Santorini and Mykonos - 28/10/04

Greetings from Mykonos - the party island of Greece in the Cyclades! Well actually, it has not been much of a party here as it is off season now and the party is pretty dead though there is still some older tourists here and a few restaurants and shops open. That said, today has been a really great day as it is a national holiday in Greece - "Ohi Day"; otherwise known as "No Day" in Greek. Apparently, this day is very significant to the Greeks as this was the day when the country said no to Hitler's eastward advance during WWII and fought the German army for a period of 3 months 22 days; much longer than all the other Western, Central and Eastern European countries, save for UK.

The town was absolutely boisterous, with primary school kids decked out in traditional Mykonian costumes and carrying the Greek flag - They were so so adorable! The senior year of the high school teenagers also looked really gorgeous in their traditional costumes, not to mention the rest of the Greek soldiers who were also on parade in their military garb, looking very impressive. Well, words cannot really describe what I have seen here so for those of you who are lucky enough to meet up with me when I am back, will show you all the video clips I have taken then.

And also, I must once again urge you all to go to Santorini. It is simply the most charming place which I have seen. Despite being off-season now for tourists, it is still very lovely. In fact, it is the dearth of people which makes it more attractive in my view, as you get to walk the streets at a leisurely pace, without the cacopahny from throngs of tourists arriving in summer on the convoys of tour coaches. Whether it be the day or night time, the views from the summit of the volcanic caldera is simply breathtaking, with views of whitewashed houses and bright blue rooftops, all along the slopes of the mountain. Against the backdrop of crystal clear blue waters in the surrounding seas and the nice temperature of about 25 - 28 degrees, minus the humidity, it is simply the best time for getting that great tan. The friendly reception of the locals is really great. For me, I stayed at this town called Perissa which is right on Perissa beach, the best beach in Santorini and relatively near to Fira which is the heart of Santorini Island. Here, I was able to escape the number of tourists in Fira but yet be near enough to access the best views and restaurants and the rest of the attractions by bus which is convenient enough. Alternatively, one can easily rent a quad which is one of those ATVs to explore the island; which I think is really better since it not only gives you the flexibility but also, saves you money when you have to run to the minimart to get groceries or to some deserted nook of the island which the bus does not serve or which will cost you if you were to take a cab. Reception at Perissa at the pension which I was staying in - Stelio's Place was good and for a double. only costs 10 euros per person per night, with a swimming pool right in the middle of the place. 3 min walk and I get right onto the beach. Restaurants are like only 5 min aways on foot and all so convenient. Prices are really reasonable so this is the place to be during off season. October is a good time since the weather is really quite good, prices are low and there is not much of a crowd. But for those looking to have a good time and meeting people to party, then July and August is the time to be here though I must caution you that prices are likely to be 2 - 2.5x higher...

That's all for now folks, am going back to Athens by yet another ferry ride tomorrow and do some last minute shopping before I head back to Singapore. Catch you all later!