I have to start this one with the story of how we even ended up coming here. Sitting in class one day, a girl in our class came up asking us about where we were going because she had done 2 months over here herself. Once she found out we were doing Italy, she immediately told us we HAD to do The Pink Palace and that there was nothing else like it and it was just an amazing time on a beautiful island just a boat ride from Italy. Apparently she had planned on spending 4 days and ended up here 2 and half weeks. So, we looked it up, looked at boat tickets, looked at our schedule, and in an hour of management class had cut out Brussels and Nice and added 5 nights here! And why would we not? It looked like a blast and we end up saving money...for only 25 euros a night (about average of what we are paying for a dorm style room with a decent breakfast other places, if we are lucky) we get hotel style rooms with just us, a balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, and a hot breakfast and 3 course (spectacular) dinner....
So we got here...and you walk into an introduction about all the activities they do during the day, a few rules, and a shot of ouzo....yamas (cheers)!! The nights here are full of fun, great stories, great games, meeting amazing (and unique) people, and really just having a good time. A few highlights of names and things just for my memories later....the camera didn't venture into the late nights so it's really just Courtney and my memories! We have given people names, some will be explained and others won't so this post may seem really lame and full of terrible english...and may only make sense to those of us at experienced it. But, hey, that's how the pink palace is.
-6 to 8 every night is happy hour followed by that amazing dinner (something new every night....the tzatziki here is home made and out of this world). Then everyone just keeps the fun going to the wee hours of the morning.
-first night there was Jeff (face rape), John (Courtney's Ginger friend), Simon, Ashley (crazy Vancouver hockey fan), Simon, Ryan (with the Canadian girlfriend he met 3 weeks before), we got our first glimpse of CT (crazy Toronto....I really don't even know his name but I'll remember him forever.... Not for any reasons that are good either) and his friend Boston. the highlight was probably getting spun and dropped around the dance floor (all the different backgrounds leads to all kinds of different dancing). I woke up with 14 new bug bites so have pretty much used all of my bug spray since then, these things are nasty that's for sure.
-day two we went on the kayak safari which was really fun. The water here has this amazing deep turquoise color that I can't even describe. We ate lunch at the top of this little island where the is an old monastery, went cliff jumping (best memory was Court going, cause she is not a big cliff jumper, and coming up, hands raised, screaming in excitement).. Unfortunately her ears got a little to pressurized or something and she spent the rest of the day with a little pain. We hit up a beach on the way back where we came upon what I can only describe as a nudist colony...easily 20 people just running around in their birthday suits. My other favorite moment was Court and Me trying to get back in our kayak and flipping out of it..and then laughing so hard we couldn't even jump in.
-our second night we met a lot more people and the fun really started. We met a bunch of really awesome people..the Denmark boys (Frederick who had a birthday everyday, Christian and Thomas) who introduced me to an amazing dice game I'm bringing back called max it, the Canadian boys (Ryan, Darren and Jarod), Taryn and Jenny (from the block) who was really turning 23, Sue the bartender and the Algerian bar tender who is just the life of the party and a hand full more. The Stanley Cup finals were at 5am and I was going to try to stay up...but alas I fell asleep, and woke up to a few angry Canadians because they lost to Boston (and apparently in Vancouver it got really crazy).
-day 3 was a sleep in and hit the beach and relax kind of day. At the beach is also when we officially met 8 people that will stick in my memories forever. Crazy Toronto and Boston (who i try to avoid at all costs), The Georgia Boys, Chris and Ryan, who are living in Rome working the spanish step pub crawl we almost went on, Panos (the legit Greek) and Yanni (aka David, because 1am would bring about my famous quote "he's like the statue of David, you just can't look away"...really, you can't). And them Sarah and Stephanie, 2 awesome girls we hung out with and had a great time getting to know our last 3 nights here.
-night three was one of my favorite nights, granted they have all been very memorable. We had a blast until 2am when we called it a night.
-day 4 was our day we took our free (for staying 4 nights) 4 wheelers and explored the island all day. It was breathtaking. The pictures don't so it justice. It also made me want a motorcycle. I really enjoyed our hour or so ride back from the north part of the island, just cruising along enjoying the backroads. We also got into town, and driving around town on a quad is pretty interesting. Ate lunch at Goody's, basically fast food in Greece while listening to Kesha play over the speakers.
-night 4 ended early for me, call it the not so good meat at dinner, too many late nights, the sun all day...but I did not feel well and I was passed out before 11.
-today, our last one, was another beach day. Just enjoying it all before we get back to the crazy backpacking life. Tonight is the weekly Toga party, and we have to leave at like 5am to catch our 7am boat back to Venice (we have airline seats this time, so we will probably just be up all night and sleep on the way back).
I'm sad, but ready, to go. We have met some really really awesome people, and gotten to hear a lot of crazy and interesting stories. I feel like this trip is getting us all the info we need to travel more, we are only beginning to scrape the surface of what's out there. It's been a great vacation in our vacation, and tonight should be a blast.
Oh, and one last thought...one of my most favorite things is that not only is this place amazing, but they love, and almost solely serve, Amstel Beer. Not Amstel Light, but the real thing. And those of you that know me know Amstel Light is my favorite beer...well Amstel itself is just that much better. Its in every supermarket, its whats on tap at the bar here (the only tap they have)...They even have it at Goody's, the fast food place.
Until next time...oh, and Happy Fathers Day!
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