Naxos is the second island on our little Greek island hopping adventure. I am writing on the boat to Nexos actually, listening to Shane Barnard - "Prodigal Me". It's by far my favorite song of his. I feel like I really identify with it. Check it out if you have never heard it.
This part of the trip has proven so far to be a vacation inside a vacation. Sometimes, while backpacking, it gets really tiring. The hostels have been pretty clean so far, but just the constant moving around and having to wear shower shoes and all the other little things that go along with hosteling can wear on you. So, this leg of the journey has been perfect, as we have been able to just chill out and lay on the beach or by the pool and have some relaxing time. Today should be more of the same, as our hotel is on the beach this time! I will write more later tonight...
...Ok, so now I am sitting on the plane leaving Greece, and headed back to Milan. I didn't have time to write in Naxos. I will be writing the next two entries at the same time, so they will be in past tense. I am not really sure why that is relevant, or why you need to know that. It helps me when writing I guess.
Back to Naxos... It was amazing. The largest of the three islands we visited, and the most family friendly for sure. It was different than Santorini, as are most of the other islands, because all the buildings and structures sit lower on the hill. In Santorini, the buildings all sit up top. So, when we pulled in to the port, it was a different look since the city was right there. We were greeted by a mob of people trying to get us to stay in their apartments, homes, condos, etc. - super annoying. More of a rant on that in my next entry.
Our goal for the day was to rent some mopeds or 4-wheelers and take them around the island. When we got the the place we found out that they needed drivers licenses for each vehicle. Since Blake was the only one who actually brought his license, that plan was shot. I guess I didn't think I would need the Texas drivers license in Europe, but I guess I was wrong. So, we just grabbed some lunch at a little place nearby, and then took the bus to our hotel. I had a ham, cheese, and tomato croissant with a latte. Josh did a cheese omelet. Blake had a crepe with chicken and veggies.
This hotel might have trumped the last one, which means it was greatness. It sat right on the beach. All we had to do was cross a little street and we were 10 meters from the water. Since we had no mode of transportation, we decided to just grab a few beach chairs and chill for the rest of the day... Sometimes it's hard for me to just sit and relax, because I always have a million things on my mind, and today was one of those days, so I went and bought some snorkel gear. Only problem - it was youth size. I had to put it on the largest setting to get it to fit, but once I did, I spent the next hour or so in the crystal blue water. I really can't explain how clear and beautiful the water is. And to top it off, we were on a white sandy beach. Really amazing stuff! While I did that, Josh and Blake just chilled out in some chairs that we somehow didn't end up paying for.
After a good 5 hours or so just chilling on the beach, we headed back to town for dinner. This night was a bit of a gamble. We saw in the lonely planet guide that the hot spot in town was a mexican place - Tex-Mex to be exact. In some places in the US, Mexican food is risky. So, Mexican food in Greece... probably the worst idea ever... Turned out to be a great gamble though! The place was really great. I mean, it's no Pappasito's or La Fogata (my San Antonio people know what I am talking about) but it was really good. Very fresh and very light, which you normally don't expect in a Tex-Mex place. Actually, that's really why we eat Mexican food isn't it? Because it's the greasiest, most horribly delicious option. Anyway, I had chicken fajitas, Blake had a burrito, and Josh opted for the veggie version of fajitas which basically used refried beans instead of meat.
After dinner we headed to the center of town to use someone's internet connection and grab some gelato. The place is called Waffle House. It doesn't have bright yellow and black with old ladies shouting "smothered and covered", but it did have an amazing home made waffle cone with really great ice cream! I had strawberry cheesecake, and it was very solid. By the way, sorry if you don't like all the food talk. It's one of my passions so you have to deal with it.
That's it for this day. Paros is the next island...
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