Hiking on an Active Volcano

Time here is going by fast. We’ve been busy, but also taking time just to relax. After all, that’s why we’re here. This morning we head back up to the deck for a few hours of morning sun. At 11am were heading out on a boat to hike to the caldera and swim in the natural hot springs formed by the volcano. To get to the Port, one must hike down to the water, and quite a hike it is! I’m not sure how many total steps, but it’s a long way down and the entire way your dodging donkeys going in both directions. It’s very crazy!

Here they come, watch out!

You really need to be careful

The entrance to the stairway is not far from the Villa, we walk there and start to head down. We soon learn the donkeys going up and down are on a mission and they move like a stampede and we hug the walls to avoid them! The donkeys coming up the stairway seem to be carrying people from cruise ships that dock in the bay mainly, those poor mules are working their “asses” off!

We keep catching up to a young man on the stairs and exchange words on the craziness of this, by the time we got to the bottom we were friends, funny how that works, his name was Eric a Notre Dame graduate and current student in the Indiana University School of Med, he was in Greece with a professor and presenting in Athens next week. We find out that Eric was going on the same boat as us so the 3 of us sat together and enjoyed the ride to the Caldera. As we get closer you realize that the caldera looks nothing like you imagine it to be from Santorini, the black lava looks like the surface of another planet. Before we leave the boat they tell us that we have an hour and half and our boat is called the Albatross, matter of fact we are reminded of this at least 5 times before we head out, ok we got 1.5 hours, Albatross! Eric, Pat and myself start the hike up the Caldera, it’s a strange island as some of it is hardened black lava flow and other parts smooth, I wouldn’t say it’s a difficult climb up, but with the crowds of people in front of you and the looseness of the trail it was some work, we soon find ourselves at the top, how cool to be standing on the top of an imploded active volcano, and we soon see openings in the ground that are smoking and the smell of sulfur in the air. We all hope it picks another day to erupt, but if it does well we have the best seat in the house. Pat and I both learned allot from Eric about the volcano and sulfur leaking out. Soon we head back down to the boat, hmm seemed like there were allot more people on it when we left the port?? Wonder how many forgot 1.5 hours/Albatross!! The 3 of us find seats in front of the bar and enjoy a beer together as the boats leaves for yet another Island where we will jump into the Aegean see swim to the shoreline and enjoy natural volcanic hot springs but this time its 30min/The Albatross, LoL. After a short cruise around the Caldera we arrive at the springs, the boats docks quit a distance from the orange water of the springs uhh really we have to swim there? People start jumping in, Pat was the first of the 3 of us to go, ladies first right!! I jump right of the side of the boat and cannonball in the sea, apparently I received an ovation for using good form to enter the water, I couldn’t hear it because 1 I was under water and 2 even if I wasn’t the water so cold it knocked the breath out of me. We start swimming for the orange water, its loaded with Iron and other minerals as we get closer you notice the beautiful blue of the Aegean change to a muddy orange and water temp goes up as the color deepens, all the time your hitting rocks and muck. When we finally get close to shore the water is really warm and we all start putting the orange mud on our skin, its suppose to be good for you, they told us that people pay big dollars to do the same thing in spa’s. Soon our half hour is up and we make our way back to the boat, oh crap back into the cold water, slowly we all start to freeze again the colder its get the faster you swim. The 3 of us wait in the water to let others up the ladder now I’m used to it and happy that I was able to swim in the Aegean Sea, Eric makes his way up the ladder and I notice the backside of his bathing suit is full of mud, I let him know and yell out “Eric your backside is full of mud” to which he replied “that’s not mud, that water was cold” people start to laugh, we had great time sharing this experience with him. Once we get back to Port, we exchange emails and say our goodbyes he had other plans and was heading up the tram and yes Pat and I were going to fight the donkeys all the way up the stairs, hey if nothing else it’s a great workout. The 2 of us soon make our way up, its not an easy task, did I mention that these stairs are just loaded with donkey poo! It’s a hot smelly taste heading up there, groups of donkeys come running down at you, its very unnerving as your hugging the sides of the stairway hoping you don’t get trampled at one point my foot gets stepped on but luckily only the very tip. Half way up Pat and see a small female dog running down the steps with a group of donkeys, soon we see the same small dog running back up the stairs with a group of donkeys that are carrying tourists, at the top we see him again this time lined up with a group of donkeys, this little dog must think that she is also a donkey funny stuff. Once at the top we were happy to have survived the stairs, its our last night so dinner a few drinks and off to bed.

Our ship to the Volcano and Hot Springs

From our room the Island look much different than up close the Lava is incredible

Contrast of Colors on the Caldera

Pat and I on the Caldera

Sulfur & smoke coming from an active area of the Caldera

Beautiful view from the Caldera

The cove where we swam in the Hot Springs, the water is orange from all the minerals

Swimming back to the boat

Waiting to ride someone up the stair way

He thinks he is a donkey, Thank goodness no one rides him!

At the villa were not sure where we would like to eat so I head over to the trip advisor website, we settle on a place called Theoni’s its close and rated very high. Pat and I walk to Theoni’s find a seat and order dinner, I order octopus marinated in balsamic vinegar, before we even left Michigan I have wanted to eat octopus in Greece today was my chance, Pat ordered risotto as were waiting for our food we see Eric again on the street Pat walks out to say hi and we realize that he is there to meet his professor, Professor Olson and his wife were seat not far from us, they invite us to join them we moved tables and dinner with our new friend’s. Dinner was amazing not only one taste wise but Pat and I learned allot about the volcano and formation of Santorini from Eric and the Professor, before we knew it time for bed had arrived, Pat and I wanted to say good to our Gelato friend but she was no longer working, We did buy a few a few gifts and a couple a couple beers from the Santorini Brewery, Crazy Donkey IPA’s. We took the beers back to the room cracked one open and packed our bags for the flight home, Its been a wonderful week here with my Sweety, not sure how I will ever top this birthday present, oh that IPA, it was awesome!!