The five minute walk to the beach really cooled me off. I realized how dumb it was to be angry when I'm in place as gorgeous as Santorini. I walked on the Black sand beach until I reached a point where the setting sun peaked past a hill that had been hiding it. I sat in the sand, amazed at my view. I can say with confidence it was the best moment I've had since I left the U.S, if not my entire life. I wanted to laugh, wanted to cry; in the end I just sat smiling from ear to ear. In retrospect, I was glad I was by myself as well. The clouds looked like they were a hundred feet away, as if I could touch them. I watched the Aegean Sea wash up against the black sand, the clouds shift over and away from me. I wished all my loved ones could have been there with me. I didn't have a camera, but I wasn't upset. a 7.1 megapixel camera wouldn't have done justice.
I got back to Hostel after sitting on the beach for an hour and a half. I wanted to immediately blog, jot down everything I was thinking. Unfortunately, some kid was playing a weird sonic the hedgehog game on the Hostel laptop, so I had to wait. I was interrupted while writing when the rest of my group arrived at the hostel, hence cutting the last blog short. That night everyone was pretty tired. Mike, Zide and I went out, grabbed a quick beer at a nearby bar, and then went to bed. The next day, our group rode around on our ATV's through the city of Fira. We split around 1:30, the girls went to go mule riding (not my thing). The boys and I went to visit the Red Beach. I pictured the sand being bright red, similar to the black beach. Instead, we found magnificent rock formations with varying shades of red. Some sand was red, but the name was given because of the rocks. I took some sand, and some rocks as souvenirs. We then headed off to the black beach to play some frisbee before taking the ferry back to Crete at 5:45.
The ferry ride was painless. It was smooth sailing, and we all fell asleep for the whole ride. That night the whole group went out clubbing, and once again had an incredible time. We checked out the next morning at 11, and got a bus back to the airport. Even the ride to airport was gorgeous. I know in my heart of hearts I'll be back some day.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
It's been a little over a month, and I hadn't planned on writing another blog piece for a variety of reasons. I feel as if the blog had lost some steam, and being on Marva was only going to make it more difficult. The only active readers I know of are my mother, Linda Levy, and Seno Bril. After seeing my mom in Israel and being a mere two months away from going home, I wouldn't expect her to read the blog considering she also gets updates atleast twice a week. Linda Levy, my biggest fan, I assumed would have lost some interest because her biggest motive to read the blog was to keep a virtual eye on Michael. With Mike and I being seperated for the first time all year, I didn't know if Linda would continue her daily checkups ( no disrespect Big L). As for Seno and Mini, I've decided I'd rather touch base with them individually, which I'll be doing after this post. So there's my reasoning. However, today required a blog. After I recap the day, I'll fill in on experiences from the past month.
About three weeks ago, some friends of mine started planning a trip to Greece over our "Spring Break", which we got off for Passover. Mike, Jeremy, Eli and Avi quickly jumped on board. I assumed I wouldn't be able to go, given that I had already gone to Amsterdam and Paris, and my mother had visited me a few weeks ago. I told my mom about the trip a week and a half before they had scheduled to leave, and she told me if I wanted to go I could. The only problem was I stuck on Marva, only able to make limited calls at certain times, and when I got off base it would be Passover and places would close down. I was let out of Marva on the 8th, and upon arriving at the Hostel I did everything I could to put myself in place to go. The issue at hand was there were three groups of people going: a group of 6,9, and 4. They received package deals, and by including me we weren't sure whether I would skew the price. We were told if two people were to join, the numbers would be even. Benny tried to join with me at the last second, but he had trouble obtaining a Visa because he's from Colombia, and those things can take months. It wasn't until Sunday the 12th, the day before the scheduled departure, that I found out I would be able to go. For mere $490 dollars, I was flying to Greece, and staying 4 nights in a 5 star resort. I just had one more obstacle to get by.
I have dual citizenship in Israel. It's a pain. However, I don't have my Israeli passport. My mother requested one last August, asking the Army to relieve me from duty. We never got the passport, although we had done what we could, we hoped we wouldn't encounter any problems. When passing through passport security, the final security check before boarding, I was asked where my Israeli passport was. I told them I didn't have one, and the man behind the plastic screen told me flatly "you can't go to Greece". I proceeded to throw a calm fit, explaining how I'm on a program and have never once lived in Israel prior to this year. I ended up being escorted to the police booth and figuring things out with them. They repeatedly told me I wouldn't be able to go, and I was close to tears. I called my mom, she did some magic, and at the last second they let me go. Their records indicated I received my Israeli passport from San Francisco in December (false). I had a minor panic attack, and wasn't fully at ease until our plane landed in Crete.
We arrived at the Rimella Resort and Day Spa around 2 in the afternoon, and the rest of the day was reserved for all of our minds being blown. We were in paradise. We weren't just guests; we were VIPs. Wearing a special black bracelet, we got whatever we wanted. Free drinks, paddleboats and kayaks to take out on the Sea of Crete. Our rooms were restocked every morning with sodas and beers. I played ping pong for the first time in 7 and a half months. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner were all buffets. Everyone treated us like we were their best friends. Our only concern was that we would never leave.
Tuesday before dinner, 16 of us ( the other 4 were at a different resort) went to a nearby travel agency and organized a day trip to supposedly one of the most beautiful islands in all of Greece, Santorini. However, some issues uprose. Mike had heard amazing things about Santorini from his brother Jarret, so he threw out the idea of staying overnight, experiencing the nightlife as well as full two days. With a 10am departure time from Crete, and a 6 pm departure time from Santorini with a 2 hour ferry ride to get there, 6 hours just didn't seem like enough. I immediately gave the thumbs up. I thought more people would jump on board, but everyone got so comfy at the Rimella and thoroughly enjoyed living the life without spending a penny. I didn't mind, I would have gone if it was just Mike and I. In the end, our other boy Josh Zide joined in, and two other girls, Gabby and Shelly joined in too ( a third girl, Marnie, would change her mind and stay on Tuesday).
Tuesday night we finally got up and out, going into the less than thrilling Crete night life. Although nothing special happened, we didn't go to the coolest club, everyone agreed the next morning that we actually had a ton of fun. We got back to Rimella at 3, and had a 7 am wake up call. We got to the docks by 9, albeit after a scattered arrival that involved Avi forgetting his groups tickets, others and myself nearly missing the bus to the docks, and another group hitchhiking. What transpired next was the worst 120 minutes of life...................
After giving it some more thought, it was probably only about 75 minutes. The first 15 were fine, and the last 30 I was passed out from my body being in such a state of trauma. I thought our little "ferry ride" would go at the pace that somewhat resembled a rowboat. I pictured I would be able to tan outside, maybe get a good nap in. I know Shelly planned on finishing her book and starting another. I would estimate the ship was going at a pace of 40 miles per hour, and roughly 75% of the boat regurgitated everything in their body. Even as I'm typing this, there's a lady behind me talking to the Hostel manager how miserable the ride was. It wasn't about being seasick, because I never get seasick; it was just miserable. The entire ride you could hear the sounds of people throwing up from all directions, others screaming in anger, wondering why in the world we needed to go so fast. In retrospect, the make-your-own omelet at the Rimella was a poor decision. After and hour and ten minutes, I was officially dry-heaving, not even needing a bag in front of me. I was sweating profusely when I was throwing up, and trembling with the shivers when I wasn't. After an hour and a half, I was shaking uncontrollably, and I must have gone unconscious. Linda, if you're reading this, Mike had an identical experience to every last detail, and I'm sure he'd love to talk about it. ( false, again)
Side note : keep in mind the 14 others in the group took this same ride back a mere 6 hours later. I was certain that they would stay after experiencing that. I guess it's a testament to how amazing the Rimella is.
After we got off the boat, there was a line of car rental and hostel booking shops in a row. We found a deal that included a night in a Hostel by the beach and a ride to it for 13 bucks. I immediately passed out upon arriving at the hostel, still in a state of trauma. After everyone rested for an hour or so, the group decided to rent ATV's and go meet up with the others in the center of town. I couldn't be asked to move, let alone ride on an ATV, and Mike said he'd stop by later and see if I was feeling alright. I was woken up hours later at 4:30 by a girl on year course who's name I don't know, and she told me to try to contact the group, as they had been trying to contact me. Getting in touch with people has been difficult here. Our Israel phones don't work, and most didn't bring their American phones. We've been relying on phones Gabby and Shelly bought for the trip, and Avi and Raquel's blackberrys. After an hour or so I got through to them. They were heading up a mountain on their ATVs to watch the sunset, and told me to rent one and join them. The problem was, I don't have a drivers license, which I lost on Halloween.I was pretty heated at the time. I didn't know why they wouldn't come back for me, but I cooled off in time and decided to head for a walk to the black sand beach to watch the sunset, a five minute walk from the Hostel........................
will continue writing later
About three weeks ago, some friends of mine started planning a trip to Greece over our "Spring Break", which we got off for Passover. Mike, Jeremy, Eli and Avi quickly jumped on board. I assumed I wouldn't be able to go, given that I had already gone to Amsterdam and Paris, and my mother had visited me a few weeks ago. I told my mom about the trip a week and a half before they had scheduled to leave, and she told me if I wanted to go I could. The only problem was I stuck on Marva, only able to make limited calls at certain times, and when I got off base it would be Passover and places would close down. I was let out of Marva on the 8th, and upon arriving at the Hostel I did everything I could to put myself in place to go. The issue at hand was there were three groups of people going: a group of 6,9, and 4. They received package deals, and by including me we weren't sure whether I would skew the price. We were told if two people were to join, the numbers would be even. Benny tried to join with me at the last second, but he had trouble obtaining a Visa because he's from Colombia, and those things can take months. It wasn't until Sunday the 12th, the day before the scheduled departure, that I found out I would be able to go. For mere $490 dollars, I was flying to Greece, and staying 4 nights in a 5 star resort. I just had one more obstacle to get by.
I have dual citizenship in Israel. It's a pain. However, I don't have my Israeli passport. My mother requested one last August, asking the Army to relieve me from duty. We never got the passport, although we had done what we could, we hoped we wouldn't encounter any problems. When passing through passport security, the final security check before boarding, I was asked where my Israeli passport was. I told them I didn't have one, and the man behind the plastic screen told me flatly "you can't go to Greece". I proceeded to throw a calm fit, explaining how I'm on a program and have never once lived in Israel prior to this year. I ended up being escorted to the police booth and figuring things out with them. They repeatedly told me I wouldn't be able to go, and I was close to tears. I called my mom, she did some magic, and at the last second they let me go. Their records indicated I received my Israeli passport from San Francisco in December (false). I had a minor panic attack, and wasn't fully at ease until our plane landed in Crete.
We arrived at the Rimella Resort and Day Spa around 2 in the afternoon, and the rest of the day was reserved for all of our minds being blown. We were in paradise. We weren't just guests; we were VIPs. Wearing a special black bracelet, we got whatever we wanted. Free drinks, paddleboats and kayaks to take out on the Sea of Crete. Our rooms were restocked every morning with sodas and beers. I played ping pong for the first time in 7 and a half months. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner were all buffets. Everyone treated us like we were their best friends. Our only concern was that we would never leave.
Tuesday before dinner, 16 of us ( the other 4 were at a different resort) went to a nearby travel agency and organized a day trip to supposedly one of the most beautiful islands in all of Greece, Santorini. However, some issues uprose. Mike had heard amazing things about Santorini from his brother Jarret, so he threw out the idea of staying overnight, experiencing the nightlife as well as full two days. With a 10am departure time from Crete, and a 6 pm departure time from Santorini with a 2 hour ferry ride to get there, 6 hours just didn't seem like enough. I immediately gave the thumbs up. I thought more people would jump on board, but everyone got so comfy at the Rimella and thoroughly enjoyed living the life without spending a penny. I didn't mind, I would have gone if it was just Mike and I. In the end, our other boy Josh Zide joined in, and two other girls, Gabby and Shelly joined in too ( a third girl, Marnie, would change her mind and stay on Tuesday).
Tuesday night we finally got up and out, going into the less than thrilling Crete night life. Although nothing special happened, we didn't go to the coolest club, everyone agreed the next morning that we actually had a ton of fun. We got back to Rimella at 3, and had a 7 am wake up call. We got to the docks by 9, albeit after a scattered arrival that involved Avi forgetting his groups tickets, others and myself nearly missing the bus to the docks, and another group hitchhiking. What transpired next was the worst 120 minutes of life...................
After giving it some more thought, it was probably only about 75 minutes. The first 15 were fine, and the last 30 I was passed out from my body being in such a state of trauma. I thought our little "ferry ride" would go at the pace that somewhat resembled a rowboat. I pictured I would be able to tan outside, maybe get a good nap in. I know Shelly planned on finishing her book and starting another. I would estimate the ship was going at a pace of 40 miles per hour, and roughly 75% of the boat regurgitated everything in their body. Even as I'm typing this, there's a lady behind me talking to the Hostel manager how miserable the ride was. It wasn't about being seasick, because I never get seasick; it was just miserable. The entire ride you could hear the sounds of people throwing up from all directions, others screaming in anger, wondering why in the world we needed to go so fast. In retrospect, the make-your-own omelet at the Rimella was a poor decision. After and hour and ten minutes, I was officially dry-heaving, not even needing a bag in front of me. I was sweating profusely when I was throwing up, and trembling with the shivers when I wasn't. After an hour and a half, I was shaking uncontrollably, and I must have gone unconscious. Linda, if you're reading this, Mike had an identical experience to every last detail, and I'm sure he'd love to talk about it. ( false, again)
Side note : keep in mind the 14 others in the group took this same ride back a mere 6 hours later. I was certain that they would stay after experiencing that. I guess it's a testament to how amazing the Rimella is.
After we got off the boat, there was a line of car rental and hostel booking shops in a row. We found a deal that included a night in a Hostel by the beach and a ride to it for 13 bucks. I immediately passed out upon arriving at the hostel, still in a state of trauma. After everyone rested for an hour or so, the group decided to rent ATV's and go meet up with the others in the center of town. I couldn't be asked to move, let alone ride on an ATV, and Mike said he'd stop by later and see if I was feeling alright. I was woken up hours later at 4:30 by a girl on year course who's name I don't know, and she told me to try to contact the group, as they had been trying to contact me. Getting in touch with people has been difficult here. Our Israel phones don't work, and most didn't bring their American phones. We've been relying on phones Gabby and Shelly bought for the trip, and Avi and Raquel's blackberrys. After an hour or so I got through to them. They were heading up a mountain on their ATVs to watch the sunset, and told me to rent one and join them. The problem was, I don't have a drivers license, which I lost on Halloween.I was pretty heated at the time. I didn't know why they wouldn't come back for me, but I cooled off in time and decided to head for a walk to the black sand beach to watch the sunset, a five minute walk from the Hostel........................
will continue writing later
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