[theexperthand]

Excellent! I was really missing your blogs -Happy to see a new Yeti blog.

Now the game of F5 starts - poor keyboard. Ha!

[Sam Kapasi]

Wow !

there you are!

Good to see you back!

It is really nice that Sam you are back

Wow! A yetiBlog!

Thanks everyone. It's good to be back.

Are you Greek?
I'm sorry says Jenny what?
Are you Greek asks the lady at the check-in counter.
No. She giggles pointing at the maroon passport. I'm German.

I'm wondering what's going on. We've handed over our passports to the very pleasant lady at the Olympic Airways check-in counter and she has opened Jenny's passport first.

Kapasi is Greek name.

Really? This time I speak up. Aa..a..a..actually it's my name.
She smiles at me.
Do you actually know any Kapasis in Greece? asks Jenny incredulously
Oh yes, plenty. It is Greek name.


I give this "You-see-what-a-great-surname-I-gave-you" look to my wife. I could be Greek too!

The story continues: Santorini is an unusual volcanic island. Here is what Wikipedia says

Santorini is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion, destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and leading to the creation of the current geological caldera. A giant central lagoon, more or less rectangular, and measuring about 12 by 7 km, is surrounded by 300 m high steep cliffs on three sides. The island slopes downward from the cliffs to the surrounding Aegean Sea.

Putting it plainly, it was a regular island, all edges beach/sea level and the centre about 400m above the ground.

When the volcano exploded it was like somebody took a giant spoon and scooped out most of the island, leaving a rather strange and thin looking crescent. One side of the crescent is at seal level and the other side is simply, 300m cliffs.

Of course in true greek fashion (out of their extreme love for sea and sun) most homes and settlements are built on the CLIFF side. Everyone has a view!!

More later.

We step out of this little sleepy airport and right at the gate there are some car rental places. I turn to look at Jenny.

Really? Don't you just want to get a taxi?
We look outside together. It is awfully quiet outside. Doesn't look like there will be a taxi.

We step up to the Europcar counter (just!) and speak to a pleasant lady called Hannah.
In Santorini you will realise that you need your own transport if you want to look around. This is clear. She says.
Well, I don't want any fancy cars, I'm looking for basic transport.

She points out to a few on her sheet with photos.
I want a medium sized car with 4 doors.
Take a Nissan Micra.

I look back at her. That's not a medium car! That's SMALL!

In Greece it is medium, she says smiling. Looking at Jenny and me I don't know where you come from.

India say I, smiling. She doesn't know what to say anymore, lol

She is lovely, Hannah. Friendly and has this sweet Greek accent. It's not Italian sounding, sometimes sounds Spanish (in accent)
The Greeks are SUPER nice, very friendly and pleasant people, warm and loud and funny and extra-extra nice to tourists.

Not nice like can-I-take-your-money nice, just plain nice. Nobody hounds you, nobody tries to sell you stuff. And at 1pm they just close everything and go to sleep. Siesta!!

It's off-season she tells us and rates are lower. Eventually we settle on a largish Peugeot 307

This one.


As always my Indian MH license is welcome and we settle on a decent price of 40 euros a day including taxes. She charges me the entire amount in advance.

The car has no petrol she informs me. Very little. Fill about 40 euros of petrol, no need more. Don't waste.

The Greeks are crazy drivers, Jenny tells me. They yell and they honk and they cut people and take quick turns!

Ah PERFECT say I. That's how it should be!
I'm going to be completely at home here.

[ms001]

yesterday afternoon i was wishing for a yetiblog and here it comes
should have wished for a Ferrari instead

[noopster]

Hannah sounds like one of those characters from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. So did you get the Micra? Keep posting!

[Sam Kapasi]

Thira? Fira?

It turns out there is no difference between those 2 words in Greek. Depending on how thick your accent is, Thira can be pronounced quite easily as Thera, Thira or Fira.
In true Greek fashion, the signs alternate between all these words. Do not be confused.

Of course these is no GPS. It's a small island says Hannah. She pulls out a map and starts chatting and rattling away so sweetly.

And your hotel in Imerovigli which is here. You drive straight and left and when you see the orange things. How you say.
Orange things that control traffic and don't let you parking.

Cones?

...Orange cones, this is the hospital and then you left and then right and straight. And then you reach the football.
When you reach the footbal, they are playing, you take the small, small road.

Small?

Small. One car size small road. She raises her open palms to face each other and makes it really narrow. Then you reach the end of the lane and you left and that is Imerovigli.

She draws it on the map.



So. It looks like we have to get from Green (airport) to Red (our hotel). Doesn't look that tough.

As you can see, the island is now a crescent. The little land mass inside the crescent, is the volcano. Nobody lives there.

Is the volcano nice to see?
She rolls her eyes, Hannah does. You can go there by boat and then walk for 3 kilometres up up up and you will see, you will see... She is building us up.
NATHING. It is everywhere black and nathing she says laughing.


She continues scribbling on the map.
...And this is a place for beautiful sunset and this is a great taverna, I went last night and this is a great market, she smiles nodding at Jenny, good shopping and...

...and I don't know if this place is open because it is not season yet...

It is not open, Hannah.

A deep voice travels from across on some other car rental box.
It is closed then she says still smiling brightly.

She gets out of her booth to take us to the car. The voice steps out of his booth. It is a Greek oldish man with crows feet around his eyes from too much smiling and sun.

If you are lost, or you need help and anything. Here is my number. Don't call me, I am too busy. We are too busy to help.

He raises his arms in a lazy fashion and speaks in a lazy island greek drawl of sorts. I laugh as I get the joke, he pats my back affectionately.

When Hannah hands me over the car and keys, it is all I can do not to hug her like an old friend.

I love the greek people!

[lloydofcochin]

Another YetiBlog

Welcome back Sam.

Beautiful start! I have already been switched to a holiday mood and it is just the middle of the week

You have this endearing quality to take the readers with you and I'm with you on the trip. 5 stars is just a formality!

Show us more please!

[Ride_4_Fortune]

Hi Sam, Good to see your YetiBlog again ! That too this time it is Greece, one of my favourite places !! A lively country like India.

I made a backpack trip in 2007 to Greece and visited Athens, Delphi and Aegena Islands. Really enjoyed the culture and food (with Mavrodaphne ofcourse !). Your blog brought some nostalgic moments.

Eagerly waiting for your trip log and photos !

[pawan_pullarwar]

wow.. nice to see you visiting Santorini, I will have some information when I go on July'2011. I booked my hotel in Oia, I plan for 2 days in Santorini.

[pjbiju]

Beautiful. This has come like the long awaited rains after a hot and unusually loooooooooooooooooooooong summer.

[maddy42]

Welcome back Yeti and The One. Now i got something to spend time reading.

Greece sounds gorgeous and i heard the people there are good too. One beautiful place from the movies. Keep writing and we surely will be watching this space.

[navpreet318]

What an absolutely beautiful description of Hannah.Wow.Hats off to you in the kind of expert detailing that you do.Psst..Did you happen to take a picture of her.

[Sheel]

It would be nice to let Mr. Kapasi continue w/o our comments as the comments break the flow & you have to search for Sam's post.

(My post may be deleted once it serves its purpose)

[sagarpadaki]

Wow,wow!! Welcome back Sam.You're back with a BANG!And a BIG one at that.
Greece is one of those places that i relate to calmness and serenity.Wish to go there sometime!
Glued to your thread!Bring it on Mr.Kapasi!

[BulZire]

Sam,
Sometime in the end of 2010, I spent a whole weekend to read all your travelogues in the forum at one stretch. I was not a member at that time. This is the first time I am following a live travelogue from you. really excited about the pics and details of Greece that you are going to shower in this thread. Anyways it is nice to see you in the forum after sometime.

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by Sheel

It would be nice to let Mr. Kapasi continue w/o our comments as the comments break the flow & you have to search for Sam's post.

To be completely honest, this has simply become the way these YetiBlogs are written. Can't be helped. People want to participate and to be honest, I enjoy it too, kind of.
Feels more interactive.

Back to the story.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

We're driving.

And we're driving.

Clearly I've missed the stupid orange cones. Or whatever it was I was supposed to see.

Greek music is playing loudly on the radio in the Peugeot. No it isn't Yanni.

We've missed the turn and have ended up in Oia (it's pronounced as EEYA. Like the beginning of Old MacDonald's farm) And are driving back and forth on the most beautiful winding roads that are high and coastal.

Ooooooohhh be careful
I AM being careful.
Don't drive so close to the edge.
I'm NOT.
My wife is afraid of heights and this gets difficult sometimes.

Finally we find it.
Small. One car size small road. Hannah wasn't kidding.



We find the sign. Above Blue. It looks like a small wall and we can barely see much. It is so strange. You enter at the peak and work you way down. Gorgeous.

Juliana is waiting at the gate smiling. Typically Mediterranean, except for the fact that she has a shawl wrapped around her. She is beautiful. Most Greek ladies are remarkably beautiful, with dark, often curly hair and sharp features.

Welcome to Above Blue!! she shouts above the wind.

It is cold. Honestly windy. Our hotel is situated on the Imerovigli peak, about 350m above the sea. The wind is blowing and the sun is hiding.

But nothing prepares us for the view as soon as we descend the first flight of stairs.



We're here. In Santorini. It may be cold, but it is really beautiful. And the Yeiblog is HERE!