A splendid jaunt- Visit to Santorini, Greece

“Sometimes bad things have to happen before good things can.” — Becca Fitzpatrick

Sea, sky, forests, oceans and mountains have always been a source of gratification. Many of us is scuffing in the dark. All of us yearn for leisure and peace. Yes, we humans never treasure what we have: The primary reason behind our restlessness. We all consider the idea of inner peace and leisure, not because it’s something we know exists but because of the fact that we ourselves are living with those sentimental.

Love, care, peace, anger, hatred, depression, anxiety are distinctions that make us human. We cannot escape from the fact. So what to do!

A stable life demands struggle, effort, and a fixed schedule. On the go life with a happy little family is a must for human satisfaction.

Let me introduce Who am I? I am Mahnoor, a girl living what we call a stable life in Lahore city. I am a student and my school is far from my residence. I spend a total of 3 hours moving around the city. In case you do not know Lahore is known as the heart of Pakistan, which means that Lahore cannot be something vacuous.

I do encounter something different once a week and these experiences excite me. I was a person with zero capacities. Roaming around the city changed my perception of living. Travel interests me because of this everyday shuffle.

My favorite time of the year is coming and I will witness a heaven very soon.

You may think one cannot enter heaven unless he/she is dead. But still, I will go and will take you with me. It’s a warm morning in April, am I excited? Yes. I feel myself on clouds, the room feels like a prison and I am a prisoner longing for independence. Where are we going? To heaven…

A village named Imerovigli, a village! That seems boring. But the village is part of an island named Santorini. Oh, island! I can see a smile entering into the picture.

Happy!

Yes, an island, we are going to Santorini. The name vibes something ancient but classy. So let’s see what is waiting for us. Usually, I hate beeps, but this beep from the cab excites me. We are at our breakfast table. Hurry up, please! It’s time to go.

After familiar processes, we are on our plane. I couldn’t get a window seat and for me, it’s not something new so I am good with this luck. The destination is Dubai airport, we will be in Dubai but one more time I couldn’t witness the iconic building Burj Al Arab.

It's fine, the plane is in the air… I don’t have a phobia but being on a plane scares me and the reason is all those science fiction films I wish not to watch again. Well, we will be in Dubai in the next 3 hours, and 2 hours according to my old-fashioned wristwatch. Time to nod off.

I am awake and the time is 2:56 pm (according to my wristwatch), we depart. Now, we are heading towards the café and will eat some fresh sandwiches and juice. Soon we will board the next plane, from Dubai to Athens airport.

A journey of a total of 9 hours and that is something intense. I remember that having an extra hour of sleep hurts my back. But I am prepared with my fluffy little blanket which will accompany me. Carrying a blanket is weird but I am fully aware of the next abrasions and I am ready to fight back.

The plane is there and we need to board again, the process tires me and I really wish the existence of some AI tech that will prove that being a Muslim never means we all are terrorists. I do understand worldly politics but I am extremely hopeless about brainwashed judgmental minds that Muslims encounter almost everywhere. Honestly being a Muslim often scares me.

I am on my seat, like other 57% percent women I also overthink: a mixture of overthinking and critical thinking. I am going to sleep and possibly I will be in my imaginary heaven. For now, it’s enough to make me happy.

I am awake after 5 hours and I am happy for the food in front of me. I think it’s time to know more about Santorini.

It’s an island; An island with beautiful sceneries like the red sand beach, black sand beaches, steep houses, fascinated historical places, and breathtaking seascapes. These are the lines that hit me hard, I was wishing to witness a black sand beach and it’s going to be like a dream come true.

Santorini is a living wonder, one cannot resist the fact that the island’s attractive steep resulted from devastating volcanic eruption (1646 BC). I didn’t exaggerate, the island does look like heaven. I witness it when we were near Athens airport.

I saw a land covered in snow, I thought it was snow but delusion happens because of whitewashed houses located along the steep. I am curious to know more but right at this moment, the most needed thing is a bed.

We are at the hotel, me in a room murmuring a big thank you! I cannot estimate the time anymore but it’s 2 o’clock (according to my watch). I am not bothered about anything which means I am ready to take a nap, it’s midnight in Greece.

The hotel name is ‘Absolute bliss’ close enough to explain what I feel inside. I feel a wave full of happiness, curiosity, and excitement, striking right through my heart. I am drained but my brain protests not to sleep. There is an Urdu saying:

Translation: You cannot sleep, neither when you are happy nor when you are sad.

At times like these, I wonder about writers who gave life to such nonsense feelings.

After struggling I was asleep, I woke up around 8 am in morning. A warm buffet with several servings is waiting for me. It’s the first good meal in Greece and I hope it will not be the last one. We have 3 days to visit. I want to enjoy enough for the upcoming year. I know it’s a small trip but keep up with me, I promise you wonderful vibes.

Daddy announces the rules and I am in my own world observed in this peaceful environment. The hotel itself is a piece of awesome creativity placed on the black volcanic rock of Santorini Caldera. I am confident that we only know about 1% of this hotel.

I advise you to go and explore what I can’t? A boat tour from Imerovigli to Thirasa is next, sailing has always been fun. Every time I step on a boat I feel like a spooky little fish who desires to swim through the ocean forever. Earth is boring, I want to be a mermaid.

We are on our way to Haven (Haven not heaven), it took about 45 min to reach there and during the time I was busy with my heart, such a piece of beauty comes from something so fearful like a volcanic eruption.

I can see the people back from 1600 BC running, screaming, and begging for their lives. Now the same piece of land is there to satisfy the human’s heart. Both Imerovigli and Thirasis are part of the caldera so we don’t have to carry a lot of food, during these tours my appetite chooses to leave me with my heart as my heart takes over my tummy and tummy feels like a lonely little boy craving for attention.

The boat is sailing silently but the people on the boat are not silent. I wish to have a private cruise ship. A person’s reasoning ability doubles without unless one chose to feed his/her mind with unnecessary thoughts. The only thought tackling with my mind is the thought of these mountains of ashes. Why these ashes don’t sink down? Why they are so powerful? How they are fighting with the monstrous ocean? to stay on top. While I was busy with my emotions. Tackling, observing, playing, creating, visualizing along the ocean. Our boat stops suddenly I am so drenched in my own thoughts that stopping petrified me and I almost imagined a sea dragon in front of me. But as usual, I am wrong we are at Thirasis.

Thirasis is one of the islands from Santorini Cyclades mainly famous for hot springs and magnificent sunsets. We had our meal at the boat, we are looking forward to heal ourselves. Hot springs are my favorite, I feel warm and cured.

I am in the water, this water is something closely related to the Elixir of life — water which revives back life. After the bath, we had our supper. It is the time we all are gathered on an edged mountain with an infinite ocean in front of us. Sunset always fascinates me. A sun kneeling before the ocean creating magnificent streams of eclectic colors. I wish to stop the time but I know my limitations I can’t do anything but watch the sun slowly bowing down before the ocean, the mixture of crimson, hot red, and fire yellow colors playing along swindle my heart. Soon the blend disappeared leaving us with a black sky, still beautiful. The sky was full of luminous tickling little objects. They want to say hi, so not to be rude I waved my hand and drove back to the hotel. Excitement is there and I am more curious about tomorrow.

Today is my day we are heading towards the black sand beach and I cannot even visualize what it could be, tourists seem to be everywhere so I cannot guess the culture and lifestyle of local residents. I appreciate their patience. Black is considered as the color of death but still black is love, classy and dramatic. We are at the parking plot, I can see a grayish carpet spreading along with the coastal areas of Perivolos. Reality matches what I saw on the internet and I am amazed.

The beach surely doesn’t look like something Earthly, the beach exemplifies balance and neutrality.. I don’t know why it happens but after spending hours at my favorite beach I feel full. Not because of the beach but the deep preserving feeling in our heart which never satisfies and always craves for more. This black beach resulted from the volcanic eruption and I am still stuck at the question that how these Ashly things managed to stay on the spot while they have a resolute opponent.

Another beautiful sunset is awaiting us, and I think it’s the last sunset I will be witnessing here. So I served myself, a drink, and some snacks. I want to immerse myself in the sun. I think of myself as opacarophile-lover of sunsets but when I take a look back at my life I feel like I am not just opacarophile but also an astrophile, a heliophile, and the owner of all those crazy names which one use to specify one’s love for Earthly happenings.

As the sun is bowing down, I am trying to keep my eyes wide open. People hinder but that is ok I know how to ignore unimportant. The sun witches me with a wondrous blend of colors. cold winds are there certifying that one doesn’t feel alone. The beautiful scenery has my heart. An intense tempting view of the sunset at the black sand beach of Santorini is worth watching once in a lifetime.

I feel like the saddest person on earth at the thought of never seeing the scenery again. I want to cry but need to enjoy it first. Time to say goodbye to the beautiful sunsets of Santorini, Santorini do own questionable sunsets.

It’s night and we are at a resort. I don’t want to sleep, a lonely chair caught my attention. I joined her and now we are together. I asked to sit down and the chair doesn’t show any objection. Two lonely souls comforting each other. I can feel the stories the chair wants to share that how people just use and left, how she still waits for a loyal one. I wish to do some good but I feel sorry that I will also get included in the list of those betrayers. We two twittered and it is perfect. I whisper goodbye and I can hear the gloomy voice of the chair saying goodbye.

Next morning, we will start our way back to Pakistan.

Last day, I woke up earlier. I wave a hand to say Good morning to my fellow chair. The black sand beach represents a dramatic view and it’s not what it was yesterday. After a short consideration, I get to know the real reason. The absence of peeps, reason why it looks so dramatic.

We had breakfast and aim towards Oia. The town of Oia is the reason why this Island is metaphorized to heaven. The town is famous for miraculous white structures. You can see an assemblage of whitewashed tombs and houses to the eye. The scene makes it look like an anime world, clear and clean. The only dirt that seems to exist is me. :’) once again, I open my eyes wide open to emerge completely. The scene fills me up with stirring emotions, wind feels like small pinches teasing me for my existence. I want to be a part of this heaven and it’s something not possible.

After lunch and tea, we are checking for essentials. While heading back to the airport I witness another miraculous duskiness and it is enough to satisfy me for now.

Santorini is indeed a demoniac corner of the earth. I wonder how something devastating can cause all these adornments. Santorini is the land of eccentric sites. With the available time, I chose to visit the best but many assortments are there waiting for you. These scenes will make you feel warm and buck you out from the wretched calendar. You will feel lucky as a human.

Bye from me. Show me your teeth and don’t forget to appreciate the wonders of this universe.