Traveling Solo

The Do's, Don'ts, Ups, Downs, Sads and Glads of Traveling Alone

Many people know of Santorini as a commonly-toured Greek island, well-known for its massive cliffs traversable by donkey. It has the quintessential whitewashed houses and azure-blue rooftops famously captured in millions of photos and popularized by generic Barnes and Noble calendars. It's a truly beautiful place and an idyllic vacation spot...for most.

Did you know that Greece has the highest percentage of smokers out of any country in the European Union? This statistic meant nothing to me until I jumped into my cab from the Santorini airport. The taxi smelled more than normal cigarette smoke; it was as if decades of ash and smoke particles had transformed into some sort of super-resin that coated every wall, seat and inch of carpet in the taxi. I held my breath until I arrived at the hotel. "Thank you Sir," I said, and tried not to throw up. My other intense encounter with the Greek penchant for cigarettes was on a boat- more like a converted pirate ship- out to the volcano craters off Santorini's coast. While the captain chain-smoked unfiltereds, I tried to stabilize myself as the floating gas chamber rocked and rolled through the cold, choppy sea. Quickly, my visions of a relaxing beach holiday, with warm, crystal blue water were replaced with a colder, more depressing reality. I guess that's what I get for going to Greece in October.

The trip wasn't all bad, though. I guess you could say I was a hit with the male folk. During one of my walks through the back roads of town, a teenage boy, also walking alone, gestured for me to come talk to him, and then asked me my name. But I knew better than to say anything; guys don't like it when you give-in too quickly. Another morning, I went to get some delicious Greek/Nescafé instant coffee when a male shopkeeper stared me down, whistled and insisted I come talk to him because I was "American girl, so beautiful." I thought to myself, "These people are so friendly. What vigor the Greeks have!" My hot streak continued with a bartender at a Santorini nightclub who, in the friendliest of ways, threw ice cubes at me, and several other girls, to try to get our attention. I approached him and we exchanged a few words until another ice cube target showed up; I humbly bowed away and left him to his business. (Being on the slightly prudish side, I was wasting his time, and didn't want to thwart the efforts of an obviously successful ladies' man.) My tips to any woman traveling alone to Santorini: keep your doors unlocked, wear high heels and tight-fitting clothes, speak American, and all will be well. The Greek men love all of this, and you will be totally safe!

Another reality that I had not accounted for is the fact that the majority of Santorini's visitors are A) cruise boat tourists on day trips to the island, and B) couples on their honeymoon. Falling outside these categories can prove dangerous because your purpose on the island is heretofore unknown. It is rare that someone who is not seventy-five years or newly wed visits the island. If this is you, be prepared to realize just how single- and young- you are.

The walk along one of the major roads lining Santorini's cliffs is a dense collection of hotels and terraced restaurants, each looking more charming than the last, and each even more suited for a memorable honeymoon. Some of the hotels have rooms that are actually carved into the cliffs, with limitless views of the sea. And some of these rooms have infinity pools spilling over cliff edges so that a visitor will literally never be able to find more impressive, well-appointed accommodations for all of the anniversaries they have yet to celebrate. I walked past these places sighing and wishing that this type of luxury was my reality. My hotel room did have access to Italian TV dating shows, so I guess that was some sort of consolation.

But nothing makes a single girl feel more alone than a romantic dinner in a foreign country...alone.

(To be continued)