Snow Village Jewels & Grateful Donkeys

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Monday, October 25, 2004
Santorini, Greece
24 degrees Celsius, clear skies, light breeze

Snow Village Jewels & Grateful Donkeys

The announcement from Bruce, our cruise director, over the PA system that the Prinsendam had been cleared by customs woke me. I stumbled out of bed and onto the verandah of our stateroom. A short distance across blue water I saw a sheer rock face. I looked up, way up, and was shocked to see snow on top of the cliff. After my eyes adjusted to the light I realized the snow was actually a village of white villas perched on the top of the cliff.

There are three ways to get to Santorini from the port. You can walk. That mean you must walk up a sheer cliff following the cobblestone walkway that goes back and forth across the cliff face. For the fit and insane this is a good option as long as you watch for donkey droppings. I am told this option takes about half an hour or so for those who survive.

This brings me to the second way you can get to the top. You can ride a donkey. For only three and a half Euros this noble beast of burden will carry you to the top prodded by his handler along with a group of about four or five other riders and donkeys. This is the traditional Greek option, the adventure option an opportunity for a lifetime memory. In my case it would also involve cruelty to animals carrying my bulk. Despite the protests of the Donkey handlers that they had a larger Donkey that could carry me, I opted, out of kindness, to select the third option.

The third option is a cable car ride that also costs three and half Euros, each way, no return tickets available. It is the sensible and humane choice and only takes about five minutes. Being sensible and humane Jan and I climbed aboard. “Oh my God! This sure swings a lot. What is that bumping sound?” We arrived safely without incident.

We had been warned that Santorini had many jewel shops with some innovative and very expensive items. Still, Jan and I were surprised by what we saw in the shop windows (see photographs). In a shop we stopped at so Jan could look at some Turquoise earrings, the Australian sales lady showed us a multi-colored bracelet of sapphires in every color avaipakt en langs de kant van de weg gaat zitten heb je hier gewoon een top dag, zoveel gebeurd hier.
We lopen verder naar Rockafeller Center. In dit gebouwen complex zit onderander NBC, de tegenhanger van CNN zeg maar. Op de Rockafeller Plaza wordt een programma opgenomen over de Democratische Confentie. Overal camera's en lampen. Er is zelfs buiten een hele studio set gebouwd waar twee presentatrices de boel aan elkaar praten. We stonden nog geen twee meter van de dames, die op dat moment live in heel Amerika en delen van de rest van de wereld te zien waren af. Erg leuk om te zien.
Via 5th en 42th East naar het Chrysler Building gelopen. Helaas mochten we niet naar boven. Morgen dan maar naar het Empire State Building om een fototje van bovenaf te schieten.
So far for now... Morgen dan maar naar het Empire State Building om een fototje van bovenaf te schieten.
So far for now...