local beach for a few hours before the ferry left so we knew we could relax after a hard day’s work. The beach was very pretty however rocks that were burning hot and as we only had trainers on getting to and from the sea proved to be problematic, I actually had issues getting out of the sea due to the rocks and walking so far, so at one point Ben and Jase had to drag me out... a great sight I assure you! Jase on the other hand decided not to wet his trainers so sat in the sea for the entire 5 hours which seemed like a great idea until we caught the ferry and saw just how sunburnt he was.
Next day we wandered around Chania and then got the bus to Rythmno which was again another old town in Crete. Nothing much happened here other than us going to the wrong beach and ended up swimming at the sewage hole outlet rather than the white sands which was located just another 5 mins up! The next day we headed to Iraklio which was where we planned to catch the ferry to Santorini however as we hadn’t got the tickets already and planned to go the next day we decided it might be a good times to start looking into ferry times and prices. This ended up being a disaster as all the ferries were booked out and after panicking we decided that maybe doing a day trip tour might be our only option... which it was and luckily we snapped up the last 4 seats on the boat, at a premium of course however at least we were all booked. That afternoon, B&J went off to Knossos so Jase and I wondered around the town and toured the fort before catching up for dinner and having a early night as everyone was worried about getting sea sick.
We got on the ferry nice and early and honestly it was lucky we weren’t hungover as within 10 minutes of departure, the sea got rather rough and then the vomiting started to happen. It started with one little boy near B&J which then flowed onto everyone in the vicinity heaving into paper bags and chucking up in the sinks as all the toilets were full. We were seated by the toilets, and this made for hours of entertainment watching over 50 people go green and Ben having to listen to his iPod with his eyes closed for fear of hearing people vomit. We then arrived in Santorini and did a one day bus tour seeing a few of the local towns before getting dropped off at our town and checking into our hotel. At one of the towns we had 3 hours and as it was so hot we decided to walk down to the old port for a swim and then walk back - yes it was fine walking down and then going for a swim but walking back up quite steep 350 steps... I was back to being just as hot as before! The hotel was really nice and just a few metres from the Caldera which meant we got great views of the sunset whilst having a few drinks/a bottle of gin at the hotel before heading out to dinner.
The next day we had a look around the town in the morning and then had booked a boat ride to the Volcano and Hot Springs. As we arrived at the Volcano the plan was to walk up to the top, however as we arrived and feeling the heat Jase might have commented that it’s the same scenery at the bottom as it was at the top and really do we need to hike it, however after seeing B&J more or less run up there, we felt that we really should. We then went to swim at the hot springs which would have been refreshing other than the fact you’re swimming around in warm water that was brown, so we quickly swam in and then swam back out to the cold water which was a lot nicer. That night we decided to hire some ATV’s and we headed to Oia to watch the sunset whilst having an amazing dinner and fabulous view just us 2. The night was going so well until the ATV decided not to start and it took Jase nearly 15 mins to get the thing going but at least we made it home.. Well just really, as I managed to lose an earring and burn the side of the helmet as it slipped off the back and I didn’t notice until we started to smell something burning!
As we had the ATV’s, the next day we decided to do some beach hopping and drove across the island in the slowest ATV’s possible, leaning forwards as much as we could going uphill to try not to slow down every man and his dog trying to overtake us. After a few wrong turns, we finally arrived at Red Beach which was very nice however there really wasn’t that much red, and after scrambling over big rocks to go for a swim we decided to move on to another beach and get some lunch. Although Jackie did refuse to take off her helmet on most occasions which resulted in us calling her the special kid and window licker as she just sat there on the ATV with the helmet on, her sarong cape and a big grin n her face. The next beach was a lot nicer but the sand so blisteringly hot which meant you had to be really hot and need a swim if your feet were going to brave the sand. We then decided to stop off at a few wineries and taste test some of the local produce which was really nice, well it was until we saw this obese American woman sitting there with no knickers on, and of course Jacks and I were conned into buying some wine for our last night in Santorini. We then stopped off at another winery, a slightly larger one, where we got a tasting plate with 6 glasses of wine and some cheese whilst overlooking the caldera which was truly stunning. A great way to finish off the last day and so we went back to the hotel and had some drinks and a bottle of our new wine overlooking the sunset. By this point the wine’s effects were starting to catch up with Jacks so we went in search of dinner and found the best lamb Kleftiko in a cheapish restaurant in town. Of course on our way home I had to look in another shoe shop, well that was until Jackie came in yelling that all the shoes were ugly in there and we had to leave and go to a pub, exactly what we needed, where we were promised free shots and when the hostess didn’t deliver, Jackie wasn’t impressed!
Next day we got the boat to Mykonos which unfortunately wasn’t as eventful as the previous ferry however loved the town with all the little side streets filled with very expensive clothes. Shoe shopping certainly wasn’t an option for me! We walked around a little and then had a quick swim in the sea before meeting up with B&J for dinner and some ice cream whilst watching the Aussies pour out of the local Walkabout Bar chanting “Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi”... they really didn’t showcase us in the best light. We then attempted to head home, however the girls and boys got slightly spilt up and of course us girls made it home sooner than the boys (even after a touch of shopping) as we asked for directions! Though I’ve since found out Ben and Jase just holed up in a bar for a little while before coming home!
The next day was a sunbathing day and eventually caught the bus to Paradise beach to sit with all the beautiful people and get our tans on. The day was very interesting with plenty of topless sunbathing and even 2 men sunbathing and swimming totally naked. The beach was packed and even as we arrived we saw a few people there from the night before passed out on lilos. So, ready for our final night in Mykonos we headed home and donned our posh frocks for a night out on the town. After having a few drinks in the garden, we staggered out to find a nice restaurant in Little Venice where Jase and Jackie decided to have ANOTHER feast of Lamp Chops and Greek Salad respectively whilst bantering about who had their meal the most often. We then wandered to a bar with cheap shots and had a few before Ben decided he needed another Gyros (3rd one for the day). Unfortunately the night turned a little sour after this as B&J went to get some food and I left thinking everyone was behind us however with the crowds and Jase’s great orienteering skills we all got separated. We all managed to find our way home, however some (no names Jase) managed to be a little later than some and so wasn’t the happiest of campers. Oops!
We then we off to Athens, again by boat for B&J’s last night in Greece before they had to head off back home. So we finally made it to the hostel, no thanks to the Rail maintenance which meant we had to get a bus most of the way and just hoped we were on the right one. Made it to the hotel and had our last meal overlooking the Acropolis with Ben playing with a stray cat and Jackie following every South American man hoping to find a cheap handbag for the 7 Euros she had in her pocket! We then went via a really cool Ouzirie, after sitting in the street having a few beers of course, where we drank away some expensive Amaretto and smoked some cigars.
We really had a great 2 weeks and although Yog’s and Cracky might have waited around for James and Rudey a little, we hope you had a great time and can’t wait to see you in May for the Wedding! We must admit that when we smell a lemons we cant help but think of you both layering it on everytime we looked at you.
PS: Greek Salads officially suck, who the hell eats them 5 days straight! And yes a Santorini salad is going to be classed a Greek Salad. I have the last word! ;-)
