Greece: Of Myths, Mediterranean Food, and Beaches – Part 2 of 2

Travel Buzz

To pick up where we left off (where I talked about Athens in the earlier part of this article), I have always been curious about the Greek isles which not a few have been raving about. That’s why before embarking on this Greek adventure, I have decided to see two of the most popular ones, Mykonos and Santorini, and booked hotels in these two islands. On my last day in Athens, I went to a local tour office in Athens and bought a one way ferry ticket to Mykonos. I got the Blue Star Ferries ticket where the port is in Piraeus, about half an hour by car (sans traffic). The ferry leaves at 8 in the morning and it’s about a 4-hour trip. There are ferries that run faster, but the faster it gets, the rougher the ride and I don’t want to get seasick thereafter. The ride was pleasant and gave me time to write another article for the blog. I got a business class seat, but on hindsight, I should have settled for economy coz the common dining lounge already looks comfortable. Business class may be advisable on peak season where coach can get too crowded for comfort.

Business class section of Blue Star Ferry

Mykonos

We reached Mykonos around noon and my mistake was not to confirm the hotel transfer with my hotel (Super Paradise Suites) that I have included in my hotel booking. So I waited for a ride that wasn’t there to start with. So after hanging up on hotel staff learning that there’s no transfer to the hotel, I shared a cab with two young ladies from Utah who happen to be staying in the same hotel. We chatted with the cab driver and learned that locals and non-locals alike only work in the island from April to September and the island becomes silent in the next 6 months. There will still be some tourists on lean months, but most of the restos and shops are closed during this period. Non-locals then return to their home base, while locals take this opportunity to travel.

Luxury shops in the island that remind me of those in Capri

The hotel is situated on the hilly edge of Super Paradise Beach (not to be mistaken with another beach in the island called Paradise Beach). So getting to and from the beach would require some hiking which I don’t mind (good daily exercise for me) but not recommended for anyone with mobility concerns given the very steep trail to the beach as well as to where the shuttle that goes to town proper would pick up passengers. When I got to my room, I was pleased with the stunning views of the beach and the Aegean sea with the mountains as backdrop. Just like any island resort, everything here is expensive. Sun beds will set you back as much as 50 euros for a day rent (prices drop as beds get farther away from the shore). Aegean sea reminds me of Mediterranean sea, mystical, magical, enticing clear blue waters (the latter though is on the greenish shade). Per feng shui, my birth element is water, so I’m not surprised why I always get attracted to bodies of water. Maybe I’m a descendant of Poseidon (who lost by the way to Athena on that epic battle I shared in the first part of the article).

View from my room (Super Paradise Suites)

Mykonos, like Bali, is a beach haven so your trip to the island would mostly consists of beach hopping. On hindsight, I should have stayed in any of the hotels in the town proper since that is where all the buses that go to the different beaches pick passengers. It could have saved me a few euros from the daily shuttle between my hotel and the town proper and getting on a bus to the next beach. But what didn’t save me from the island greed was a trip to Platys Gialos beach. That’s where I realized that Mykonos, with all its charm and beauty, can also have the most cruel tourist trap that even the most seasoned traveler could fall victim to. I made a mistake of being lured into Dk Oyster, a beachfront seafood resto. With its nice sun beds facing a beautiful beach, I was enticed with what the in-house ‘hawkers’ sell as a good buy where if you dine in the resto for at least 50 euros, you get a sun bed all day for free, otherwise you pay the same amount up front for a day rent. So I went in and came out 700 euros lighter and 700 euros wiser. How’d that happen? Below is the screen grab from my Tripadvisor review:

The biggest lesson I got from this experience is not what I’ve lost but how to keep a positive mindset after the initial shock and trauma. As I’ve said, it was cruel, which took me a while to recover, but when I did, I tried to condition myself to continue enjoying the holiday and just find ways to cut my losses. I’m here on a holiday and no matter what happens, I’ll move on and enjoy the rest of my vacation. First task I did after accepting my fate was to downgrade my Istanbul hotel (last leg of my trip) which I booked thru my Le Club Accor so I was still able to cancel it a few days before my actual stay. I was able to save a few hundred euros after finding a much cheaper hotel (but in a less desirable location though). I was also able to cut on my onward ferry ticket to Santorini and saved a few more euros from giving up sun beds and just lay on the sands to enjoy the sun and the sea. On hindsight, I should have checked the reviews in Tripadvisor before getting in, coz now I’ve learned that not a few have been victimized by Dk Oyster, with each one having a #metoo horror story to tell. The vileness continues, where for every negative review, Tripadvisor will be flooded with fake positive reviews (you be the judge when you read all the ‘positive’ reviews particularly this peak season). But in spite of all these, I stayed true to myself and kept whatever dignity I have left from this experience: I didn’t scrimp on food (see Travel In Style Part 2) and would never blame my misfortune on being a foodie. Bad things happen to good people not because they love good food.

Some of the meals I had in Mykonos. From left: Spaghetti Frutti de Mare, Mussels Marinara, and Lamb Chops (yes, they are all delish!)

So I also checked out Paradise Beach. Just like Super Paradise beach, party starts at 4PM when the sound systems would start booming loud music and partyphiles would gather and groove in their swimwear with drinks on hand. As in Super Paradise beach, there is a portion of the beach for nudist, where young and old, of different shapes and sizes, will bare and let it all hang out like it’s nobody’s business. Someone who comes from a conservative society like the Philippines would probably cringe at the sight, but not me. I’ve seen similar places before (like the lakes in Germany during summer) where I’d probably be more culture shocked with how nasty tourist traps are than public nudity. So if you think my swimwear pics are too out there, think again. Coz that’s nothing compared to what’s out there.

Santorini

So after having enough of the popular beaches (and greed) of Mykonos, I took a ferry to Santorini. I bought a one way Golden Star ferry ticket from a tour office in Mykonos town. The trip from Mykonos to Santorini was about 5 hours, so it gave me some more free time to finish an article I was writing. Unlike what happened at Mykonos port, I have a driver waiting for me at Santorini port to bring me to Ersi Villas. On the way, I chatted with the driver and unlike Mykonos, Santorini is open all year round to tourists. Upon dropping me at the villas, I instantly got the homey vibe and feel that I was expecting from this kind of accommodation. I was met by Elias, the amiable owner of the villas and right away gave me directions and tips on what to do in the island. A traveler himself, Elias knows exactly what guests need and was even generous in swapping travel stories with me as well as helping me out with my island itinerary.

The villa is located on the mid section of the hill (Santorini is hilly, like San Francisco hilly) in Firostefani. Firostefani is in between Fira, the capital town, and Imerovigli. Firostefani has good number of shops and restos, and the walk path from Firostefani square to Imerovigli is what I would call the best resto row. Here you will find some of the best restos in the island, from To Briki to La Maison. They offer traditional Greek dishes and my ultimate fave, seafood! All three towns are easy walk from each other, that’s why no need to take the bus, unless you want to get to the far end of the island where Oia is with its popular sunset or to the different beaches in the island. Just like in Mykonos, you have to take the buses at the Fira town proper to get to the different beaches.

A guy proposing to his girl at the popular Oia sunset viewing deck. Everyone in the crowd who was there for the sunset cheered after she said “Uhmm…” Just kidding, she said yes 🙂

If I have to describe Santorini in one word, then it would be ‘stunning.’ It actually reminds me of Positano, where the views are just simply stunning. Even the beaches have better views than Mykonos. It makes me wonder now why I even went to Mykonos, when Santorini can offer the same experience (except for the greed) plus so much more. From its caldera to mountain views, beaches to sunsets, dining to shopping, everything seems to bring out only positive and exciting experience. Santorinians are more welcoming, hospitable, and true, and seems to put guest satisfaction over selfish gains. In fact, during this whole Greek adventure, it was in Santorini where I had the best dining experience. I never had any disappointment in all the restos I have dined in where not only the food was great, but the service was at par with my personal standards and expectations and you are seated at the edge of the caldera with its magnificent views.

Best dining experience (need I say more?). From left: Amberjack (La Maison), Dorade (The Greeks), Pork Ribs (To Briki), and Pork Steak (Metropolis Str.)

The beaches did not disappoint as well. Being born out of volcanic activity, Santorini is blessed with beaches that have stunning views and clear waters. I’ve never been happier doing beach hopping, even if I had to take a treacherous path just to get to one of the popular ones called Red Beach. You know, you have to take this very narrow and steep trail with sharp edged rocks and boulders, where some slight miscalculations will easily scrape that beautiful tanned skin. Then you have to negotiate for space in the foot traffic between people going down and up the trail. Though I didn’t overhear anyone saying “is there like an elevator or something?” (Part 1 of this article) but how I wish there was an easier way to get to the beach. The boat that I took for the sea cruise does not pick up or offload passengers on the beach, so the only way to get there is to take this dangerous path. I almost gave up mid way, but I’m just glad I didn’t. If only for the stunning views, I would recommend it for a visit, but just be careful going down and up the trail.

Imagine climbing down to reach the beach and up again to the main road (Red Beach)

So I ended my Greek adventure on a high note, where Santorini was definitely the highlight of the trip. As I mentioned in the first part of this article, there were hiccups and misfortunes along the way, but what is an adventure without the unexpected, the twist and turns, the danger, and most importantly the lessons learned. As I contemplate on my flight back to Athens to take my onward flight to Istanbul, I smiled knowing that I had a good one inspite of. As I’ve quoted in my earlier article (The Joys of Travelling Solo), I would come out a different person from each trip and now I’m a better version of myself than I was before I embarked on this trip. Like in the Greek mythology, I have fought some battles and personal demons along the way (where you would tend to question yourself and create self doubt) of which I have won and restored my core, appreciated the goodness of Mediterranean food, and enjoyed the beach life just how it should be lived.

Life’s a beach. From top left clockwise: Perissa Beach, Kamari Beach, Platys Gialos Beach, & Super Paradise Beach (Hey Sports Illustrated, why don’t you consider these locations for next year’s swimsuit edition with Kelsey Merritt on the cover?)

Mendokoro Ramenba: Arguably The Best Ramen in Manila

Food Buzz

On my last few days in Tokyo last year, my cousin Jean (who so love Japan that she’s my go-to when it comes to where to eat, shop, and sightsee) reminded me not to forget to eat at Ichiran Ramen. Piqued by what the fuss is all about, I went to their branch near my hotel in Shinjuku. Long story short, that was one of the best meals I had in Japan (believe me, I had a lot of really good meals during the whole Tokyo and Kyoto trips).

Back in Manila, my newfound love for Japanese food had brought me to different Japanese restaurants. There’s my all-time fave Inagiku for those who love all-Japanese buffet. There’s Kimpura for teppan (the prawn and oyster teppan are my faves). Zaifu and Akira are my go-to’s for sashimi (though there was one time where the salmon sashimi of the former wasn’t fresh that probably gave me the bugs and what comes with it). I’m not really a fan of sushi so nothing to suggest for that one. As for Kobe and Wagyu beef sirloins as well as unagi, I haven’t discovered any restos in the metro yet having these as specialties (any suggestions?). For ebi tempura, you won’t believe what I’m about to say: G Squared in Dampa is my choice (do I hear whaaa?). Then the iconic ramen. Ippudo was my initial No.1 ramen. I would go there for their tantanmen, gyoza and iced tea (very good and unlimited). Until that fateful evening when a staff sprayed some cleaning agent on the table next to mine where I got some of the mist. I’m not really fussy about being sprayed on, but what I find disgusting is that some of the mist may have landed on my food and drinks. That really ruined the whole dining experience (so note to resto staff, I understand that you are just doing your job, but do your job well: spray on the cleaning cloth and then wipe the table instead of spraying on the table followed with a wipe).

My friends know me as a loyal foodie. When I really like something, I keep coming back. This is true with restos where I go for my daily lunch. Tim Ho Wan was one of those where I would spend my lunchtime everyday having the same hakao, spareribs, and jasmine rice combination. Same goes for UCC for their meatballs spaghetti and iced tea plus ‘dessert of the day’ (50% off) until similar incident turned me off (different type of ‘spraying’ in UCC’s case). So that unfortunate event at Ippudo led me into exploring alternative ramen restos. Here comes Mendokoro to the rescue. It’s the only ramen I have discovered that comes close to Ichiran. Their ebi tonkutso (which is not in the menu and they only have a limited 25-serving a day) is my favorite (tantanmen is my second choice every time they ran out of ebi) and they have the best gyoza I had so far. What is tempting is that its proximity to where I live makes me crave and go there 2-3 times a week. Heavy on the pocket and the waiting time is horrendous (due to long queues every day up ’til midnight), but very worth the price and the wait.

(Note to customers: Mendokoro’s dining concept, just like any ramen house in Japan, is not your usual hang out place. It is more of an eat-and-run concept where after you are done, you have to give up your seat for the next customer without the attendants asking you if you’re done. That’s why in Japan, some ramen houses’ seating looks like mini cubicles with dividers not so much for privacy’s sake but more to minimize hanging out. It is just plain rude to hang on to your seat after you’ve finished your food, chatting, tinkering with your phone, and/or the never ending drinking of tap water coupled with any of the aforementioned when there are a lot of customers waiting, some already in line for 2 or more hours.)

Deconstructing A Myth: Travel Is Only For The Rich?

Travel Buzz

Every time I bumped into a Filipino abroad (which is often as Filipinos are everywhere), the first question that would normally be asked is “Kabayan, taga rito ka ba o bakasyonista?” (Hey mate, are you based here or just vacationing?) to which I would say the latter. What would follow after that big smile normally will give me the cringe: “Siguro mayaman ka sa atin, noh?” (You’re probably rich back home, huh?) to which I would respond “No, I just have enough.” Which is actually true, coz my perception of rich (or wealthy) is Crazy Rich Asian, and I was not born with a silver spoon. But that common notion where travel is only for the wealthy is just something that I need to break down and prove that even with a 9-5 job, one can still get to travel. So before anyone thinks that I belong to Philippine royalty or its equivalent (re rich kid of a political clan), I will let you in to some of my ‘secrets’ on how I actually do it (re travel the world without breaking the bank).

Save and Go

Yes, I save money to travel. When I do my budget, it will always be allocated to these 3 items: monthly expenses, travel fund, savings. Monthly expenses are essentially the ‘needs’ (food, utilities, transport, etc.) while travel fund is the ‘want’. Savings, on the other hand, is a ‘must’. That’s for the rainy days ahead which may also be tapped for future investment (ie house), emergency, and retirement. So say you’re a single yuppie earning 30,000 pesos a month and still lives with your parents. You allocate 10 grand for each of the three items and at the end of the year, you will have 120 grand for your travel fund. Throw in your 13th month pay of say 30 grand (give or take), so in a year, you now have 150 thousand pesos. In dollar terms, that’s about $2,850 at current exchange rate.

Planning is Key

Now you have a travel fund. Where can that get you? How do you stretch that fund to cover your airfare, hotel, and incidental expenses? Travelling on a budget requires planning ahead. Airfares and hotels are usually cheaper if you book those long before your actual travel date. That means at least 4 months earlier. But you need to know where you want to go, how long you like to stay abroad, what minimum level of comfort you require, what food you will be happy to live with, and what activities are you willing to spend on. The timing of the trip is also crucial, as seasons dictate prices.

Europe Here I Come

So say it is always your dream to see Europe (of course after starting small with typical Filipino fare Hongkong, Singapore, and Bangkok, and Korea or Japan after your last promotion). Is $2,850 enough? Depends, but I can draw a budget that will make it enough to get you by. Let’s start with airfare. Early in the year, you will see a lot of airlines having promotions usually in partnership with credit card companies (hence it is essential to have a good credit card, which you will need anyway when you travel). I will write soon separate articles on this (so watch out for it). I could easily get you a coach fare to a European destination for less than $600 roundtrip. To ensure that you can stretch your budget further, avoid going to Europe on summers (July – September). Go there springtime (May – June) or autumn (October – November) where you will enjoy the same long daytime (sun sets at 9PM and even at 2AM in the Nordics!) but cooler air. During these off peak periods, you can actually book a 2-3 star hotel for less than a hundred bucks. So for 10 nights, that will set you back for about a grand.

For your first Europe trip, you would probably want to see more than just one city or country. My advise is to look for adjacent countries where you can easily access thru Euro train. If you like to see Paris, then you can bundle that with Amsterdam and Brussels (Netherlands – Belgium – France). On the map, these 3 countries are just adjacent to each other and Euro rail have stops in several cities, including those three. This will save you some intra Europe airfares (though airfares are sometimes cheaper than train tickets, depending how early you can book your airfare). Your train fare would probably cost you about $200. At this point, your expense budget is now $1,800. That leaves you with more than a grand for meals and incidental expenses. For a 50-dollar daily meal allowance, you can actually have a decent meal in a restaurant ($10 for breakfast, $20 for lunch and also for dinner). You won’t subsist on fastfood (though you will sometimes crave for it even if you have enough money for a resto). For this first Europe trip, avoid UK or Scandinavia coz your 50 dollars would only be enough for a single meal. Don’t even think about the peso equivalent as it will only drive you mad and will suck the joy out of the otherwise very satisfying dining experience.

You’re now left with a little over 500 bucks. I suggest you spend some on hop-on-hop-off bus to get yourself acclimatized to your new environment. A 48-hour ticket would be about 40 dollars so in 3 cities, that’s about $120. Since you’re in Europe, museums are best to get some culture and entrance fee would be about 20 dollars (some though are free), or $60 for 3 cities. Airport transfers would be less than 50 dollars, or $100 for a return trip. So you still have more than $200 left, which you can spend on subways/buses (once your 48-hour tickets expire), travel SIM cards, grocery for your midnight snacks, a couple of drinks in a bar, souvenirs, and chocolates at duty free to bring home to Mom.

So there you have it. A dream come true without living off your parents’ money (or lack of). Coz your social status does not define your travel opportunities. It’s your passion to travel that will drive it coupled with hard work, savings, and smart spending.

Hey, it’s me

Hello. Welcome to my blog.

This is a lifestyle page dedicated to sharing stories and experiences. Subjects may be varied, but mostly focused on travel, food, dining, health, and everything positive!

So let me tell you about myself first. When it comes to social media, I’ve been living in a cave for years and woke up this morning with an idea of coming up with a blog to share my vast experiences and stories on various subjects particularly those above. Why? Because I’ve been actually doing it with friends, acquaintances, and even strangers, usually as a topic of conversation and to some degree proved to be helpful and valuable tips. So why not create a blog for wider reach!

Modesty aside, I have traveled to 27 countries with more than 70 cities/places in 5 continents (as of this writing). I have dropped some reviews in Tripadvisor highlighting the best and the worst (the latter is more on constructive criticism). Unlike some people, I don’t travel for Instagram purposes (though I do not see anything wrong with that) coz I don’t have any social media account before this and now even contemplating to open one. I travel to overwhelm my senses, to discover and to explore, to savor and experience so that at the end of the day, I’ll come out a different, better person with a story to tell.

So yes, travel is my passion. Along with travel comes food, dining, and health. That’s where the name Columbus Bee comes from. Columbus from Christopher Columbus, popularly known to have proved that the world is not flat. The Bee is someone who fictionally followed him in his expeditions while literally feeding from flower to flower to create food with health benefits. That pretty sums up what this blog is all about.

So in time, I’ll be filling up this page with more stories and experiences and hopefully will resonate with more people who share the same interests and have similar stories and experiences to tell. Positivity is the theme so let’s keep it classy guys.