DAY 15

I never intend to climb anything higher than a bar stool in the future.

Today I did the volcano. Rather, I tried.

The volcano was too tall for me. I was too old for it. In two weeks, I shall be 77. I felt it today.

Boated over to the volcano island with about 60 others. A short ride. Peaceful.

The volcano is an island obviously open at its top. A large crater. The goal of all of us was to reach the top and look in. I was anxious to see the wrath of God or the eyes of the devil or whatever. I saw none. I never made it to the top.

I started the journey to the top at the front of the pack. Shortly, I was at the end. Then I was part of the stragglers. Then I was THE straggler. Finally my group was a speck up ahead.

I was tired! Simply said.

My legs were heavy. Very heavy. From the knees down to my feet. My chest kept feeling full. I was breathing, but not normally. Interestingly, my heart did not pound like crazy.

I stopped about a doxen times. Drank lots of water.

The path up was narrow. Dirt and all size lava rocks. Staying erect was a problem on occasion.

The island was one mass of lava. Hundreds of peaks. Pointed. If I fell of the path, I would have been impaled on one of them.

I made it about two thirds the way up. Then I said no more. I had had it.

The walk down was a strain, also. I would have thought it would be easy. I took a wrong turn at one point and ended up on a narrower trail. Like two feet wide. Again, if I fell, impalement was my destiny. Sliding on the dirt and lava was more of a problem going down than it was up.

I finally made it to the bottom. I felt as exhilerated as if I had made it to the top. I climbed on board the boat, found a shady spot and stretched out. My thougts were isolated to one. F–k everybody! I know. It does not make sense.

The trip guide told us before we started up the hill that the volcano was still alive. It was eminating energy through the ground. We would feel it in our bodies and become energized. Didn’t work for me.

A ride to the volcano springs was next. The springs were part of a cove. When we were thirty meters off the cove, the boat captain announced he was parking there. Anyone who wanted to experience the spring fed cove waters could dive off and swim for it. His final admonission was return when I blow the horn or you will be left here. I could not tell whether he meannt it.

Immediately ninety per cent of the boat rose, stripped to their bathing suits and dove! It was then I realized that those ninety per cent diving into the water were all young. Thirty tops. No wonder the trip up seemed easy for them.

It was a long day. We were then taken to a small island that was one of the break off islands that occurred when the volcano had its major eruption. Fifteen hundred years before Christ!

Forgive me, I do not recall the name of the island. Very few inhabitants. Three small restaurants beach side. A bunch of donkeys if you wanted a ride up the island’s hills.

I had one drink and lunch. No gin. Ouzo. Grilled squid. Huge grilled shrimp. And some other things.

The restauants all cook outside. Not on grills as we know them. They actually grill on large stove type operations. The cook is king. He makes you aware of it by his actions. A good show.

Then back to Santorini.

I wanted to flop on the bed and sleep. But first I had to clean up. I was filthy from the lava dust. All over. I have yet to experience a normal shower here. The showers are those hand held jobs. I sat in the tub, turned the water on and let it clean all the muck off me. I even wore my sandals into the tub. They were the most dirty and I was too tired to remove them.

That is it for today! I am shot! Hope you have enjoyed your day!

One comment on “DAY 15

  1. Hi Louis,
    We are reading daily! What a trip!!! Can’t wait to hear the next installment! We emailed you with a place to go in Mykonos! It is the only piano bar that we know of there and is owned by friends of Terri’s, Jody and Nikkos. Bobby Peaco is playing there now. You may remember him from The Keys Piano Bar in Key West. Terri has performed there. Try to go, you will enjoy it!
    Much love,
    The Lesbian Wives

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