Tracy and I are about to leave Mykonos to start our LONG haul to Italy. Since I last blogged we stayed a night on Naxos. It was a vacation from our vacation - much needed rest from too many very late nights and interrupted sleep on Santorini. Without reservations we arrived in Naxos Monday afternoon and found a very comfy and cheap hotel in town. We spent the day by the pool relaxing. Very nice. We then went back down to the port and watched a spectacular sunset from the Portara, an ancient arch way erected in praise of Apollo. Had dinner on the waterfront and then went to bed early (10pm!) and slept until 9am. It was absolute bliss and necessary rest for our next island stop - Mykonos!

All the travel books said Mykonos is a party island, particularly popular with the gay community. So we were ready to "party" til dawn. We arrived Tuesday morning, checked in to our "tent" - a 7x6 room with two tiny cots. The place is called Paradise Beach Camping. We renamed it Paradise prison because the bungalows sort of look like prison cells. Lots of young travelers around and 24/7 house music blaring from the beach bars. What fun is ahead, we wondered. After sunbathing and a siesta, we had dinner and then dressed up (first time either of us put on lipstick in over a week) and headed down to the beach. It was about 10:00pm, early for party-goers we figured, but some people were probably down there. Nope. Not a soul! We chatted with the bartender and he wondered why we decided to visit Mykonos is June. No one is here in June, he said. July and August is when the place starts pumping. Leave it to Tracy and I to be a month early!

So we went back to our cell, met some fellow travelers - two Aussies guys and two California gals. We shared a bottle of very cheap wine and Ukrainian vodka (mixed with pineapple juice - ick!) until 3am. Yesterday we sunbathed all day. I've never been so tan in all my life. The beaches on Mykonos are nude (optional) so that was interesting. Tracy and I figured it best not to expose precious parts of our body to the Mediterranean sun and risk sun burn in uncomfortable places. Tan lines are fine by me!

The Paradise Beach near our campsite was nice, but just a short boat ride away was Elia Beach, absolutely the most beautiful beach I have every seen. The sand was soft and golden yellow, the water perfectly clear and warm. The two California gals we met came with us and we had dinner on a cliffside restaurant overlooking Elia. I find myself running out of adjectives to describe how beautiful the land and seascape is. To say the least, you must see this for yourself.

After beach going, we slept for several hours in order to rest up for a night in Mykonos town. Since nothing was happening at the beach, might as well check out the "city" nightlife. The four of us arrived in town at about 10pm, found our way to the Scandinavian bar (suggested by Let's Go) for 3 euro beers and techno music. It was busy with travelers, SO MANY AUSSIES! To be honest, it was a bore listening to American music and watching tourists let loose on Mykonos. We left after an hour and headed to a "Greek" bar. This is where Tracy and I tried Ouzo for the first time. Oh boy! The bar had about 20 people there, all locals, dancing to Greek music, yelling "Oh Pah" and drinking shots of Ouzo. A couple of locals brought the four of us shots of Ouzo and persuaded us to dance as they were dancing. Best I could gather, the traditional Greek dance move involves shaking your hips (just your hips) while yelling "Oh Pah" and downing Ouzo. Takes some coordination, especially after several shots.

It was fun for a while, then the Greek men we were dancing with got a bit too aggressive, so we left. The taxi ride back to our prison cell at 4am was frightening. All the roads here are essentially one-car wide and are flanked by walls. The walls make it impossible to see what is around the corner, so the drivers flash their lights and honk at every turn. Problem is, the entire island is like a roller coaster of up-down, hard left-right turns. I thought we were going to die. But, we made it back safely and fell asleep with our party clothes on. We are now awaiting our ferry back to Athens, where we catch a train to Patras and then a boat to Bari, Italy. It will be a long trip, so you won't hear from us for a few days.

Thanks for the emails. Keep 'em coming! Love to everyone!