Going Greek

Ten points for puking in the trash can. C- for the class if you throw up on me.

There were a lot of firsts for me on this trip, and yet another one today; I got seasick for the very first time in my life. And not just sick but SICKKKKKK. Jumping overboard was the best possible solution for the state I was in. We were taking a day tour to Delos and Mykonos, and to get there we had to take a ferry. Vaggeli warned us that with the wind conditions the way they were, the size of the ferry, and its speed, it was a high probability that most of us would get sick. I have been on cruises, speedboats, dolphin tour boats, etc. and not one of those times have I in the least bit been seasick. So I wasn't too worried and when it came time to board, when we had the choice between the less-effective all-natural pill versus dramamine gum, I took the pill. I started out on the top of the ferry, but the waves were so rough that it was like riding the water rides at Silver Dollar City. We were soaked within five minutes, so I decided to come brave the rest of the trip inside the ferry. First off, it was hot and stuffy in the ferry and the boat was rocking side to side so violently that it felt like we were about to flip over. It got airborne multiple times, and it took everything I had to keep it under control. But then, people on the top deck started getting sick, one right after the other and the whole place began to wreak. I went farther up to the front of the ferry to get away from the other sick people, and Lauren was sitting there about to get sick herself. I was trying so hard not to throw up that I was shaking and my hands and face were going numb. Death must feel a lot like that. I didn't even have the energy to get up and try to go outside for some fresh air, or even speak for that matter. I saw Lauren head up to the trash can, and I knew that if I saw her throw up I would right there in my seat. I got up and stumbled to the bathroom, and I guess when Lauren saw me she immediately turned to the trash can and got sick. It was God-awful. Turns out that there were a few of us who were beyond sick. The trip to Delos was the longest of my life and when we finally got there I wasn't really feeling well enough to walk around a practically deserted island for three hours. Delos is a famous island where the sanctuary of Apollo resides. Nobody lives there anymore (except the French archaeologists who are still excavating it) and basically the entire island is covered in statues, temples, and other buildings in his honor. Most of it is in ruin, but the Temple to Isis on the side of one of the mountains is in pretty good condition. I know nobody is allowed to live on that island, but at that point I was willing to risk it in order to not get back on that boat. From Delos we sailed to Mykonos. Mykonos is famous for being a mecca for the gay community to vacation and is where "all the beautiful people party" according to Vaggeli. Basically if you are not a model, you are not welcome on some of its beaches. Needless to say we stayed far, far away from those places. Mykonos was beautiful, but I was still so sick (although I learned if you stayed outside you didn't get as sick) I didn't really get to enjoy much of it. The villages on the island are like a maze, and Lauren and I must have gotten lost I don't know how many times. I don't know how anybody there remembers where they live; it's ridiculous. After Mykonos we got back on the boat to head back to Naxos. I chose the stronger dramamine gum and sat on the top deck, but I was still like having an anxiety attack thinking about sailing on that thing again. Luckily, the ride back was much smoother than the ride there, and I survived it without getting sick at all. When we got back, we cleaned up and headed out for the Mexican restaurant on the island. Even the tacos in Greece are good! And I had a raspberry margarita that was amazing! I have been craving a margarita basically since we got here and it totally hit the spot. After dinner we headed out for the Waffle House (and no, not that white trash restaurant in the U.S.). It's an ice cream shop where they make their own waffle cones. Vaggelis still owed me ice cream after all. He told me I could get the most expensive thing there, but I just got a small. I told him I was a cheap date, but he insisted that he would buy me ice cream again tomorrow, and that I was to get every topping and three scoops of everything then. I'm game.