Sunday 29 July 2007

I could do with this right now

Ten or so years ago, while working in Africa, my friend M. and I decided to spend our leave in Myconos, the Ibiza kinda destination in the Agean. We were looking for a 24-hours-a-day party, and this Cycladic island is the full package.
We rented a scooter - I was the passenger, since vehicles with less than four wheels scare the living daylights out of me - and found a nice bungalow at Super Paradise on the rocks overlooking the beach at a very good rate.
We took a swim the following morning, and noticed a series of boats bringing in people to the beach. By 12.30 it was jam packed! There were people of all ages, bearing bathing suits or not! In fact, at some point I warned J.J not to even think about yawning, because God knows what could end up in his mouth!
Rave music was pumping from the humongous loudspeakes of the beach bar, inviting everybody for a drink and a dance! We gladly accepted the invitation, ending up being totally plasterred within a couple of hours. Super Paradise indeed!!!
By the time the sun started its decent into the horizon - a beautiful sight regardless of the alcohol intake - we were paraletic, but still in need for more! Took a sobering cold shower, dressed up for the evening (ie. jeans and T-shirts) and made our way to the main town in Myconos. Singing and laughing on the scooter during the thirty minure trip, we were laughed upon by overtaking large motorbikes, but we couldn't care less. We were where we wanted to be, doing what we wanted to do!
We found ourselves going in circles in the narrow streets of the main town, looking at the white houses, trying to get our bearings, yet constantly being distracted by loosely clad members of the opposite sex proudly displaying their tans among other things. It was going to be a long night!
We found a spot for some coffee and sat there, staring at the people walking by! It was 8.00pm! It was early even for dinner!
An hour or so of coffee drinking, and "sightseeing" later, we were off to grab a bite to eat, and some more alcohol to quench our thirst. We paid through the nose for a seafood dinner, in a nice restaurant, and went next door to a piano bar for a drink. We got hit upon a couple of times, and realised it was a gay bar. What the heck! The music was good and the coctails even better!
Come midnight it was time for hardcore partying. Lots of options available, but we first went to the Scandinavian bar. Cool beer, a very friendly barman and lots of people dancing and drinking.
We kept interrupting our beer drinking, having shot of Quantreau-Drambuie-Grand Marnier. Lethal stuff! Sweet taste in the mouth closely followed by what seems like a nuclear explosion in the stomach!
Two girls speaking English stood next to us at the bar, so I decided to get social. We bought them drinks, they bought us drinks, we danced, we talked. They had come from South Africa and were on the island for a week. As a group, ended up going from bar to bar until the sun started appearing in the horizon.
It was time for breakfast! We got some sandwiches, and sat on the beach, eating and watching the local people going about their daily routine. We were invited to the girls' bungalow to sleep -among other things - for a couple of hours, went home to change and hit the beach.
Seven days of this relentless schedule later, we were on the boat, making our way back to Athens, completely shattered, sunburnt, hung over, broke but extatic non the less.
We promissed ourselves a repeat performance the following year, and the year after....
We ended up going there four years in a row! It became a ritual to us, regardless of any other destinations we would visit each summer.

12 comments:

The Real Mother Hen said...

Wild and fun! Oh what a life Epi :)

The Real Mother Hen said...

Like the new look btw, very clean and nice :)

Blur Ting said...

Woo hoo! You are one party animal!

Anonymous said...

RIGHT ON, EPI!! I love that you did this. Hopefully, you are still enjoying your little ritual of fun!

Anonymous said...

And Im sure you'll be on the bandwagon again next year right EPI??? Sounds like a GREAT time.

Anonymous said...

BTW...awesome new layout on ur blog!

Rebecca said...

Hi, Epi. That sounds like a fantastic vacation! I have a girlfriend who spent time on Mykonos and had a similar time when she was in her early 20s.

Kate said...

You are waking up my dormant mid-life crisis! I like the new look, too.

Epimenides said...

Really good fun mother hen!
Glad you liked the new look! :)

For better or worse, I'm always open to a party invitation Ting!

I'm afraid tihs particular ritual has long stopped. Most of my mates are now married with kids. I'm now working on my Rio ritual! :)

Jyankee - On the bandwagon perhaps, but in Rio by the grace of God!
Thanks for your comments on the layout! :)

Ah rebecca! It's the place to be for a party holliday when in your 20's! Sun, Alcohol and promiscuity! :)

Not my intention Kate! Btw, how do you think I feel? They say that you're middle aged when your broad mind and narrow waist change places. No such issues with you! :)

Unknown said...

Sounds like such fun. Vacations with friends are so fantastic. Drinking and dancing the night away and then finding some charming little place to have breakfast and then starting again.
We had gone to Amsterdam with 6 friends four of them continued to Ibiza but we had to come back because of work

Anonymous said...

That gay bar thing had me cracking up. Someone caught me laughing and wanted to know what I was laughing at so I just said, "it's a gay thing, you wouldn't understand."

Sounds like an awesome time: A week full of titties and beer!

Epimenides said...

random, it's really special being able to have a party holiday with friends! Sorry you missed Ibiza, 'cause from what I've heared it's a real party place!

david, that's why we went again four years in a row! :)