Island Hopping Part II: Naxos, Santorini (Again), and Mykonos

I think I mentioned it in my last post, but Avery and I were getting restless in Santorini. When we originally planned the trip, we had intentions of working on one of the Greek islands (at a bar or restaurant)…we were thinking something along the lines of saving money and getting a firsthand look at Greek culture. (To be honest, I don’t think Greek culture is that different from American culture, but I’m currently in India and my perspective is drastically different). Anyway, we realized that working in Greece is impossible--due to visa requirements--and we wouldn’t make that much money; so, we ditched the work-in-Greece idea, but stuck to our one-month plan. One month is way too long, but I am sure you all realized that when I first mentioned that leg of the trip.

Okay, so Avery and I decide to cut our time in Santorini down and spend 2 of the nights on the island of Naxos. We picked this island because it’s known for its mountain villages, castle ruins, and tons of Byzantine churches. Fun? Boring? We didn’t know, but thought we’d take the risk. (I was totally on board when I read that the island had a well-known Mexican restaurant. I was getting sick of strictly Greek food). We hopped onto a ferry and within 2 hours were far away from Santorini.

Naxos really wasn’t any different than any of the other islands; it had tons of hotels and hostels, even more outdoor cafes, and a rental car dealer on every corner. On the first night, when we were heading out for Mexican food, Avery and I stopped into one of the rental shops and decided to rent what can only be described as a go-cart for our future mountain adventures. The “car” was a metal cage with an engine and 2 seats. That‘s about it.

The go-cart was impossible to drive. First of all, we were belted into harnesses, making it impossible to shift from drive to park or reverse without unbuckling. The gear stick (I have no idea what that’s really called) was incredibly finicky. When we tried to reverse the car would occasionally rev its engine and stall instead of moving. Finally, the brakes barely worked. We had a close call when we were driving down a hill and started to accelerate. I slammed on the brakes and just barely cleared a rock wall. I don’t think our 5 euro go-cart insurance policy would have covered the damage.

Back to Naxos. Avery and I researched and thought Chalki sounded like the perfect village. Lonely Planet (our travel Bible) described the town as small, historic, and famous for its Kitron*, jams and jellys, and authentic Greek cuisine. When we got to Chalki it was teeny tiny. The main square was roughly 10 feet by 20 feet and was crowded with Yassi’s Tavern’s tables and chairs. Since Yassi’s was the only restaurant in town, we had no other choice but to eat at the Tavern.

Yanni's/Chalki's "Main Square"

After lunch we went into the one gift shop, bought a pack of gum at the news stand, and explored the famous Kitron Distillery--it was a two-room “museum” with a few dusty bottles and a certificate of authenticity. At the end of our self-guided tour, a Kitron expert offered us a taste of Chalki’s finest drink. The bright green liquor was absolutely horrific. It tasted like a sugary lemon drop mixed with rubbing alcohol. I tried to politely smile as I gagged on the Kitron, but I’m almost positive the lady saw the disgust in my eyes.

We were finished exploring the village in an hour and decided to follow the walking tour suggested on one of the maps in town. As Avery and I walked down a lizard-infested path we stumbled across one of the Byzantine churches. I think it was called the Church of Agio Nicolas (which is what 90% of the churches in Naxos are named), but I can’t be too sure.

The Church of Agio Nicolas

It was built in the 12^th century and was very small. After we circled the outside of the building, I got nosy and pried open the closed door. (It’s hours of operation were on Sundays, I believe, but the door swung open with ease). Inside there was a camera crew and a couple of stage lights; some art historians were shooting pictures for an upcoming textbook. They wouldn’t let us take pictures, but we were allowed to snoop around and look at the old frescoes that were painted on the walls and ceilings.

While the stuffy cameramen were distracted, I took a picture of the ceiling.

After we left Chalki we decided to try out another village; our plans changed, however, when we spotted signs for Zas Cave. We drove up narrow roads (with no guardrails) until we reached the middle of a mountain. Dressed in a tube top (Avery), jeans (me), and flip-flops (both of us), we decided to hike the trail up to Zas Cave.
Us in our hiking gear.

From what we could see, the trail was paved and had a slight incline. Easy enough, we thought. 30 minutes later we had hiked a mountain (and I mean hiked) and found the cave. It was small and really dark, but we poked around and then descended the very steep mountainside. We did a little more exploring, but the island seemed dead. I blame the month; mid-September is when tourists stop visiting the islands and head back to work, school, etc.

The ride home from the mountains was easily the worst part of our Naxan adventure. The temperature had dropped significantly and our go-cart didn’t have sides or a windshield. As we made the 2 hour drive home, Avery and I huddled together to stay warm and sang show tunes (and some early 2000 pop hits) to pass the time and ignore the fact that our teeth were chattering and our lips were blue. I think we were delirious at this point.
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We got back to Santorini and had one more thing on our to do list: watch the sunset at Oia. According to every guide book and many other travelers, the sunset in the town of Oia is unparalleled. It is the only spot in all of the Greek islands (and all of Santorini) where the sun sets directly into the unobstructed the horizon. We knew that this was a popular activity among the Santorini set, but we weren’t prepared for the shoulder-to-shoulder traffic that blocked off most of the city. Although we elbowed our way into a good spot, we didn’t see the full sunset due to cloud coverage. The crowd didn’t seem to mind the less-than-perfect weather and everyone cheered when the sun finally set behind the clouds.
It was cheesy and touristy (obviously) but one of those things you have to do when in Santorini... I guess.

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Jordan left us after Santorini and Seth, Avery, and I went on to Mykonos. Nothing too exciting happened during our three days there, but the island was my absolute favorite place in Greece. The beaches were beautiful, the town (especially the Little Venice quarter) was adorable, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.