The Mayor of Santorini

We boarded a prop plane in Crete and landed in the tiny airport of Santorini.  We left the plane headed into the airport to grab our bags.  There was small hitch.  The airport was locked. It was 3pm on a Friday and the airport was locked.  That’s how small Santorini is.  There’s one guy with the keys to the airport and basically you have to wait for him to finish his cigarette or coffee before you can get inside.  After getting our bags and we exited to the taxi stand. 

We were flying blind with no itinerary, lodges, or idea as where to go or what to do with our three days in Santorini.  In my experience this is the best way to travel.  It opens up the possibility for adventure to a greater degree and tends to not disappoint comparatively speaking to having everything planned well in advance. 

I’ve found that anytime you don’t have a plan as to where to stay and you exit a major transportation hub, there will always be people looking to earn a commission by directing you to hotels with vacancies.   Santorini was no exception.  We saw three cabbies outside of their cabs.  Two of which were leaning against the cabs smoking but the third was far more hyperactive.  I put him in his 40’s because of his salt and pepper hair, thick glasses and slight paunch. Upon seeing us he stopped on a dime and pounced on our bags.  He was the third cab in line and so I suggested we take the first since that would be equitable but the first two cab drivers didn’t seem to care and seemed thrilled to get rid of the guy.  He wrestled the bags out of our hands, threw them in the trunk and locked it so there could be no further discussion. 

We got into the cab and he asked us where we were going.  We responded with wherever there are available hotels.  Right on cue, he knew of the best place, no wait, the perfect place.  Feeling adventurous we said we’d take a look.  Now Santorini is a crescent island broken up into three districts, it takes about a half hour to get from side to the other and this place was one the opposite side of where everything else was.  Being from New York City I’m not only used to dealing with crazy cab drivers, it’s the default.  The hyperactive cabbie wouldn’t stop talking or firing off question after question, without letting us get a word in edge wise.  He was rambling jumping from topic to topic with no discernable course on the conversation.  Luckily there’s only one main road in Santorini so we didn’t have to worry about that course.  At one point he mentions that he’s the mayor of Santorini and that everyone calls him the mayor.  We all have nicknames and this guy seemed crazy enough that he’d insist on people calling him the mayor.  I didn’t give it a second thought but instead focused on the probability that we’d end up dead either because he wasn’t looking at the road or by the very nature of the flophouse we were inevitably heading towards. 

We pulled up to a regular three or four story house with a little shop on the first floor, so far so good.  The place wasn’t great but by no means in bad shape.  The mayor jumps out of the cab and rushes to the door to get the woman who runs the place’s attention.  He rushes her to show us around and keeps pushing that this is the best place on the island that’s available.  He must really need this commission I figured.  For ease sake we take the small room on the second floor and he’s all smiles.  He asks us when our next flight is and insists that he’ll take us back to the airport.  This man hustles. 

We spent the next few days exploring the island’s views and food.  Since most of the touristy things were on the opposite side of the island we had the option of calling a cab or taking the bus to get there.  We opted for the bus but when we would get back to hotel we’d inevitably see the cabbie there.  We started to piece some things together.  He wasn’t working for a commission, the hotel was his and the woman working it was his wife.  Can’t knock the hustle.  I mean good for this guy, he’s bouncing around like a high bounce ball fired from a canon to ensure that he can maintain his cab and his hotel. 

On our last night before our morning flight the cabbie reminds us that he’ll take us to the airport and for us not to call anyone else.  His wife the rest of his family have been very kind to us over our stay and we wouldn’t think of calling a different cab. 

Morning comes and we head downstairs with about 45 minutes before our flight.  The cabbie is nowhere to be found.  We ask his wife who placates us by saying he’ll be here any minute.  Remember that the airport isn’t exactly JFK and they get at best two planes in an hour’s time, with that missing a flight could potentially mean spending another day in Santorini if not two.  After fifteen minutes he shows up and apologizes citing another emergency for the mayor.  I politely laugh it off while calculating the time from the hotel to airport minus the time until our flight. 

We are cruising along at his normal reckless pace when he slams on the breaks.  Tires screech.  Dust erupts all around us.  He flies out of the door complaining about people having no respect and how he has to do everything.  The dust beings to settle and I see him carrying a large piece of metal that looks like it’s the engine of a small motorcycle.  He’s now covered in oil and he throws the chunk of metal into the trunk.  He races back to the driver’s seat and off we go again at breakneck speeds.  I’m thoroughly confused.  We are in a serious rush and this guy is stopping on a whim to pick up scrap metal.  If we miss our flight there’s going to be hell to pay.  He starts talking about how all the tourists and the locals litter, how much it costs to pick up the garbage, and how as the mayor he has to do everything to save anything they can from the budget.  I politely laugh as he shoots me a quizzical look.  Then it hits me.  Yes this guy is eccentric but he’s not a bullshitter.  He’s the actual Mayor of Santorini!  My personal cab driver is the Mayor of Santorini!  I’ve been staying in the Mayor of Santorini’s house!  After the amazement  leaves my face I lean back into the vinyl seat and relax.  Our flight won’t leave until the Mayor says it’s OK.