Greece Trip #26: Santorini: The Popular Donkeys

The Greek Island of Santorini is really a dormant volcano, and all of the towns are built around the rim of the high Caldera (which I explained in yesterday's blog).  Today we'll tell you about the donkeys because when you visit you'll see their images all over souvenirs. You'll also read how I slipped on their path.

DONKEYS - Because Santorini is a dormant volcano, locals still use donkeys to travel up and down the slope of it, especially in some of the towns along the rim. Donkeys and mules are used as taxis to carry tourists up and down more than 500 steps to the old town of Firá several times a day. Donkeys have been a reliable partner for transporting goods, as well as, the main means of personal transportation around the island for centuries. 

From the backside of our hotel, we could see a farm where donkeys were grazing. 

(Photo: Rob took this pic of a Greek man leading a team of donkeys up the Fira town steps. Credit: RG)

DONKEY FACT - A male Donkey is called a Jack while a female is a Jenny.

DONKEYS ARE SUPER SMART- Donkeys are much more of an all-terrain animal than horses. Donkeys are in fact a highly intelligent animal despite popular misconception. A donkey is stronger than a horse of the same size. Donkeys have an incredible memory – they can recognise areas and other donkeys they were with up to 25 years ago.

DONKEY SOUVENIRS -  In fact, there are many tee shirts and souvenirs with donkeys on them! 

ROB SLIPPED LIKE A DONKEY - We walked into the town with Bill and Bill in the 100F degree heat, and I was feeling pretty bad (because of my asthma) and a bit shaky. So, we stopped in a bar and got something cold (lots of water for me). After that we found a long stone path that goes along the outside of the city and on the rim of the caldera overlooking the steep drop into the flooded volcano. The rocks were slick, because they have been worn down... and I slipped and fell on my butt and my elbow (which hurt for a week afterward!). Right after I got up, local men were herding donkeys up the stone pathway!

(Images: Examples of some of the many donkey souvenirs in Santorini).

NEXT: Visiting Oia City

Greece Trip #25: Santorini Island Arrival, Best Bakery and Lost Atlantis

In today's blog, we're introducing you to the dormant volcanic island called Santorini, Greece.  Santorini is a caldera, filled with ocean waters. The intense heatwave continued during our entire stay on Santorini and there were no breezes to be had. The Heat Index was near or over 100F (37.7 C) every day - making it challenging with my asthma. Today's blog will tell you about Calderas, the scary ride to the top, and the Atlantis Legend.

FERRY RIDE - A couple of blogs ago, I shared our ferry experience, but as a reminder these ferries between the Greek islands are huge! They fit hundreds of people and are stories high and carry several vehicles and trucks in their belly All passenger seats are usually on levels 2 or 3. There's also long queues and everyone needed to show a vaccination card and passport. The ride took 2 hours from Milos to Santorini and it was pretty comfortable and spacious. It had a food vendor (very expensive so bring your own water and snacks) and bathrooms.

(Photo: The sidewalk along the rim of the caldera that looked waaaaaay down to the sea.Credit: RG)

(Photo: Looking at the Aegean Sea from the high rim of the Santorini Caldera.Credit: RG)

WHAT IS A CALDERA? A large volcanic crater, especially one formed by a major eruption leading to the collapse of the mouth of the volcano.

SCARY VAN RIDE /ISLAND SET UP - All ferries dock at the beach and people take vans up the very, very, very winding and steep roads to the rim of the former volcano. All of the towns are built on the rim, including our hotel... The ride took 20 hair-raising minutes, and I was really nervous that van was going to go over the edge of the road and fall hundreds of feet (Yeah, I don't like heights)>

(Photos: Bakery brownie and enjoying lunch at the bakery. Credit: R.G.)

HOTEL  - The hotel was nice, beautiful rooms, nice pool (but again, no flushing paper in the toilet- eeeww)- It was also located about a 30-40 minute walk along a long sidewalk on the rim of the volcano to get to the town. Some people took taxis, Tom and I just walked all the time.

HIGHLIGHT!  A GREAT BAKERY! - There was a bakery located right next to the hotel, and to me, that was a highlight of the entire island. I love bakeries and whenever we travel, we often go to them for breakfasts and lunches. That's exactly what we did. They had great sandwiches, and amazing chocolate cookies and brownies (see photo).  It's kind of funny that we traveled all the way to Greece and I found a bakery to be the highlight of Santorini. I took a photo of it because the name of it was in Greek (although the word "Bakery" was in English)...

WAS THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS NEAR SANTORINI? - Our friend Bill told us about the theory of the lost city of Atlantis considered once being part of Santorini. 

According to Santorini.com, "Santorini has often been connected with Atlantis, the legendary continent that plunged to the bottom of the sea while it was at its zenith. The mystery surrounding the destruction of the one, and the disappearance of the other has preoccupied scientists for generations. The starting points for the debate about Atlantis are the references to be found in Plato's dialogues 'Timaeus' (21E-25D) and 'Critias' (108E-121C). 

    (Photos of the Aegean Sea filling the inside of the Volcano's caldera of Santorini. Credit: RG)

According to the account given in the former, Athenian lawyer Solon visited Egypt (590 BC) where he was told the story of Atlantis by a priest at Sais: "a great and wonderful state which ruled over the other islands" which owed its power to the civilization that had evolved there. The kingdom consisted of two islands, the 'larger' and the 'smaller', and there were ten cities. Of these only two were mentioned specifically, the 'Metropolis' and the 'Royal City'. The people of Atlantis launched an attack on Athens 900 years before Solon had talked to the priest. But the Athenians defeated them and liberated all the lands that Atlantis had conquered. Later Atlantis suffered a terrible earthquake and a flood, sinking in its entirety into the sea. Finds from the excavations at Akrotiri have led scholars to conclude that the lost Atlantis was none other than Santorini. However over the centuries, as myth was retold, experts beg to differ."

NEXT: Town Visit, Donkeys and Oia City