Corfu

Our Friday adventure was another one for the books. We embarked early for the island located in the beautiful waters of the Ionian Sea, Corfu. Just a short hour bus ride to the coast and a two hour boat ride we were there. Unfortunately the whole ride didn't go so smoothly. I was stretching my neck in the bus while reading my book and it cracked to the right and shortly after everything went black and I almost projectile vommitted all over the fellow students. After coming to and recovering a little bit we pulled back on the road. I felt much better but couldn't swivel my neck in any direction. On the boat I kept as still as possible and remained relatively fine. Finally we made it to the island and got to do a little bit of touring. Our first breathe taking view was of Pontikonisi and Vlacheranina monastery's seen from atop of Kononi hill just above the city center. Slowly I made my way down the large amounts of steps to the water and got to view these breathe taking views up close. The monastery lies out on a spit of land that is surrounded by breathe taking crystal blue waters. Right next to this monastery, however, is the local international airstrip. As we gazed upon this ancient monastery a 747 soared over us and landed only 100 yards away rocking the air around us. After staying here and enjoying a frappe we headed to the castle that resides along the other side of the bay. Because of my neck I didn't really feel up to waddling up the steep hillside so I basked in the sun down by the water instead (I know it was hard). After this we departed from Taso and all 13 of us began one of the wildest weekends yet here in Greece.


Taso had specifically told us about 100 times that we were not allowed to stay at the pink palace because it was known to have bed bugs, which none of us wanted anyways. So a couple of the boys found a good deal for us to stay at the Backpackers Inn, said to only be "associated" with the Pink Palace... FALSE. We were staying at the one and only Palace of Pink, and they weren't exaggerating when they named it that. Cresting the top of the hill we head towards the pink eye sore traveling on the free shuttle bus that was blasting American music and driven by a crazy greek, who we would find only got crazier. After check in and complementary ouzo shots we dropped our stuff in the rooms and headed down to the beach. Even though it was already 5pm the sun was still hot. Only after a half hour laying out we all decided to make our way into the sea. It was only about 4 to 6 feet in depth all the way out for around 50 feet. It was brisk but refreshing and surprisingly salty. Dried off we ventured back up the hill to our rooms for showers. The great part about staying here was that our breakfast and dinner were included, but around 6:30 hungry we found the only solution was to begin to drink. The palace offered great happy hour deals on wildly inappropriate shot titles and mixed drinks. Finally dinner was served and we all decided to take a break for a few hours and wait until around midnight to start back up again. Lindsay had gone and asked if the front desk had any extra pillows and being the nosey staff they were asked why I could possibly need another pillow. Linnie explained my neck situation and a worker (who though he actually knew something about medicine and necks) freaked everyone out that I was dying and forced my to go to the hospital, not just a Greek hospital but a Corfu Greek hospital. Yeah. This is where the real night begins.
We jumped in a cab that took us about 45 minutes (around 30 euro) to the only hospital on the island. So when we first walk into the emergency room, all signs are in greek. The front desk lady tells us to go to the left through the double doors. So we do right into the middle of an operating room. No joke surgerys were taking place on the beds next to us and we awkwardly stood there and no one would help us so we leave and go back to the front desk but they told us we were in the right place the first time (again no one spoke english well). Back in we waited for the doctors to finish watching the basketball game to get around to help us. Finally getting their attention they tell us to go pay for the xrays and then walk to the xray room. We go back to the front desk, and the lady tells us shes closed for the night. Alright. So without paying we traverse the hospital, that was weirdly deserted, t in search of the xray room, after about 10 minutes of opening and closing random rooms we find the X-ray room. There naturally the man didnt speak english set me up (standing) for some sort of X-ray. Linnie was still in the room when he tried to fire up the machine. After he printed the X-ray out and handed it to us in a manila folder and told us to go back to the main "surgical" wing. Again, no one would help us due to the game so after watching the game with the doctors they finally looked at her xrays. Not speaking english they assured us with their hands that my neck "seemed" to be okay and wanted to give me a shot of muscle relaxer and pain medication. I sit down on a patient bed and we wait for the nurse to come. I stick out my arm but no the husky nurse flipped me over with one hand pulls down my skirt in the middle of the room with everyone there and jabs the needle into my but, of course Linnie was there taking pictures along with the other "doctors". So after the shenagins of that was over, the doctor handed us a prescription in greek, gave me the X-rays, and said goodbye. Again, without paying a dime nor telling them anything but my name, we left went back to the palace. The X-rays got us free shots (also still have the X-rays not many people can say that). Being virtually sober I got to witness that staff, wild and crazy, in full force. This palace was the wildest, most outrageous place I've been. 

The next day we enjoyed some much needed eggs and were on the beach by 9:30am. We did not leave this location, except to grab a quick lunch gyro at noon, until 6:30 that night. We met some friends the previous night at the bar that hung out with us the whole next day. One was scuba Steve and the other was Owen Wilson. Now these were only out nick names for them, but in all they were great fun. In and out of the water all day I received the most painful burn of my entire life. Skin that would rival the devils tail I threw on my happy face for that nights festivities of the night, the annual toga night. They loaned us bright pink shinny togas, for both boys and girls, that everyone dressed up in. Harder than they look, finally we all fixed our togas to a satisfactory fit and headed to the toga party. It was a lot of dancing and they had fun rituals, one of which they broke plates over our heads. It was all great fun. The next day we went down again to the beach, but this day I lounged mainly under the umbrella still hurting from the day before. We were down again on the beach until we left that night around 5pm to make the trek back to Ioannina.