Corfu, Greece
(part 2)
June 27th, 2010
“RAT FARTS!!!” — Bishop Pickering in Caddyshack right before getting stuck by lightning. That’s what I screamed when I awoke to complete the Pink Palace Marathon Party, and learned that the booze cruise was cancelled yet again; this time not due to bad weather, but because the boat captain had a baby! I guess that’s an acceptable reason…
Despite my dashed plans, I decided to head to the beach to make the best of the day. When I arrived, I ran into Ashley and Signe, two friendly girls who had joined the quad safari with me the day before. Eventually John also met up, and the four of us ended up having the most gloriously perfect day! The weather was pristine, I bought a 4-pack of beers and a snorkel for 7 euros, John bought a Frisbee, and we played around all day in paradise. We also ended up eating at that awesome restaurant on the beach again, gobbling down stuffed grape leaves with huge, cold beers. I didn’t want the day to end. But it was time to switch gears from relaxing, to pure chaos…
The four of us met up with Chris and Miguel for a delicious Greek dinner together. After eating, we grabbed our pink linen sheets and suited up, for tonight was the world-famous Pink Palace Toga Party. This was one of the few experiences I had booked my entire trip around; it was the whole reason I was in Corfu! This particular party is legendary, and is infamous the world over amongst hardened backpackers. Did you really even backpack Europe if you didn’t attend the Pink Palace Toga party?!
The party innocently starts off with quaint, traditional Greek dancing by a couple of locals, disguising the impending insanity.
Next, the ouzo circle begins where the hostel employees frolic around and pour shots down your throat while smashing plaster plates over your head.
Then… the true madness commences. I’m not even really sure how to explain it. It turns into an alcohol-fueled rage fest with tables lit on fire, bottles smashed everywhere, and a writhing mass of pink togas on the dance floor.
The party pumped in the Paladium until around 5 am when I was so tired, I could barely stand. However, sleep wasn’t an option. I had to make it to 6 am for my ferry departure, so I ran back to my room to pack. Sure enough, while trying to stuff my clothes into my bag, I straight up passed out on my feet. Out cold, an hour before I had to run to the dock to catch a boat. But somehow, by the grace of the Greek Gods (or maybe my body just realizing that if I stayed in Corfu any longer, I would probably die), I miraculously woke up five minutes before I had to leave! Mind you I hadn’t slept in 48 hours, yet somehow, I woke up despite never setting an alarm. I ran out the front door of the Pink Palace, hobbled back down the mountain, and literally jumped onto the ferry… of course, once again, I was literally the last person to board before they slammed the galley door shut. I made it with seconds to spare.
This ferry would cruise north from Corfu through the Adriatic Sea to Venice. It is a 24-hour ride, and apparently my Eurail train pass would grant access to free “desk passage.” I wasn’t really sure what that meant, but I soon learned that it only allowed access to the outside parts of the ship, and nowhere else. Deck passage means you have to literally sleep on the ground outside. People set up tents and sleeping bags on the deck areas, and somehow survive through the night in the freezing winds whipping off the Adriatic. In my drunken stupor, I thought what the hell, I can do this! It can’t be that bad, right? I threw my bag in a corner, cuddled up into it, and tried to get some sleep.
I woke up an hour later with a horrific cramp in my back. I was also half frozen, and it was still day time. This would never work. I was grossly unprepared for the harrowing adventures of surviving a night on a cruise ship deck. I headed to the front desk and pleaded for a room, despite only having 40 euros in my pocket. They had one bunk left, and it was only 35 euros. I immediately booked it without asking any questions. When I walked into my room for the evening, it was the most beautiful sight of my life; a clean, sheet covered bed! I jumped in and crashed hard! It didn’t even dawn on me that there were three other bunk beds in this tiny cabin.
That’s because an hour later, two massive Germans barged into the room screaming. These were apparently my roommates for the night. Lovely. They were all riled up because Germany was playing Britain in the world cup game, and it was about to start in the ship’s bar. In broken English, they asked if I wanted to join them for drinks. They clearly had no idea how haggard I was, so I politely declined. They seemed to understand, and left while screaming soccer chants down the narrow hallways. I curled into my bunk, and slipped into a coma.
The next morning, I awoke to one of the most stunning views of my life… timeless Venice sprawling right outside of my porthole! I made it back to Italy…
So that’s it for now. I can’t wait to get covered in pigeons in St. Mark’s square, and ride a gondola! But first, final thoughts on Corfu. I looked forward to this destination maybe more than any other place on this trip. It was to be the week-long spring break party in the middle of my epic Eurotrip. The Pink Palace is a massive hostel capable of having over 900 guests. But when we were there, it peaked at around 150 backpackers. So while the parties were crazy and I had an absolute blast meeting over 20 new friends, I still feel like I didn’t get the full experience of that magical place. Maybe I’ll just have to return someday…
To Ashley and Signe, great meeting you girls and good luck with your exams! And to Chris, Miguel, and John, you guys are great! Safe travels to you all, and looking forward to the next time we’re all wearing dresses together. 😉
-Batty
