| The Fun
Lovers Guide to IOS |
| One of
the Rockin' Greek Isles |
| by Leslie Brownbridge |
| The beautiful
Greek islands, synonymous with the pursuit of wisdom, the birthplace
of democracy the evolvement of language, a country drenched in historical
profundity. Great builders, great thinkers, (great lamb!) . . . and
then there’s IOS.
Part of a group
of islands in the Mediterranean known as the Cyclades, Ios is about a 7
hour ferry ride from Athens, and an hour’s ferry from Santorini.
Ios has a predominantly rocky coastline with a profusion of olive trees,
charmingly topped with windmills overlooking the turquoise Aegan sea.
Though relatively
mild all year round, the meltemmie winds can be brutal in high
season, sending beach chairs flying, and even capsizing small watercraft. |
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| But the waters
are clear, deep and inviting, perfect forsnorkeling or cliff-diving in
the cool depths of one of the many surrounding coves.
Upon arrival
by sea, one is greeted by the charming twinkle of Yialos (port) lights
nestled serenely among craggy cliffs. Upon arrival at the docks,
however, all guise of peacefulness evaporates as throngs of smiling Greeks
and workers (tourists who are annually employed) surround
you, each heralding why their hostel, hotel or bed & breakfast is the
best, cleanest and most reasonably priced accommodation on the island.
If you want
to stay out of the chaotic wildness that inevitably grips the island annually,
it is best to stay where you are at one of the more upscale hotels on the
Port, but if you’re up for the adventure that is vintage Ios, grab a sambucca
and hang onto your burro! Ios is a notorious party island, considered one
of the biggest and most popular bashes of them all. The island in high
season virtually teams with scantily clad collegiates, graduates,
yachtspeople and tourists who flock to the tiny island each year from every
country known to man (and even a few that aren’t!). |
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| The village
center in Chora, is where it all starts, and it doesn’t even get GOING
until midnight where the remarkably peaceful and clean nucleus transforms
into an all night rave filled with music, cocktails and dancing.
There is a
bar, club, pub or cocktail lounge for every eclectic preference, including
pop, techno and retro, to cafes featuring solo guitarists and late night
saxophonists. The only thing we couldn’t find was a piano, but I
wonder if we just didn’t look hard enough. From dancing atop the
concrete tables (built exactly for that purpose), at ‘Sweet Irish Dreams’
to pulling on those knee-high glossies for a ‘go-go’ at Scorpions, Ios
is a frat fair that lasts till well past dawn.
You’ll also
find every cocktail ever fermented. Try the flamer – a potent
mix of vodka, Bailey’s,sambucca and curacao set aflame in a martini glass,
and either bravely, or stupidly, downed in one slurp with a straw. |
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Offshore
Resources Gallery
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| At Flames,
where it’s virtually patented, they’ll give you a free shot of sambucca
if you toss it standing straight (careful, you won’t be for long!) There
are also questionable cocktails in the form of hard-liquor rumored to be
a lesser form of gasoline, called
Bamba. These drinks are sold extremely
cheap with a fast result, but the ensuing hangover is not worth the savings.
Many locals
and workers advise on drinking bottled liquor only. If you arise one
morning wondering which of Aristotle’s classifications you are; plant,
mineral or animal, the unanimous day-after cure is a power mix of Red Bull
energy drink and Amstel beer. Impossible to list the islands
variety of establishments, it is best to wander about on foot, and be drawn
in by whatever melody or tantalizing view catches your fancy.
For real sustenance,
a delightful array of cuisine from around the world can be sampled on Ios.
A popular place for Mexican, Harmony’s boasts a spectacular view
of Mylopotas beach where one can stretch out on a hammocks with a cool
berry marg and indulge in spicy favorites, or ‘Pinnochio’s’ for scrumptious
Italian with mix & match sauces and pasta, and a delightful selection
of imported Italian wines. |
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| There is authentic
Greek fare around every corner, from freshly caught calamari to the famous
Greek Salads topped with melt-in-your-mouth feta and piquant kalamata olives.
For more
recreational dining, the ‘Fun Pub’ shows the latest videos with
complimentary popcorn and peanuts for snacking.
There’s even
a gym to work off all of those scrumptious kebabs with modern equipment
and aerobics classes. But why be stuck indoors when you can utilize mother
nature’s treadmill?
Mylopotas,
the main beach, has a variety of water-sports; wind-surfing, water-skiing,
banana boats, paddle-boats and kayaks. Very popular are the tube rides
pulled behind a speed boat with hair-raising twists and whips through the
waves. |
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Offshore
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| The ‘Hell
Ride’ which incorporates uber-inflated tubes are not for the faint
of heart. Working on Mylopotas directing watersports, I saw many a young
maverick return a quivering wreck, fingers clutched to the holding
ropes. Don’t inhale. Rent snorkel and fins for an amazing underwater profusion
of life and color, or simply hang out and sun bathe on the rocks.
There are an
abundance of beaches including Psathi, Valmas and Kolitzani.
Take a day to rent a moped, or travel by bus to these untouched and pristine
havens.
Accommodation
is relatively cheap and easy to locate, especially if you arrive shortly
before high season. It is lucky to snag a three or four bedroom house which
the locals rent annually at reasonable prices if you plan to stay
and work the duration of the season. You can pay hostel prices (anywhere
from $8 - $25 per night), but be warned the prices tend to rise with the
temperature in preparation of the tourist season. Camping is available
on the island, but the sites can be loud and noisy, full of rambunctious
night-owls. Far-Out Camping is popular with the twenty-something
crowd, has two swimming pools, basketball and volleyball courts and a twenty-four
hour bar.
You can definitely
find work on the island, but the Port area only employs those with European
status. Start looking early, the madness begins in early June when the
Auzzies, Kiwi’s and North Americans are the first to arrive. The island
becomes a living classified ad with every kind of job imaginable from
retail, hospitality, and water-sports, to standing dockside soliciting
new-comers for accommodation. An employee’s utopia where experience
counts for little, it’s all in the timing. It matters not if you’ve never
bartended, can’t count cash past your toes or have the fashion sense of
a dart, they’re all for the taking. It does help, though, if you’re burly
for a doorman position, or buxomy for a hostess to charm tourists into
clubs for imbibing and jiving.
The next wave
of fun-loving assemblage are the Swedes. Usually arriving in a boisterous
and friendly pack, they find employment quickly and easily. This inundation
is then followed by every other ethnicity imaginable. The jobs become tight
around the end of July, then a few positions re-open as natural burn-out,
renewed wanderlust, and, for some, mild alcohol poisoning takes its toll.
There
are pharmacies and weary doctors used to treating everything; dehydration,
sunstroke, and jellyfish stings, they’ve seen it all. As many structures
are white-washed with a less expensive form of paint some say contains
asbestos, travelers with breathing difficulties should take note. But there
are medications available for this common island ailment.
Work wages
vary depending on the position; directing watersports on Mylopotas, I pulled
in about 3500 drachmas a day, but received raises of up to 5500D, equivalent
to $30 - $40. You can earn more in a position that offers tips, such as
waitressing, bartending or hostessing.
My friend Aleks
worked in a dress shop without a set wage, but did very well on the 20%
commission the store offered in tandem with free accommodation. There are
also opportunities for musicians, singers, and dee-jays. Businesses can
be rented for a season, like Castle Corner, a kiosk which supplied the
workers with bacon baps and egg sandwiches.
In August,
things start to wind down. The villagers, hiding peacefully in the
hills or visiting friends on neighboring islands, return to reclaim their
blue and white abodes. One by one the shacks on the beach shut down like
recalcitrant clams, and the club songs fade earlier and earlier. They
bleary-eyed workers take their few drachma’s to exchange for Turkish
or Italian lira trading addresses and phone numbers and head to the ferries.
But fear not, the island is an experience that gets into your newly thinned
blood, and many individuals return year after year to drink in the untamed
phenomenon that is Ios.
For further
information, check out these sites:
www.iospartyisland.com
www.iosgreece.com |
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