all aboard

April 3

Hell has a geographical location. It is the 7:25 AM Blue Star Ferry #878455 from Piraeus to Fira.

Talk about a complete 180. Oh, the views are still spectacular but the company has increased in size and loudness. The 8 hour ferry from the main island to Santorini was GROSSLY overbooked. Literally hundreds of Greek high schoolers and middle schoolers are scampering around, yelling, screaming, making a ruckus and filling the walkways. When we first got on, there was nowhere to sit except some random places on the deck. It was 7 in the morning, and yet hoardes of people were smoking outside. We soon realized our deck was smoker paradise and couldn't take it anymore.

We were desperate, and wandered around to find even a spot along a hallway. Turns out everyone was grabbing chairs and lining hallways, doorways, floors...anywhere to sit. The boat was packed. We found a spot near the deck exit. Kids ran in and out while we tried unsuccessfully to gain more than the 3 hours of sleep we had last night. Absolutely not.

The levels of this ferry are the levels of Dante's Inferno. I am literally waiting for the three-headed beast to jump out of the gorgeous blue water and put me out of my misery. This is beyond ridiculous.

For seven straight hours the kids have been LOUD and rude and just insane, like this is some sort of mobile McDonald's playground. No it is not. I've already decided to kiss the ground when we dock.