Naxos

Getting from Santorini to the port was easy. The hostel had a transport for relatively cheap. The ferry sucked. It had free WiFi but was a super rough ride. Just a poorly built ferry. The sea was calm. Stick with blue star. Avoid Hellenic. Anyways, upon arrival at Naxos, the guy who owns the place I'm staying also has a ride arranged. I don't think Naxos has hostels so I'm staying in a single room with its own bathroom. It's a thing of beauty I've missed for too long. And as is customary by now, the best way to get around is by ATV. This ATV is eons better than the crappy Santorini one. This one does useful things like go up hill, have working hazard lights, effective breaks, and keeps speed with traffic so you're not having people fly past you at 50 kph faster than you're going. It's nice and feels safe. Smooth ride too, which for roads like the ones I'm on that's impressive. Having only a small portion of the day I didn't do much. I hopped on the ATV and rode the main road out of town. Eventually I saw a sign for a beach and decided to go chill with the ocean for a few minutes. Fabulous view of some islands off in the distance as always. On my way back with no plans, I wanted to go try to find some partially built statues. On my way back though, as I had no plans, I saw a sign for the Eggares olive press museum and decided to check it out. I walked in and was met by the nicest trio of locals ever. It's a small museum of an original olive press from the 1800s, and I got a personal tour of the whole thing. After that, I went into their little shop that had a bunch olive product, oils, soaps, cake, and so much more. Everything I tried was delicious. I bought a little jar of olive oil and tomorrow I'm going to get some fresh bread and just eat that combination all day when I get hungry. I'm super excited. If you're ever in Naxos you have to go. After consuming a high amount of olive products and getting some postcard and things, I was on my way to the statues. The thing with the roads on Greek islands is you never feel like you're in the right road. The main roads feel like side roads way too often. Your gut screams to go find a real road. Everything feels wrong. Fortunately I ignored my gut feeling and stayed on the side road. That was good because I found the unfinished kouroi. They were two monuments being built that for some reason were never finished. Likely, experts believe, they fell and broke and were then abandoned. It's really weird walking up and seeing this massive Stone statue laying in the ground knowing it should be standing. They're in odd locations too. Really tucked back awkwardly among farms and surrounded by trees and things. When you think if Greek monuments and statues you think of how imposing they are and how everything around them is so barren so it's weird seeing one surrounded like this. Are you familiar with geocaching? I'm not going to say exactly where because that ruins it I think, but I found in hidden behind some rocks at the further of the two statues. I don't know what I win but I win. After that I got totally lost trying to find the place I'm staying at. It is a nightmare to navigate the back roads of unfamiliar Greek islands in traffic in fading lights with one way roads everywhere. Eventually I made it though u may have gone the wrong way in a one way alley to get there... After I dropped off my ATV I walked to the old temple of Artemis where there is a classic sunset spot. I can see why. It was awesome. Lotta people just get there a few minutes earlier than them and grab a seat a little farther down the Hill than all of them and your view won't be obstructed. I'm pretty sure the back of my head is in some pictures now. Naxos is already better than Santorini. Don't tell the Santorini people but I liked the Naxos sunset better.