Day 11: Rhodes

May 31st-

The epidermis is gathering rather impressive melanin count. [I'm tan]

Well, maybe not tan, but tan-er.
Nice face Emily.

Paula and Christy cooked themselves; if they were kernels, they would have popped yesterday. I haven't burned [yet], but I'm not sure how I've avoided it. It's so windy and cool on the boat, it's easy to lay out and forget that sunshine is still pummeling the flesh. But, I'm just getting sunny, not broiled.

We were docked at Rhodes all day today. Mom wanted me to go out and about the island with her at a Godforsaken hour of the morning, but I couldn't get out of bed. By the end of last night, it was like weightlifting trying to keep eyelids open.

By ten I was awake and ready to walk around Rhodes. Mom and I tried to find a cappuccino while the others shopped. I'd missed breakfast, so I was totally ready to pump myself with caffeine. We were deceived into sitting down at a cafe-esque place, which served us the nastiest coffee... it was curdling under a good wallop of whipped cream and spicy sprinklings. The delicious stuff was really next door.

Rhodes from the boat. See the ancient wall that wraps around the island?
Wicked cool.

Walking around Rhodes

A Rhodian structure through a cranny

Everyone seems really sightsee-ed out. The whole vibe was, "Let's shop!" Mom and I walked into one leather store and I saw this awesome leather cape, trimmed in some sort of ebony canine. There was no delay, it was fantastic, so I swung it on and proceeded to prance around the store. The clerk was friendly and nice. Mom, just for kicks, asked how much the cape was.

2,200 euro.

My skin melted. That thing was off and returned to its hanger in 2 1/2 seconds.

Eventually my mom couldn't resist not hunting down historical places (she found the oldest existing medieval road and a horse) so I left her to peruse Rhodes with Pat, and I stuck with Julie, Paula, and Mrs. Wydman.

These are pictures my mom took.

I bought a beach towel that has an enormous donkey on it. The Rhodes Donkey. I have no idea what the Rhodes Donkey has to do with anything since ever, but it's on my beach towel, so it must be something?

So we got back to the boat with our goods and got ready to go swimming!

Neat fruit creations made before our eyes during the shopping/ beach interlude

Jason took us to a beautiful, uncrowded beach. We hung out there for the later half of the afternoon. It was nice, with decent waves and beautiful blue water. No jellyfish! I've never swum out so far in the ocean, but I nearly made it to where the ocean changes blues, from the light shallow blue, to the deeper there-are-large-fish-in-this-area blue. I got sketched out before I made it quite that far though.

We made our way back to the boat in time for another late dinner. After, I went up to the disco. It's weird calling it the disco. I say it, then expect Johnny Travolta to jump out of the corner. Anyway, I'm not exactly sure why I go, because I can't dance at all. And even if I could, Pat was freaking me out. I don't think I'll go back tomorrow.

-E