~ Santorini and Ios ~

Ah Santorini… The Greek island that seems to conquer a comer of everyone’s imagination, long before one has even set their eyes on it. It is easy to tell why. The amazing pictures that you have seen? They hardly even do it justice. With multicoloured cliffs soaring over 300m from a sea-drowned caldera, resting in the middle of the indigo Aegean, Santorini looks like a giant slab of layered cake. 
The first thing we did on arrival (and maybe the best thing) was meet our amazing bus driver Stavros. He was hilarious. Everything you could imagine and more from a Greek old man. He would say the most ridiculous, best things I’ve ever heard. In fact every time I got back on the bus I sat up the front to be able to hear him! Things like “nice man and good driver, but not very strong or sexy man”, “big bus but small man, maybe 1 meter, 1 meter 5” and “she is married, but he no Greek so no good”. Everything that came out of his mouth was gold.  
Once we were settled into our accommodation we went on an orientation walk and took in some of the views. Then we had a sunset dinner overlooking the lagoon and volcano! The food was delicious – we shared a dish with lamb, potatoes, cheese and salad and Moussaka. We had a shot as a nightcap at a chemistry bar – they used liquid nitrogen to make the outside cold but the inside was still liquid and it was served on a spoon. Delicious!! 

For our second day we went with our group on a day bus-trip to see all the highlights this awesome island has to offer! Unfortunately it started off a bit frustratingly with a ridiculous breakfast at the black beach. We waited over an hour for an average meal when all everyone wanted to do was swim! But after this, it was great! We went swimming and exploring both the black and then the red beach! 

Then we went back to the hostel to get dressed up for dinner. First stop was Santo winery where we tasted 3 of their most famous wines and then explored some of their grounds which had beautiful views overlooking the water. 

Then we headed on to Oia, the most beautiful village with the most famous view point on the island – probably the romance capital of Greece and home to some of the most spectacular sunsets in the world. After some of us got lost along the way (I promise not our fault, there was a bucket load of people going in every direction imaginable) we made our way down to the lookout, where we pretty much took over given the sheer number of us, and we settled in for our sunset picnic. We enjoyed our dips, wine and gyros as the sun started to set and people started to try and capture “the most romantic photo” which was our challenge for the night. To try and achieve this various members of our tour started “proposing” to each other which received cheers and applause from the onlookers! Lucky for us, the sun disappeared behind some haze and most people cleared out. Lucky because the sky changed and we witnessed a stunning sunset with clear views! Shocking given most of our sunset experiences so far!! 

After the sunset we pottered back through the beautiful winding streets of Oia to our waiting bus. Along the way we heard someone shouting our names and running towards us! It was a friend from university! We didn’t even know she was there but she spotted is from across the street!! What a small world. 

Our third day in Santorini was a bit messy for our poor tour group that was meant to be leaving today as their boat was canceled. Lucky for us we were staying an extra two nights in Santorini and catching the next group that came through so we didn’t have to worry. Everyone else however was stressed, didn’t find out till lunch whether or not the boat was actually cancelled, had to find new accommodation…it was crazy. Our tour guide was amazing though – Kelly sorted everything! While all the madness was going on, the girls and I took the opportunity to stroll around this beautiful town. We took random alleyways and explored the streets and shops, made a few little purchase from a lovely family-owned jewelry store and took a million photos. Then we had a girls dinner with a great bunch from our tour and Kelly. We went back to the restaurant where we had enjoyed dinner the first night and had the best saganaki yet! We chatted the night away, it was lovely. 

We woke up early on our last day in Santorini to say goodbye to Kelly and our group! We were sad to not be continuing on with them but glad we had an extra few days to relax! We went on a boat trip to the Volcanic island – Nea Kameni. We had a short guided tour when we first stepped onto the parkland and then enjoyed about 45 minutes to stroll around the lunar-like landscape and the picturesque dark volcanic cliffs cutting a contrast against the blue waves of the Aegean Sea. Our tour then continued to the volcano’s hot springs for a relaxing and reviving “bath” or swim. The naturally warm waters were created from volcanic activity and are said to have medicinal powers against skin and bone disease. It was nice but mostly felt like swimming in mud. You didn’t really realize how warm it was however until you had to swim back, through the colder water, to get to that boat!

We finished our lovely Santorini experience with what else? Another sunset! We went with the other two girls who had stayed for an extra few nights in Santorini, purchased some falafel wraps and wine and went down to watch the sunset. Spectacular colours and great conversations was the perfect way to end our time on this stunning island. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time for our final destination of our Greek island hopper – Ios! We pulled up to this great little island which has long been linked to sun, sea and nonstop booze-fueled partying. But it was much more than that and the traditionally hilltop town with its winding streets was our first sign of this! 

Our recommended accommodation, Far Out Beach Club, was an insane resort. There were multiple pools, beach right out front with all kinds of water sports and a club! We were again booked into these little “hut” like structures, this time smaller than the ones in Mykonos but we had to fit three people in them! Thankfully our pals had been ridiculously upgraded and generously let me stay in their spare bed as well as let us use their place for getting ready/relaxing! It was luscious and made such a difference, otherwise we would have been sleeping with our bags at the end of our beds.

 We spent our afternoon relaxing on the golden sand and by the pool. That night we joined our new tour group for some pizza before we headed into Ios town. We started off at fun pub where we played Giant Jenga and beer pong, then we moved into the ting winding streets where an amazing art of clubs are bars were hiding. We went to a basketball club, a bar where you get hit in the head with whatever the bartenders can find (fire hydrant, chair, skateboard), a bar where a lady puts paint on her hand a slaps you in the face, a Star Wars themed bar, circus bar.. Apparently there is 150 to choose from. And to top it all off each of them has their own t-shirt/shot challenge. Max and I came home with 5 each. Killed it! 

After an amazing and interesting night we decided to spend our second day in Ios by going on a kayak adventure! We suited up and paddled for about 20 minutes to a secluded rocky cove where we enjoyed a few hours of snorkeling, swimming and even some scuba diving (which was a little bit terrifying to start with but the instructor did everything – you jut hard to breathe!). Our guides made us a delicious barbecue lunch and salad! The only dramatic thing was when one poor girl was bashed against the rocks when there was unexpected waves created by another boat! She was fine in the end but I bet it hurt! We were well and truly ready to leave the rock (as we started baking in the sun) when it was time to paddle off to our next destination. About another ten minutes on and we had made it to a secluded little beach. It was stunning! Sand and sun, not many people (although the ones that were there were nudists) and clear water! It was worth the paddle back to shore! 
We did not have the energy to check out the clubs for a second night in a row, so we decided to head up to a Mexican restaurant that someone had recommended. It was so great! There were terrific ocean views, live music, delicious food with huge servings and sangria! It was an excellent evening to celebrate a lovely holiday with friends new and old! Again we were wondering how it was possible that ten days ago we did not know these great people!! 

~ Mykonos and Paros ~

After enjoying an overnight layover in Madrid (we stayed at a lovely hotel just near the airport for next to nothing!) it was time for our big fat Greek holiday to begin!! Not many places in the world can compete with the crystal clear waters, Heavenly-white walls, and gorgeously paved stone paths of the Greek Islands.
We arrived in Athens in the late afternoon and had a pre-tour meet-and-greet at our hostel AthenStyle rooftop bar, right in the Monastiraki area (super lively at night). With a stunning and unobstructed view of the Acropolis, we met our new bubbly tour guide Kelly as well as two Aussie girls who would be with us the whole trip (also staying an extra two nights in Santorini)! After the formalities were over, we went off to grab some food and an early night sleep before our 5.30am bus the next day! We enjoyed our first (but most probably not last) Greek saganaki and wine – again with a beautiful view and the Acropolis and the sunset – sometimes you have to pinch yourself! 


After dragging ourselves out of bed and joining the rest of our group sleepily standing/sitting/draped on either side of the street, the ferry to Mykonos was not the most social situation. Pretty much everyone was either sleeping with their heads on tables or curled up somewhere on the floor! Certainly not conducive to getting to know each other! 

Now, I don’t know what you’ve heard about Mykonos, but whatever it is, it’s probably true. The island is, in censored terms, batty. One isn’t meant to sleep or have down time in Mykonos because the island pretty much revolves around its nightlife. We stayed at Paradise Beach Resort which had its own beachfront and nightclub, and was a bit like a camp site. Our “room” was a wooden tent like structure just big enough to fit us and all our things. We had two rooms – one for Max and one for Roisin and I – because booking was a complete hassle and most everything was sold out months in advance, this tent was most likely going to be our most expensive accommodation of the whole trip! 

Our first afternoon was spent exploring the resort and enjoying the “beach” and people watching. I use quotation marks simply because they are never quite like the beaches back home. More pebbles and rocks than anything – yet still beautiful. We got a few cocktails and enjoyed listening to Kelly regale us with Greek mythology stories about Zeus, Athena, Posideln and more! We headed off into town to try some local cuisine at a traditional restaurant, it was delicious! We shared two starter plates of Greek food – one hot and one cold. After dinner we had a walking tour to see some of what the island has to offer – famous windmills, white washed cobbled streets, fab shopping and super friendly locals. Unfortunately we enjoyed dinner so much that we missed seeing the sun set behind the windmills.. Our luck with sunsets has been fairly consistent throughout the trip so far! We finished the night at some fun bars and clubs on the island with some stunning views and serious tunes. Although I would say they are much more lax than back home, one bar let in a 12yo and two 7yo looking girls…when in Greece! 
Our second day in Mykonos was stunning. We decided to embrace all this island paradise had to offer. We slept in, lazed around on the beach, frolicked in the water, explored the winding streets of the town and window shopped – pure bliss. 

The evening kicked off with pizzas and moved on to Guapa Loca, the on-site night club for a paint party! Everyone’s faces were paint d with glow in the dark paint and the party (which was every bit as “loca” as it sounds) went until sunrise — us, not so much. We were having a great time dancing around with our tour group (and some guy who just loved the dance poles a tad too much) until Roisin and I felt like heading to bed. We let Max know and made our way towards the door when Max started spinning towards us saying she would come as well. Next thing I knew she had spun into a wall and was holding her head asking if she was bleeding and demanding that we help her keep the blood off her shorts. The hostel staff were actually amazing, they saw us clearly fluffing around unsure exactly where to start with blood running down Max’s face and they came to the rescue! They did a patch up job and gave us more water than we could want. They encouraged us to go to the hospital suggesting Max may need stitches. Although she was 100% sure we did NOT need to go, I though we should and the front desk called a taxi. Max was insistent that Kelly came down to suss out the injury because she wasn’t going to go anywhere unless Kelly said so! With Kelly’s blessing, we were on our way (in a taxi by the way) to the hospital. First off the taxi driver was not at all impressed to be taking us. At first maybe this was fair, I think he thought we were all totally blind and the hospital trip was required because we were sick. However he kept going on about how we should have an ambulance not a taxi.. I mean none of this was our idea, the hostel was the one that rang the taxi! At this point I think he calmed down a little, maybe we did too. The hospital itself was another matter. It was like an abandoned hospital. There was no triage or system to speak of. There was a little waiting room with two groups of people before us and a lady with “BAE – Bacon and Eggs” on her shirt would come out and call next. Max emerged a little while later with some stitches and we all trudged home. An interesting experience but one I think we all could have done without.

~~~~~

Onto Paros, perhaps one of the lesser known islands. Those who do know Paros describe it as more of a “chill” island.
Paros went on to become my favorite island because it was exactly the pace I liked. The beach views were insane and there was little guilt in spending 6+ hours lounging at beach, eating amazing food, and watching multiple sunsets. Our ferry trip to Paros was again less than pleasant. The boat we running late, we thought Max might die (probably just a concussion but she didn’t look well) and everyone was a touch hungover. But from the moment we arrived in Paros things started looking up. 
We stayed at Elisabeth Pension, and Lily (the crazy Irish lady) was as entertaining as Kelly warned us. She swears and rants and just bangs on into your room, no warning! But whatever she says, she seemed to mean it with love, so we were just prepared to be offended entertained. She was very worried over Max and her fresh stitches! 
While Max got some rest, myself, Roisin and the rest of the Busabout crew went to Nick’s Hamburgers. Not only was this place recommend by Kelly, but also New York Times, Lets Go Greece, Greece on 25 $ a day, Le Guide Du Routard, Trotters etc. I can tell you this is because they are actually delicious and for really great prices! It was apparently the first fast food restaurant in Paros. After our feast we went back and had an amazing nap! 
For dinner tonight we went off to Krios Lounge, situated on a beachfront with beautiful sunset views, for a 4-course dinner. While we waited for our food we took in the beautiful beach in front of us with kids in their floaties, families playing, people swimming and sunbathing as the sun began to set. 

Our meal consisted of a variety of homemade dips and a feta-filled fried pastry, pasta, meat and veggies and home made ice cream. All delicious! The night was topped off with a dancing session where the staff taught us how to do some Greek dancing and then some plate-smashing! “OPA!”. 

As we left, Kelly told us two stories about how plate-smashing came to be. One was about a family who were quite well off. They saw a poor family and felt sorry for them, so they invited them over for dinner once a week and they became friends. The poorer family felt they were still only inviting them because they felt sorry for them and started to get angry! The other family tried to insist that that may have been the reason the dinners started but they had become friends now! In order to convince them, they invited them to break the plates in an effort to prove that friendship is everything! The second story was that wearily families started simply throwing plates instead of washing them and now it’s a tradition for celebrations – weddings, turning 50, babies beings born!

Without a doubt, one of the most memorable things we have done is the AntiParos Island Boat Cruise which is a day-long excursion that takes you sailing around the insanely blue waters of the Aegean Sea, to a private beachfront where you grill up some souvlaki (Greek specialty), play beach volleyball, and just relax, before getting back on the boat to sail to more dive-worthy gems, and then finally back to Paros. It was an incredible, luxurious day. 

When we got back to Paros in the evening we spent a little bit of time exploring it’s streets and enjoyed another Nick’s Burger (nomnomnom) while we watched the sunset. Then it was time for some dancing! We had the MOST amazing night dancing away to the greatest selection of 80s/90s music and topped it all off with a little bit of karaoke – my kind of night!

~ Essaouria ~ 
Today we had a whole day to explore Essaouria! So we got up super early to do something very exciting – our washing (it’s the little things)! After this we did something that was actually exciting, we went horse riding! We were picked up from our hotel and driving to a small ranch type thing on a river that ran into the ocean. The stables we quite cute and the horses were beautiful. We were all introduced to our horses, taught some simple commands and saddled up. We went on a one hour ride down to the beach and back. It was beautiful riding in and next to the water. Lucky for me my horse was terrifically behaved and we managed a little trotting and cantering. The horses Roisin and Max were riding bucked and became a bit scared when the quad bikes came close to us, but otherwise it was smooth sailing. We ran into a herd of goats with some dogs and no people. Our guides said these goats and dogs go for a walk each day – about 4 or 5kms and then the dogs brought them back home! How cute! 

After our stint being apart of the Saddle Club we headed back into town for lunch and to properly explore the UNESCO-listed medina. We each enjoyed a delicious panini for lunch before going exploring. Initially we were trying to find the setting of Game of Throne’s “Astapor”, we became a little turned around in the winding streets and thought we were lost. However, much later, we found out we HAD made it to the right place but the area to access it was closed off for repairs. Thankfully for us any city gait leads to the medina, so you’re unlikely to get too lost. 

We made our way to the old port where we explored the Ramparts or defensive walls that guard a small castle. There were canons still intact and beautiful seaside views. We finished our exploring with a well deserved ice cream! Max returned to the hotel while Roisin and I went to explore more of the medina and the shops! We didn’t purchase anything but had fun poking around all the stores.

Tonight we had another amazing experience of Moroccan hospitality. We were invited to one of Mohamed’s friends house who, together with his wife who is a chef, run Moroccan cooking classes. We did not have enough time to participate in a class but they still wanted to make us a delicious meal. Again we were invited into their home with welcome arms and given another delicious meal! We have been so completely spoilt! After we had finished eating his adorable children came and joined us in the room. We chatted and laughed and played with the kids – one of them was having a great time DJing using Max’s phone. It was adorable. 

~ Ait Benhaddou to Essaouria ~
Surprisingly enough, given today was our longest drive, we were all looking forward to today after Mohamed’s lovely offer of lunch at his home. We certainly couldn’t complain about the view for our 6 h 2 min (373.1 km) drive. The start of our journey was truly stunning as we traversed the high Atlas Mountains. We made a small stop at an Argan oil cooperative where the women showed us how the make the oil and the different things it can be used for! We even got to taste a peanut butter and honey version – actually quite delicious! We made a quick stop at a supermarket and we wanted to bring something to Mohamed’s house – never show up empty handed! We chose a try of 36 little cakes! 

Let’s just say – lunch was amazing. Mohamed’s wife and sister-in-law greeted us at the door with huge, warm smiles. They welcomed us into their guest dining room where we were invited to sit, given drinks and had every offer of help refused! The food they put in front of us – wow! It more than filled the table and it was scrumptious. Easily the best meal we had enjoyed so far! And the best thing? This was the first meal that all of us actually ate in days! Success! After we had eaten as much as we possibly could fit (honestly there didn’t appear to be much of a dent but we were stuffed!!) they brought our dessert! But it was not the ones we had purchased! They had already made their own! At least they had a few (…36…) desserts to enjoy themselves later! 

Mohamed’s wife and sister-in-law then invited us girls into a separate room to draw henna on us. It was so lovely to sit and chat with them, about our lives and theirs – both teachers – and Mohamed came in halfway through bearing their wedding photo album for us to all look at! They were stunning! It felt very special to be invited so warmly into their home. We thanked them profusely as we said our fond farewells and continued on our journey. 

We made one final stop on our way to Essaouria for a beautiful panoramic view of the city. When we disembarked from the bus we were bombarded with offers for camel rides. We tried to politely decline and make our way to make some photos. Roisin however, decided not to wear shoes when we got out of the bus and there was glass all over the ground. In a show of selfless generosity, one of the camel spruikers have her his shoes to use while we took some photos! 

Essaouria itself is like a colourful fishing town. It is situated within 15th century Portuguese fortifications, with wide beaches and apparently great surf. After we had settled into our hotel we met downstairs for an evening stroll to explore the medina and have some dinner. We walked up and down the first few main streets which were littered with people and shops. Leather, woodcarvings, art, jewelry, spices, food, souvenirs – anything you could imagine. We were a little dizzy from all the noise and colour and headed back towards the hotel for dinner. We found a delicious Italian restaurant called Gusto (we all needed a little break from Moroccan food, and nothing would be able to top the lunch we had). We had live music, a delicious feed and great conversation.

~ Sahara Desert to Todgra Gorge ~
We were up bright and early this morning as we left the Sahara and the Berber camp. We were going to ride the camels to a particular point in the Sahara to watch the sunrise, it was beautiful! Max and another one of our tour mates took the quad bike back to Merzouga from this point as they were too unwell to ride the camels! The remaining four of us enjoyed the hour trek back, laughing and bouncing around. I was still trying to avoid the snotty camel behind me. 

Back at the base, there was a lovely breakfast spread (as well as Max and Paige) waiting for us! Unfortunately for me, this is when my stomach decided to take a turn for the worst. Nothing like sharing the sickness love. As a result most of this day is quite hazy for me. Stan the Van took us the … to Todra Gorge and we had a few view-point stops along the way. We arrived and checked into our hotel, which by all accounts was stunning with a beautiful pool and poolside patio. I tried mostly to sleep. 

In the late afternoon we went for a walk through the Gorge. This 1,000ft gorge is hemmed in on all sides by vertical orange limestone cliffs and is nicknamed Morocco’s Grand Canyon. Some points are just wide enough for a crystal-clear river and single-file trekkers to squeeze through. As we walked through the Gorge there were hundreds of people enjoying the evenings warm weather. There were families sitting on a rug on some rocks that were peaking out from the water, a group of boys sitting atop plastic chairs in the river playing guitars, children running and climbing everywhere, people washing their clothes, souvenir vendors and just generally relaxing and socialising! It was quite a lovely place. 

While we were walking a dog decided to join us. We tried to send him away/back where he had come from but he wasn’t having a bar of it. The poor thing was covered in fleas and we felt bad for him but there was not much we could do. He would bark and run after/in front of every car that came past so we tried to warn them as they approached. Some drivers berated us for not putting him on a leash as we tried to explain that he was not our dog! He even followed Max when she climbed up a bunch of rocks. We were nervous he was going to jump in Stan the Van with us when we couldn’t even shake him when we all climbed into the cliff for a photo! Thankfully he got distracted by some others playing in the water and we made our escape! 

When we arrived back at the hotel it was time for dinner – I tried to sit out with the others but still feeling unwell I turned in for the night.