Day 11 Locked Out in Lecce

Me and my friend had trouble sleeping that night.  Our hotel room had no air conditioning.  Not to mention, we had a window we left slightly opened but it did not help whatsoever.  Our room was facing the hotel patio and we were too worried someone might sneak in.  We kept spraying rose water all over our face.  We somehow managed to knock out in the end.  That was short lived considering our all-you-can-eat-breakfast-buffet was over by 10am.  We quickly made our way to the patio where we joined other residents of the hotel.  I was pretty much out of it at the table.  I knew we had to checkout at 11am, but first let me wake up.  lol.  I didn't take advantage of the pastries because I was focusing on trying to stay awake.  I knew in the back of my mind we had to pack our things.



Shabby chic!

Had our breakfast outside but the food was setup in here.

Sure enough, like clock work, the housekeeper made her way to our room.  We excused ourselves and continued packing away.  It felt so silly to be rushed like that, but she reminded us that she had to get the room ready for other guests coming in that afternoon.  Afterwards, we walked over to talk to the concierge about the parking situation, but no one was there.  Now what?  We figured we'll take our luggage to the car and write down the plate number from our rental.  When we got back to the hotel, the door was locked, of course.  We didn't know what was going on, so we called up the number listed off Booking.com and someone answered.  My friend explained that the concierge was going to help us in case we got a ticket from where we had parked last night, and then someone buzzed us in.

Despite no air conditioning, I still enjoyed our stay at Pazlazzo Zacheo...

Another lady was walking down to talk to us.  She took the information and said she would let the concierge know once she gets back.  We asked if there was a nearby beach we could go to with sand.  My feet were done from walking on rocks.  lol.  Luckily she gave us directions to one that was 20 minutes away and off we went.  Gallipoli was still pretty quiet around 12pm and we figured we'll check out the beach area.  We knew we had a lot to discover in this town!
We found the beach with no problem.  There was a field lot off the side of the road where a bunch of cars were parking.  We knew we were close by.  We changed in the car into our bikinis and cover ups and started to walk into the field.  We found a wooded area but could hear the sound of the sea up ahead.  Sure enough, the beach was hidden, but we also discovered we were the only women here.  I was surprised we walked in on a gay beach, especially in Italy.  We found a good spot to lay on and got comfortable.  I quickly knocked out since I didn't have much sleep.  It was very relaxing.
At one point my friend was getting too hot and wanted to go out into the water.  I woke up and followed her out there, but since she had her special scuba shoes, I stayed behind.  The rocks in the water were too slippery for me.  I noticed that the men were pretty reserved with another.  They kept their distance a bit when they were among friends.  Me and my friend stayed on the beach for hours, and it wasn't until later on that they got comfortable with one another. 

Turquoise waters at Gallipoli!

Trying to even out my tan!

I started to get thirsty.  We noticed a beach bar up ahead and decided to check it out.  I wasn't sure if it was a private beach bar since there weren't many people there, but they seated us once we walked in.  G Beach Bar had gold trimmings and plenty of lounge seating as well as a dj booth and sound system.  I could tell they throw parties out there, but since it was still pretty early, we enjoyed our spumante and people watched.  Little by little more people started to show up.  I was amazed how quickly it got packed.  I didn't want to leave our spot since now the crowd was getting bigger and better.  We hung out some more until we decided to head back to the beach.  We wanted to work on our tans.

G Beach Bar

CHEERS!

It was now later in the afternoon and we laid out a bit longer.  We started to get hungry.  We didn't know what to do next.  Our options were to either stay in Gallipoli one more day or drive out to Lecce which was back towards home.  Leave it to us Chicagoans to get FOMO out in Italy!  lol.  We drove out to Lecce instead.
The drive was an hour long.  We were getting our second wind again.  Lecce is another touristic town with retail and boutiques, and we were in the mood to shop!  We had trouble finding parking  because of the traffic again.  Once we drove into a lot, we weren't sure if it was ok for us to park or not.  It didn't matter because the inevitable happened.  My friend broke the key off the rental car.  UGH!!!  To make matters worse, it wasn't the key to the car.  Due to the high theft rate in the southern part of Italy, some manufactures install a steering wheel lock to further prevent cars being stolen.  My friend broke off the key to the steering wheel, but luckily she managed to pull it out of the lock.  We grew worried because we still were uncertain if we could leave the car in that lot.  We noticed people parked nearby and would walk up to the machine to pay for parking, but it looks like it was out of order.  They would end up driving off.  We didn't know what to do. 
It was now Friday night, early evening.  We noticed a couple of policemen nearby and ran up to them for advice.  I could see that the cop knew we were in a big jam.  He called up a locksmith and talked to someone about what had happened.  Once he got off the phone he told my friend that the locksmith said they wouldn't be able to help but told us the directions to his shop in case we wanted to stop over there ourselves.  We knew we had to do something, so we ran to find the locksmith.  Along the way we found a hardware store, and stopped to ask if they could help, but no such luck.  It was getting frustrating for us.  To make matters worse, my friend's phone was low on battery life.
We eventually found the locksmith's shop but he told us there was nothing he could do.  He told us that he had told the cops that we were out of luck.  I asked him who would have such a key and he said either the manufacturer of the car or the car shop would have the spare.  My friend was hoping we wouldn't have to use them as a last resort since technically we were still 3 hours away from home.  She had no choice but to call them up herself.
I could hear her frustration talking to the car shop owner on the phone.  They didn't quite understand what had happened.  I was amazed this was the first time anyone ever heard of this problem, much yet a car shop.  She even took pictures off her phone and sent them to the owner so he could "see" what she was talking about.  Apparently they were under the impression she must have did something in order for the key to break off like that.  She explained over and over again that all she did was turn the key.  I couldn't help but question why they were giving her such a hard time.  Eventually, he explained that he does, indeed have a spare to the lock in the sterling wheel.  It was a nerve wrecking.  Now the question is, how can we get the key if we're 3 hours away?
Unfortunately, her boyfriend was with his father at the dentist.  He wasn't sure if he would be able to pick up the spare before they close the shop.  Me and my friend were stuck at the moment.  We were put on hold until we figured out what we could do. 
We went to a café where my friend could charge up her phone.  It was now past 6pm and we were stuck, literally.  We were still nervous about the fact that the car was at a lot where the meter box was broken.  All we needed was a ticket on top of all of this.  My friend looked at train schedules in case her boyfriend had to jump on one in a moment's notice.  There was one at 7:50pm that would be perfect.  We waited until she called up her boyfriend to see if he got to the car shop on time to grab the key.  He couldn't talk at the moment, but she quickly told him the train schedules.  He was using his assistant's car to drive his dad to and from the dentist.
We tried contacting him once more and this time he said he couldn't talk because he was jumping on the train.  We couldn't help but ask if he got the spare key (hey you never know), but low and behold, he had it!  That brought a sign of relief.  We decided we now know we have 2 hours to kill, so let's go eat!

Lecce at night...

We walked around Lecce's main plaza.  It was now 8pm and we were window shopping and trying to figure out which restaurant we should try out.  My friend has a theory that if a restaurant looks packed, they must have good food.  Since there were so many restaurants to choose from, we knew we wanted to sit at one that was busy.  The problem was, no one was budging from their seat.  It was now Friday night and people were enjoying their evening.  Me and my friend settled next to a restaurant that had available seating right away.  We were hungry and never really ate anything else besides breakfast.  My friend was on the look out for the restaurant next to us since it was packed.  I ordered a risotto with potatoes and it was delish.  She ordered a salad and wasn't too pleased with it.  You see?  She proved her theory once again..
 

We finished up our meal and then walked over to the packed restaurant.  We figured we'll have some wine and wait for her boyfriend to arrive.  A group of good looking men sat nearby and were speaking Italian.  My friend of course, understood everything they were saying, and at one point, one of the men were egging on another friend to introduce himself to me.  Of course, her boyfriend called at that very moment to let us know he would be arriving in 10 minutes.  We quickly got the bill and ran out of there.  I felt bad not being able to give this guy a chance, but her boyfriend rode a 2 hour train ride to help us out.  It is what it is.  I figured it would be better to leave in a hurry before the guy had the nerves to come up to me.  At least we shared a glance!  

Feeling magical in Lecce!  Too bad we were going through an ordeal but we tried to have fun despite what was going on.

We got a little lost finding the train station in Lecce, plus the area wasn't so great so we were very nervous.  Luckily we found it in time before her boyfriend arrived.  We quickly ran up to him like he was some sort of a super hero!  The past few hours were frustrating and we just wanted to go home.  We made our way back to the car, but now it was 11pm.  More people were out, especially teenagers.  It took us a while to find the car because we were going in circles for a bit.  Now the time has come for us to try the spare key!  We were nervous at the moment because we didn't know what to expect.  Her boyfriend was behind the wheel and noticed right away how difficult it was to put in the key.  Luckily he unlocked the steering wheel but when he tried the car key we were screwed once again.  The battery was dead.  It was awkward because he knew right away that my friend had tried charging her phone in the car.  We insisted that she barely charged her phone for 30 minutes while we were waiting on him.  What else was she suppose to do?
He jumped out of the car and went up to people who were getting into their cars at the parking lot.  He asked if anyone could help him jump his car.  One of the men suggested pushing the car to get the engine going.  Me and my friend along with 2 other men started to push the car as hard as we could so it would start moving fast.  Luckily the car turned on and me and my friend jumped in like stuntmen!  We did it!!  NOW let's go home once and for all!
       

Day 9 Baia Delle Zagare

I slept hard until the morning.  I heard my friend getting ready downstairs.  She was putting her beach bag together.  I quickly got up.  I knew we were going to head to the auto shop to see if they would  have a rental waiting for us.  She has been checking since I originally landed in Greece and they kept telling her for sure they would have it by the weekend.  Now it's Wednesday.  She wanted to drive out to the northern regions.  So far, every time I have come to visit her, we've only drove to the southern cities. 
We had a light breakfast and made our way to the auto shop.  Italians are known to take their time.  They do not rush.  Although there were some customers ahead of us, we waited patiently for our turn.  Of course, all of that waiting did no good.  We were still left without a car.  Not to mention, they took a moment to look at her boyfriend's car and confirm the clutch (along with some minor issues) were kaput.  She did not want to leave the car there without discussing the details with her boyfriend.  For now, she wanted to see what her driving options were.  The repairman advised her to drive the car at her own risk, and that's what we decided to do.  My friend could drive either 1st or 3rd shift, but 2nd shift is where the clutch would get stuck.  I trusted my friend that she felt she would be fine.  We prayed and off we went.
My friend decided we would try to reach Baia Delle Zagare once again.  Last year we drove out to Mattinata but couldn't find it.  We gave up after an hour.  This time, I had written down the coordinates from the resort's website and we entered the info on the GPS.  Driving to Mattinata wasn't so bad.  Only an hour away.  It was when we were driving up and down the cliff where things got tricky.  Because she couldn't get into 2nd gear, we had no choice but to drive super slow a couple of times.  That lead to a back up real quick, which was nerve wrecking considering we were driving on a cliff.  Even if cars wanted to pass us up, they couldn't because it was a single lane road.  YIKES!  Luckily that did not last long and eventually we found our exit.  Driving steep down was just as scary, but my friend is a pro by now with stick shift. 
We made our way down the steep and found a group of staff finishing up a conversation with the police.  Once they drove off, we went up to them and asked if we could go to the beach.  We weren't sure if it was a private beach or not.  They gave us directions to where to park the car and we stayed silent about being patrons of the hotel.  lol.  I'm pretty sure they knew we weren't locals.
Lugging our beach bags around wasn't easy.  The parking lot was a good 10 minute walk to the hotel.  From there we found the signs leading up to the beach.  There was a public bathroom by the elevator that leads you down to la spiaggia.  We changed into our swimsuits there. 
The view alone was amazing.  I couldn't help take pictures of the resort.  I secretly wondered what type of guests made it out here.  There was a lot of space for parties and weddings.  The lawn area was spacious overlooking the woods.  There were canopy lounges located on site. 
We rode down the elevator and walked up to a staff member and asked for two umbrellas.  He charged us 30 euros and then lead us to our spot.  The beach was small but luckily there were not many people there.  I have to get use to the quietness of Italy.  I'm used to some type of music being played, but here in Italy, I immediately notice the silence.  I'm drawing a conclusion they just don't like loud music.

2nd attempt trying to find this place but we did it!!

Gotta love the selfie stick! 

Eventually, the barista on site turned on the speakers and we listened to dance pop (but at a low volume).  Me and my friend couldn't help but yap out loud, which is more than what the others on site were doing.  Couples were either reading to themselves or resting.  We were the only ones laughing.
Most of the beaches in Italy don't have sand.  They have rocks, which is hard sometimes to walk on.  Not only do the rocks hurt my feet, but in the sea, they are pretty slippery.  After a while of laying out we decided to dip in the water.  The  faraglione up ahead was occupied by some young daring swimmers.  They would climb up and dive off.  They put on quite a show for us.  I was jealous of them.

I wish I could be fearless like they are.  Some of them were boys, not men!

We stayed in the water for some time.  Once we laid out again, we grew restless and went by the bar for a drink.  Since my friend does not like to be out in the sun too long, we laid out a little bit longer and then it was time to go.  They had outside showers to rinse off the salt.  We took advantage by using some hotel soaps I had brought along and we did a quick rinse down.  We were planning on staying out so this was the only way we could freshen up.  The water from the shower was cold, so we hurried up.  We made our way back to the public restroom and changed into our dresses for the evening.  My friend wore a while lace maxi dress.  I decided to change later and focus on doing my makeup in the car.  Off we went to Trani!
An hour later we arrived, but because people were getting off from work, there was so much traffic.  It took us a while to find parking, too.  I quickly changed in the car and we took a stroll in il centro to see what we should do.  It was still too early to have dinner.  The clouds looked suspicious, but luckily we only got a drizzle.  We found an adorable bistro that was showcasing art and sat outside the patio area.  I ordered a spumante.  We played around with snap chat filters until it was time to head to the restaurant.  We didn't want our hair to get frizzy.  lol.
We chose Corteinfiore restaurant because it's one of the highest rated in Trani.  I'm always down for seafood, especially in Italy, so I knew we were in for a treat.  Again, we were probably the most talkative in the whole restaurant.  I joked to my friend why everyone around us was so quite, but she informed me that Italians take their food very serious.  There isn't much socializing.  Me and my friend couldn't help getting talkative once the wine started to pour!  We tried to tone it down but it was hard.  We were too busy enjoying our night.  We laughed.  We cried.  We discussed our deepest secrets.  I've missed her so much. 
After dinner it was time for a stroll.  We didn't want to stay out too late.  Some roads are pretty dark with limited lighting.  We went back home in hopes of getting a rental for tomorrow. 

Getting to Trani in time for the sunset...

A glass of spumante before we head to dinner...



Day 6 Santorini

A lemon tree outside of my hotel room...

We got home at 7am.  I have not been out that late in years.  We watched the sunrise while smacking on McDonalds.  It was a crazy night but I'm glad we all had a blast.  I was worried I was going to sleep the day away, but luckily I got up at 12pm.  I hate feeling like I'm missing out, especially since I'm on vacation.  I threw on my bikini and swim coverup and headed to Noma.  I definitely needed some coffee.  Kostas was not there, but some of the staff said he was at the restaurant at 10am.  Unbelievable!!  I felt so out of it.  I sat for a while and messaged my friend in Italy to tell her my new plans.  Originally I was suppose to take another ferry out to Mykonos later on the day.  I had planned on staying for one night on Santorini.  When I was doing my research, for my trip I read blogs about Santorini being more laid back than Mykonos.  After what I experienced last night, I've learned my idea of "laid back" was much more different than theirs!  lol.  First of all, Santorini IS a relaxing island with beach restaurants and boutiques all over.  Fira is the main center of Santorini, and officially their "downtown" so I could understand it being more congested than other parts of the island.  I was very much surprised by the nightlife I encountered, so I knew if Mykonos was the main attraction of Greece, I would much rather go there with a group of friends like the ones I hung out the night before.  The problem was, obviously, my new found friends are working all day at the restaurant, and I would be alone in Mykonos not knowing anyone.  I told my friend I would stay one more day in Santorini and head out tomorrow to Bari Italy, where she would be waiting for me.  I knew Santorini had an airport and Bari was one hour away from me.  I would get my ticket tomorrow, but for now, let me explore Santorini one more day.
After my coffee, (and lots of water), a staff member at Noma walked me over to an available umbrella waiting for me at the beach.  This is the life!  I ran into the couple from Athens at their umbrella spot and we caught up on the wild evening we had shared.  I like them a lot.  They were much more mellow than the others from the group, which was good because they balanced things out.  If there were too many crazies I can't imagine what trouble we would have gotten into!  lol



Dark sand between my toes.  This is the life!

I relaxed on the beach and then joined the couple in the sea to cool off from the hot sun.  I asked them a bunch of questions about Athens, and other vacation spots like Croatia.  Since they're locals, it was interesting to hear their input on the other destinations nearby.  One thing that I've noticed about vacationing in Europe, people love to spend HOURS on the beach.  Now that I am an older woman, I try not to stay out in the sun too long.  I made my way to Ntomatini restaurant to have some lunch.  Since we ate terribly early in the morning, I skipped out on breakfast, but the sun made me hungry.  Ntomatini specializes in traditional seafood so I opted for the grilled calamari.  I enjoyed my lunch and talked to the father and daughter while I was there.  I grew tired again and figured I'll squeeze in a nap in before I ventured out on the island.  I usually set my alarm for an hour so I don't end up sleeping too long.  It makes me more groggy whenever I over sleep.



Healthy lunch with a side of fries...

After my nap I got ready to hit the town.  My main objective was to head to the other side of the island to Oia for the infamous sunset.  I was determined to get over there.  Upon reading on my trip to Santorini I found out there was a bus that would take you to Oia.  I went to Noma to have more coffee and saw the daughter from Ntomatini hanging out with the crew.  Kostas was still no where to be found.  I asked her where to catch the bus and she told me to walk down the beach and I should see the bus stop.
Well here is where the adventure begins!!  What I have learned from my travels is that sometimes things that seem easy, well, aren't.  I walked and walked, probably close to 15 minutes to an area that was closed off on the beach.  I put two and two together since I remembered from my shuttle bus coming in that the road is blocked off from traffic.  I looked around and saw some people standing around.  Santorini has posts and signs only in Greek, so a lot of times you have to figure it out yourself.  I saw a bus on a sign and knew I was suppose to be there, but wasn't sure.  The tourists standing around weren't very inviting but I managed to ask someone if this was the bus stop.  He mumbled yes so I waited with the rest of them.  Luckily I had some euro coins, but I wasn't sure how much this was going to cost me exactly.  One thing to remember in Europe is to have some loose change handy since they do not use credit cards like we do in the States.
A small group grew upon waiting and then I saw a charter bus on the horizon.  He was heading our way.  Whew!
A big, very intimidating bus clerk stepped out and yelled that this bus was going to Fira and to Fira only.  "If you want to go to Oia (pronounced Eee-yah by the way), you need to transfer at Fira!!"  He was so scary!  You did not want to mess with this guy!
Off we went.  I sat by the window and looked out while the bus driver took off.  Again we were going through narrow roads which made me nervous.  More stops were coming up and more people climbed in.  A good looking couple came on.  The guy sat next to me and his girlfriend sat behind him.  I heard them speak English very softy to one another with an accent so I felt relieved.  If anything they were my safety zone!
The bus continued along and gathered more people.  I didn't understand where we were going.  There were times we were driving past open land.  I saw garbage, abandoned buildings.  I started to get very anxious.  Fira didn't seem that far to me the night before!  Me and my new friends were at Fira.  How come I don't remember us driving out that long?  The bus clerk bully came by and collected the fare and gave out his receipts.  My nerves couldn't take it anymore.  I turned to the good looking boyfriend and asked him if this bus was going to Fira.  He barely glanced at me and said, "Yes".  I couldn't help myself.  I was getting more frightened by the moment.  I whispered to him, "Why is it taking so long?"  He slightly shrugged his shoulders but never made eye contact with me.  I could see his crystal blue eyes gaze away towards the front of the bus.  He was so cold to be unbelievably beautiful.  I was hurt by our interaction, mostly because in my mind this couple was suppose to be my safety zone.  I felt so alone.
Next thing you know, the bus swerved into a lot and then the madness began.  People got up and started walking out.  Ok, we're at Fira, but how come I don't remember it being so unattractive? 
There was an agent at a booth at the bus station.  People were coming up to her asking questions about schedules.  I went up and asked her which bus was the one to Oia and she pointed it out for me.  I looked over and saw a small group of people waiting nearby.  Because of my anxiety I needed to use the bathroom.  I saw a restroom sign at the lot.  There was a lady outside collecting money.  I noticed in Rome that public restrooms have a fee to use, so I knew this was a common thing in Europe.  I paid my fee and entered a room where the sink was.  There was a stall but once I got inside I didn't see a toilet, but more of a hole in the ground, resembling a shower setup but without the filter.  I was confused.  I walked out and asked if this was the bathroom and the lady replied, "Yeah, they're all like that."  Yikes! 
Afterwards I made my way to the small group waiting for the Oia bus and soon we started to board.  Off he went and another bus clerk collected our money.  We drove for another 15 minutes.  I looked out the window for reassurance that we were heading to the right direction.  The tourists here do not speak to one another.  I found it to be such a sad situation considering we're all on vacation.
At one point the view in Oia overwhelmed us.  The sun was beginning to set as we were driving up the road.  Unfortunately, it was hard to take a good picture with the bus moving.  I felt a sign of relief knowing we were almost there. 
I looked around and noticed again we were driving to deserted areas.  I was in disbelief it would take us this long to get there.  I had been in route in total for almost an hour!  It was past 7:45pm when the driver pulled into a lot.  There were a ton of people waiting to board.  Again the scene looked a bit chaotic.  I followed people off the bus and didn't know where to go.  People were heading to different directions.  Since now it was dark I grew concerned about how I was going to head back home.  I didn't want to ride that bus at nighttime.  I followed two young men walking away from the lot.  I had a hunch they knew where they were going since they seemed determined.  They are probably going to a happening area.  Sure enough, they led me to the infamous Oia skyline!  It was so beautiful even at night!  Everyone was taking pictures all around them.  I think I found the one end of the "strip" so I followed that pathway.  It led to endless shops and boutiques, from high end retail to souvenir shops.  There were art galleries and restaurants.  Because we were at a high altitude, the wind was gusty again.  I took cover by going in and out of shops.  There were so many beautiful handcrafted things that I couldn't stop admiring.  My stomach was beginning to bother me from the anxiety.  I couldn't help but rub it from time to time.  I walked into a jewelry shop and was browsing around when the salesman behind the cash register spoke to me.  "Did you eat something that gave you an upset stomach?" he asked.  "No.  It's just nerves," I replied.  "Why don't you go and have a glass of wine?" he suggested.  I smiled.  He seemed friendly enough.  I went up to him and asked him what time was the last bus out of Oia.  He asked one of his associates and she told me around 10pm.  I frowned.  I explained that I had just gotten there and was worried about how to get back to Perissa Beach.  "Do you have cabs here?  I haven't seen any around at all since I've been here."  "Of course we have cabs.  If you need a cab, we will call one for you," he explained.  What a sign of relief!  "That makes me feel a lot better!"  I told him.  He reassured me whenever I'm ready to leave, I can walk into an establishment and ask them to order me a cab and it shouldn't take no more than 15 minutes until it arrives.  "We don't have many cabs in Santorini but it shouldn't take long to get to you." 
I wish my anxiety magically disappeared from that moment, but of course it did not.  But I did feel a lot better that I could wander through Oia and enjoy my time there much longer.  I didn't want to miss out on anything.  I purchased some more souvenirs and was slowly beginning to feel like myself again.  I walked into a boutique and was greeted by a handsome salesman.  His smile made me feel it was safe enough for me to walk up to him and ask him where I should go for a drink around Oia.  He suggested Mary Kay's Bar which was right across the boutique from him.  I joked that I wanted a more lively place but he told me it would get busier later in the evening.  I looked over but there wasn't so many people inside.  I told myself I would check it out.  I continued to browse other shops until I found another friendly salesman smile back to me.  This boutique had beautiful Greek rugs which ran around 300 euros, as well as colorful handmade jewelry.  The friendly salesman and I striked up a conversation.  He lives in Athens but works in Santorini during the tourist season.  He explained it usually runs from March until October.  I asked what he did after the season is over and he told me he would have some time off and be in Athens.  I was curious to know what happened to the merchandise in the shops once everyone is off.  Did they lock up everything and leave the island?  Or do they ship everything off the island?  He said they pack up all the merchandise and it goes back to Athens where it will sit until the tourist season begins.  During the off-season months the boats coming to and from the islands will not be available to travelers.  They will be used to transport the merchandise and no one will be able to book any ferry rides.  I found this new information fascinating!  Who knew!
My new salesman friend gave me a little token of potpourri to take back to Chicago.  He said it's meant for good luck.  I found him to be one of the warmest people I've met in Santorini.  I will never forget his generosity.

Oia

Again with the sex cards...

Beautiful church!

Tourists shopping away!

Galleries galore

Donkey love

A flower shop

At this time it was 11pm and I felt it was a good time to head over to Mary Kay's bar.  The handsome gentleman from before was right.  Now the place was getting packed and the dj was playing Motown music to get the crowd going.  I found a seat by the dj and ordered a glass of white wine.  As usual, the waiter brought over my glass along with a side serving of nuts.  This to me is a lifesaver when traveling in Italy and  in Greece because it helps you curb your appetite.  The crowd was letting loose and people finally started dancing around.  I love being around this type of energy so I enjoyed watching everyone have fun.  I knew my new friends back at the restaurant were working until 1am so I figured I could hangout here until then.  I was having such a good time I decided to have another glass of wine.  People watching could be very entertaining.  There were a group of British tourists who were tearing up the dance floor.

Mary Kay's Bar

Gotta love the cigarette ads!

It was now nearing 12:30am.  I figured it was time for me to make my way over to Perissa Beach.  Now to find a cab (or a shop what will have someone call me one).  I walked back to my original path of where I began on the strip.  By now a lot of businesses were closed.  People were strolling around but I did not hear any English speakers.  I was getting nervous again.  I saw a restaurant that was closing up and I peaked inside to see if anyone would be able to help me.  Two staff members were in the kitchen and they looked preoccupied.  I walked back up to the beginning of the strip when I noticed a cab drove up.  I ran up and waved my arms like crazy before he continued to zoom away but he put on the brakes.  I was so relieved!  I ran up to him and then noticed a couple sitting in the back seat.  "Oh I'm sorry!  I didn't know you had someone.  Do you know where I can grab a cab?"  I see the pair of eyes staring back at me from the couple.  "Where are you going?" the driver asked.  "Perissa Beach?"  It took him a moment before he replied to get in.
I sat in front and said hi to the couple at the back.  The woman point blank asked me in English, "Why are you alone?"  Her tone made me worried because I did not want to give away that I was indeed alone, at least not to this cab driver.  I told them that I was waiting for my friends to get off from work and decided to kill some time in Oia.  She had an accent but her male friend was definitely American.  At one point she kept talking to the cab driver on where to go and told him she works "here" and not to try anything (which made me worried).  "Where do you work?" the cab driver asked suspiciously.  She replied that she worked at the hotel from where he picked her up from.  "What do you do?" he continued.  I could tell he was trying to figure her out.  "I work the concierge but I know Santorini; I know Greek!" she proclaimed.  He said something to her in Greek to test her and she quickly added, "Yes I understand.  I know what you said.  I understand Greek."  The driver still wasn't satisfied.  I grew very nervous because I did not know what I walked in on.  He asked her "What are you?  Where are you from??" and she answered that she was Italian (although she never revealed from what city).  The driver stayed silent and the couple continued their conversation.  It seemed to me that they had just met and that the male had been drinking.  She was fine and very firm with her answers.  They were going to Tango and that's when I told them that I had been there the night before.  Although I wanted to invite myself to their party, the woman never really paid much attention to me and they seemed more preoccupied with each other.  Once they got to Fira they quickly jumped out and the male companion paid the driver 20 euros and off they went.  I was worried about how much cash I had on me but prayed that it was enough for my ride.  He continued to drive until he stopped at a mart and asked me if it was ok for him to get some cigarettes.  I told him that's fine and he went inside.  I was SUPER nervous now that I was alone with him so I took pictures of whatever I could find at the front of the cab.  Everything was in Greek so I didn't know what I was looking at.  He came back into the car and off we went.  I decided to strike up a conversation with the driver so I wouldn't anxious.  I felt I was putting myself in a very vulnerable position being out this late by myself.  The cab driver looked pretty scruffy too, but he continue along.  I told him I was having a hard time looking for cabs and he said there are only 39 cabs in all of Santorini.  No wonder I didn't see them very often!  That explains a lot.  I already knew that the roads looked pretty deserted but now that it was nighttime it looked more scary to me.  There wasn't much lighting out on the road.  I held my guard and continued saying random things to the driver.  We finally reached the blocked off area at the beach where the shuttle bus had dropped me off the night before.  I was so happy to get out of that situation!  I ended up giving the driver 38 euros and explained to him that was all I had.  He took it and said fine, although I'm aware he was going to pocket the money regardless.  I ran down the strip and everything was pretty much closed.  It was 1:15am.  So much for that.  I went back to my hotel room.

Good bye Oia!  It was all worth it to see this at night!