Sofia, Bulgaria and getting to Belgrade

Although we got woken up at 2 am when we crossed the border on the overnight train from Istanbul, overall the ride went pretty good. We arrived to a rainy and cool Sofia. Cabs and really everything was supposed to be fairly cheap in Bulgaria, something we were looking forward to. We met a girl on the train that was staying at the same hostel as us so we all got in a cab and went to the hostel. We made it to the hostel fine but as Joel suspected we got ripped off on the price of the cab. We would learn later that prices for cabs can vary greatly in Sofia, you just have to know what company to go with. Either way it was not absurdly expensive but when you know you could have gotten something cheaper it never feels good.
After settling into our hostel we set out to find some food. The girl we met on the train had a place in mind so the three of us braved the cold pouring rain and after walking around for a while finally found the spot. The food was really good and as expected was nice and cheap. The rain was a real downer, so on the walk back after it picked up some more we decided to stop for a drink at an R&B bar called Funky Town. What a great name.
That night the rain finally stopped. We had heard Sofia has quite the night life so we asked the guys running the hostel where some good spots to go were. They pointed out one or two so we headed out to find the places. As it turned out the first spot we went to had a private party going on and the second spot was dead. Considering it was already 1 am we were surprised, but apparently it was more of a late night spot. We had heard of another area called the student area where most of the students live and where there are some good clubs, so we hopped in a cab and told the man we wanted to go there. After a 20 minute and what worked out to be a 4 Euro ride we arrived at the student area. Basically it was a small street with about 5 or 6 huge clubs all lined up. He recommended Jim Beam’s which played “Black Music” so we paid our 1 Euro entry fee to go in. It turned out to be a pretty cool place with cheap drinks and good music. After a while the place was emptying out so we hopped in a cab and headed to another place that was recommended to us. The spot we arrived at did not seem very inviting and they wanted to rip us off on cover so we decided to walk back to the hostel. On the way back we stumbled upon what turned out to be another cool club. So we went in there for a while. It was getting kind of late the place was slowly emptying out so we decided to finally make the trek back to the hostel. Good news for us it was starting to get light out so the walk back was pretty easy. We arrived at our room around 6 am where an older lady that had been biking around the world since 2007 kindly opened the door for us as she was on her way out to hit the road again.
The next day was cold and rainy which gave us little motivation to see the city. Once again the rain stopped by the time it was dark. That night we made some friends with some Brits and Aussies at the hostel. By our recommendation the 8 of us went back to the student area where we went to 2 other clubs. We all had to check out the next day so we called it a night a little bit earlier.
10 am wake up came pretty early but we knew we had to catch the only train running to Belgrade which was leaving at 11:05. After moving kind of slow during breakfast it became apparent that we had to hurry up or we would miss our train. So at check out we asked the man to call us a taxi so we could get to the station on time. He strongly encouraged us to take the tram instead so that’s what we did. Of course we had no Bulgarian Lev (currency) left so it was probably better we did not take the cab. Either way, the tram slowly crept towards the station. We had neglected to purchase train tickets to Belgrade ahead of time, something we hoped to do before we got on the train. However, at the rate the tram was moving we figured we would be lucky if we got to the station before the train left. So we got off the tram at about 11 and started sprinting towards the station. Luckily some guys guided us to the train where we hopped on with about 2 minutes to spare. Of course they wanted money but we had nothing to give them. So we grabbed some seats in a compartment where there just so happened to be with a Canadian and an American our age that were traveling around like us. After making it on the train we felt the lack of tickets was merely a secondary issue. We had hopped to just pay cash when the ticket man came by even though we had no Bulgarian Levs or Serbian Dinars, just Euros. So he came by and seemed unreceptive towards cash so Joel presented his rail pass which was not supposed to be valid for Bulgaria or Serbia. After a long look the conductor actually accepted it. After that it was smooth sailing all the way to Belgrade where we arrived 2 hours late.

Istanbul

After enjoying a nice breakfast we were able to check into our hostel. We had a quick nap and decided to take a walk over to the Blue Mosk. We made it into the courtyard of this incredible building but then realized that pants where needed to enter so we had to come back another day. From there we walked through a small bizzar that sold carpets, scarfs and the like. Typical things tourists would expect to find in an Turkish bazaar. We ended up going to a nice cafe where we enjoyed some apple tea while smoking the Narghilèč. That evening we enjoyed the roof terrace on top of the hostel and socialized with the Turkish people that ran the hostel.
The next day we decided we should learn a bit about the extensive history that Istanbul has so we walked over to the area where there are a bunch of museums. Of course it was Monday so they where all closed. So instead we walked over to the Grand Bazaar. Quite the place. When walking around Istanbul you are constantly solicited by guys to come into their establishment whether it be a store or restaurant. So we were used to saying no thanks. In the grand bizzar it is even crazier. The sheer size of the place and amount of stuff they sell is overwhelming. Every 5-10 feet you are asked to buy something. The best two things we heard were "I am socks!" and "How can I take your money?" Most items sold where things only tourists would buy. As well there was enough knock off merchandise to rival a Chinese market. Of course after some hard bartering Scott bought a polo button up for what worked out to 10 euro and Joel picked up a red t-shirt with the Turkish symbol on it. That evening we hung out with our American roommates that had just finished serving in the peace corps in the Ukraine.
The next day we put on our pants and went to check out some of the mosks. They were cool but not a whole lot different than the cathedrals we had seen elsewhere in Europe. We actually thought they where more impressive from the outside, especially at sunset during the call to prayer. From there we decided to take advantage of cheap Turkish labour and got our shoes shined. Scott was quite impressed at how good his boaters turned out and we were even told it had a 3 year guarantee. As well it was time for some haircuts. Although we are living on a budget the price was right so we also got a shave while we were in the chair. That evening the champions league final was going on in Rome. So like every other European (and probably most of the world) we watched the game with some friends at the hostel bar.
By the last full day in Istanbul it was time to check out some museums. One was an archaeological museum and the other was on the history of Istanbul. They were alright, we felt it had to be done. Later that day we walked over the main bridge to what we thought was Asia. It was a pretty cool bridge with lots of old men fishing off the side and tons of fish restaurants underneath. So we had a later dinner basically where we though the border between Europe and Asia was. Of course we had to try some fresh fish. (Three days later after talking to a traveler we met in Sofia that had also come from Istanbul we found out the bridge did not actually link Europe and Asia and we never set foot on Asia. Oh well.)
On the final day we checked out of our hostel and had some time to swing by the grand bizzar again. There were a few items that caught our eye the previous day so we decided we may as well take advantage of the deals. Later that day we picked up our bags and boarded the overnight train to Sofia, Bulgaria.

Athens to Istanbul

The ferry ride from Ios was a rough one. There were some strong winds that day which not only shook the boat pretty hard but also made us arrive in Athens an hour later than expected. This meant we arrived in Athens at about 1am, 25 minutes after the metro closed. So the only option was to take a taxi back to the hostel, not something we like to do on our budget. So 30 euros later we arrived at our hostel.
The next day we got up and were planning on taking the 20ish hour train ride all the way around Greece and over to Istanbul. After checking out we headed over to the train station where it was oddly deserted. So we went up to the ticket counter where we read a small sign that said the railway workers decided to go on a 24 hour strike that day. Great. So we went back to the hostel where we looked into other options to get to Istanbul, but in the end decided to check back in and take the train the next day. That afternoon we took a walk around the city. On our walk we happened to stumble upon a fairly main square where we saw some interesting things (think Vancouver's downtown east side). An eye opening experience. That evening we had some delicious Gyros and Greek salad expecting it to be our last dinner in Greece.
The next day basically started of the same as the one before only this time the station was open and running. So we went to make the reservation for our trains to Istanbul only to find out all earlier trains to Thessaloniki (the city in northern Greece we had to make a connection in) were already full, meaning there was no way we would make it to Istanbul in the next 24 hours. At this point we were ready to get out of Athens so we booked the next train (5 pm) to Thessaloniki and bought tickets for the train from Thessaloniki to Istanbul the next night (this train only goes once a day at 10pm). So we pretty much had another afternoon in Athens and decided to visit the olympic stadium. It was a nice subway ride out to there and when we arrived we realized they had huge olympic grounds where many events would have been heald. There was also some impressive structures to see.

The train ride that evening was long and uneventful. We checked into our cheap motel and passed out.
Our train left at 10pm so this allowed us to explore Greece's second largest city for the better part of a day. We pretty much took a walk down the boardwalk, checked out the white tower and hung out a bit.
Being our first overnight train we were not quite sure what to expect. As well we would be leaving the EU for the first time on our trip so the boarder crossing was also a surprise. As it turned out the sleeper we got was fairly nice but the boarder crossing was a real pain. Of course we got to the boarder town in Greece at about 4am. So we all get off the train and gave the boarder guard our passports. After everyone was done doing this the train left. Then maybe 30 minutes later we all got off and got to go through the process again with the Turks, only this time we had to pay for our visa. Being Canadians it cost us 45 euro, apparently one of the most expensive. The Americans only had to pay 15. Either way, that got that all taken care of and arrived in Istanbul around 9am with less sleep than we hoped for. The hostel we where at was a little bit of a walk from the station and we were lucky enough to walk the wrong direction. It was at this point we experienced how nice the Turks are and after asking a few people for directions we finally found the place.

Ios

After a 45 minute ferry ride we arrived at the port where once again there was a man waiting to pick us up. For those of you that don't know, Ios is one of the biggest party islands in Europe, not quite the same way as Ibiza in Spain is but similar. So we arrived expecting quite a party scene but also knowing the season was just starting up. We checked in to once again a phenomenal room at the Far Out Beach Club where we were only paying 12 euro a night. Even nicer than the place we stayed at in Santorini this place was literally a beach resort filled with people under 25 all of which were (of course) from Canada, the U.S. or Australia. That afternoon was mostly spent hanging out by the pool and enjoying the patio and yard we had behind our room.
That night at 10:15 the last bus into town left from the far out beach club. The beach was only a 20 minute walk from town but it was up hill and the bus was much easier. More of a party bus than a city bus it was a great place to talk to some people to find out where to go in town. So we started off at the Fun Pub where we met up with some girls from Calgary that we talked to earlier. From there it was all over the place.
The way the bar scene works in Ios is there are a bunch of small clubs/bars in the center of the old town connected by stairs and alleys. As the night goes on you just hop from place to place and end up where ever the party is. Being in Greece drinks are fairly cheap, but because Ios is so competitive, bars will do things like have happy hour until 2am or give a free t shirt after having 7 shots. They will also do things like make two drinks marginally more expensive than one.
That night while Scott was distracted by a British girl Joel walked the wrong way home. Ios only has one paved road that starts at the port and ends at the Far Out Beach Club with the town in the centre, so it is pretty hard to get lost but you can walk the wrong direction. And when it is dark it all looks the same. After walking by the hospital (which is 100 meters from the port) Joel realized he went the wrong way. Two hours after leaving the club Joel made it back the the hotel right as light was coming over the hills.
The next day we found a baker that made great sandwiches and enjoyed the sun by the pool. That night we went into town and met some girls from Oregon and hung out with them for a while.
The next day we pretty much did the same but it was a little more windy. That night we once again hung out with the girls from Calgary and also found a friend from Baltimore. Scott was feeling a little tired so he went back a little earlier.
The next day we checked out and took a 9 hour ferry back to Athens which of course was late.

Santorini

After our 8 hour ferry ride we arrived at beautiful Santorini. We already had our hotel (I would call it a hostel, but it was actually a hotel at hostel prices) booked and there was a man at the port to pick us up. We arrived at the place we where staying and where blown away at how nice it was. Located pretty much on the beach, it had a nice pool, bar and great lounge with a big screen TV. We got a private room with a balcony and kitchenette all for 12 Euro a night. We even got to do laundry for free. That evening we took a walk around the beach town, had some dinner and scoped out the 4 wheelers we wanted to rent the next day.
The next day we rented the 4 wheelers we found. Most of the quads being rented where small 50cc things, very similar to what we rented in Corfu. That day we decided to pay the extra 10 euro and rented a 320cc machine and a 250. Needless to say they where quick and well worth the money to blow by the slow guys. So we hit the road and check ed out the island. After a small stop we decided to get up to the highest point on the island. It ahd a great view/. It was on top of this hill when Joel realized his camera was missing. Not a good feeling. He had just taken pictures with it 20 minutes earlier so we figured it must have somehow fallen out of the bag after the last stop. So we backtracked a little and it was not looking very good. Luckily, after going to the final logical place it could be Scott found the camera, what a relief. As it tuned out Joel must have left the camera in his pocket and after attempting some doughnuts in the parking lot it fell out. The rest of the day was great. We went to the small towns, found some small beaches and just had fun seeing the island. Santorini is supposed to have the best sunset in Greece so that evening we went to a great vantage point on one of the cliffs and had some dinner while the sun set. We had a little more gas to burn so we drove around a little bit and then headed back to the hotel.
The next day was fairly uneventful. We hung out on the beach, put in some computer time and bought our ferry tickets to get to our next destination, Ios. That night we put in some time at the pool bar and then went to a small bar down the road with some people from the hotel.
The next day we had a leisurely check out and hopped on the 1 pm ferry to Ios.

Athens Part 1

After a long overnight bus ride with our friends from the Pink Palace we arrived in Athens at around 9 am. Luckily we where able to check into our room right after we arrived so the four of us went up and took a much needed nap. That afternoon we decided to visit the Acropolis. The ruins where pretty cool to walk around and it gave us a great view of the city. That night we took it easy, had dinner and just hung out at the hostel.
The next day the guys we where staying with checked out and went their separate ways. We still had one more night book so that afternoon we took a walk around the city, did some people watching and just checked out the area. That evening we went on a mission to find a spot to eat. We where hoping for some good Greek food but as it turned out we ended up in a Polish restaurant. That night we hit the sack early because the next day we needed to catch the 7 am ferry to Santorini.

The Pink Palace

The Pink Palace is a small slice of heaven located on the island of Corfu. It is basically a budget resort where backpackers flock to for an amazing party at great prices. The name of the place comes from the fact that all the buildings on the complex are painted pink. Although there where only about 60 people there when we went (the place can hold over 700) the good times will be remembered for a long time.
Written on the back of every staff members t-shirts are the 10 biggest lies of the Pink Palace. As it turned out most of these where very true and some where exactly spot on.

Similar to spring break in Mexico our time mainly consisted of relaxing on the beach, ripping up the island by four wheeler or partying hard every night with mostly fellow Canadians. There where a few Americans and a few Aussies but Canada was by far the largest represented nation. Literally there where people from Vancouver to New Brunswick and even three girls from the North West Territories.
Our favourite daytime activity was exploring the island by motorized vehicle. Our first full day we rented scooters, a slightly cheaper option, but as it turned out not as fun as a four wheeler. In addition, after Joel somehow managed to loose traction of his front wheel in a corner decided they where not their favourite motorized vehicle. Don't worry Joel's quick reflex's and motorcycle training saved him on this one. A little skin on the leg (from the scooter not the road), some rubber from the bottom of his shoe and a small piece of ego where all that where lost. A few days later we decided we wanted to go off roading so we rented 4 wheelers. As it turned out, we hit the road with a former financial planner from Florida. After 10 years in corporate America he quit his job and has been in Europe for the 3 months since, a nice guy. Four wheeling was cool because you could go through the olive groves and climb to the top of the mountains much easier. The last day we rented four wheelers again (this time only 10 euros for the day) with some recent grads from Queens and managed to find some sand dunes to rip up.
The way the Pink Palace works is everyone does their respective day time activities weather it be four wheeling, hanging out on the beach, kyaking or just recovering and then at night everyone sits down for a 3 course dinner (included in the price) at 8:45. Happy hours from from 6-11. After dinner the palladium (the building we have dinner in) turns into a club. There where not enough people when we where there to get this place to crazy so 3 out of the 7 nights they organized a flip cup tournament (ask your children if you are not sure what this game is). Team A as we where called went undefeated in all 3 tournaments. Our team consisted of 3 guys that just graduated from Queens, Scott, Joel and 2 Aussie girls that where traveling. Generally after midnightish they closed down the palladium and everyone walked up the hill to the smaller bar in the main building. This bar never closes. Up there anything can happen. Killer kings (once again ask your kids) was a game often played. Body shots where also something you could see. Having a smaller crowd had its advantages at times. On various occasions Dr.George (the guy running the place who actually worked at Grand River hospital for a few years) would be up at the bar and this generally meant free ouzo. The bar tenders where great and everyone was there for a good time.
Saturday was the day everyone hyped about. We actually extended our stay 2 extra nights just so we could be there for it. The Pink Palace is known for its toga parties and the booze cruise, both of which happened on Saturday. The booze cruise is something that had tried to be organized all week but never exceeded the critical mass of having over 20 people, until Saturday. Having to sign up by 11 am was a little bit difficult.
The cruise started at noon when all 30+ of us piled on an old fishing boat painted pink and basically turned into a bar with a big stereo. Our first stop was cliff diving off a 45 foot cliff in the middle of the sea. Everyone was encouraged to jump and if you did it naked you got some free beers. Luckily (or sadly) everyone kept their clothes on for this event. Next the driver drove the boat into a bat cave where we all jumped in and swam into the darkness. Our last stop was at a small secluded beach where we all enjoyed the sun for an hour or 2. With the stereo pumping, the sun shining and the booze flowing a good time was had by all.
After the booze cruise we decided that at this rate checking out by 9am the next day was not going to happen so we extended our stay by one more night. This also meant we could take the pink bus to Athens.
After some down time its was time for dinner and the toga party. For a 10 Euro deposit we each got a pink toga and a free drink. The toga party consisted of traditional Greek dancing followed by a plate being smashed over your head and some ouzo shots. And of course everyone was in pink togas. This party ended pretty late and the memories of this one are fairly fuzzy, especially for those that where on the booze cruise.
By the time Sunday came around we where ready to leave the Pink Palace. So a whole group of us boarded the overnight pink bus to Athens.