Opposites

Paradise vs. Reality

These two poles become abundantly clear in various places on Santorini.

Paradise: House on the Caldera. View of the sea. The volcano. The best sunsets. Free.

These are the reasons why tourists come to the island. Lots of tourists. The whole town is bustling with them. Lots of hotels. Recognizable if you look at the individual buildings carefully. €264 for the night. Cheap.

Locals. They finance their expensive lives on the island by selling, cleaning, and serving under precarious working conditions. Hourly wage: €4.50 - €6.00/hour. 7 days a week. Normal.

Mass tourism in its full splendor. Not only people work like animals, but also the animals themselves. Donkeys. Nightmare for anyone with common sense and concern for animal welfare. Exposed to the scorching sun. All day long. Facing the wall. No water. No food. The same goes for their owners. It's hard to blame them. Both suffer. Why? Remains unanswered.

Garbage. What do you do with it? Apparently, in some cultures, you throw it on the ground. Trash cans seem to be nonexistent there, at least it appears that way. Overall, garbage on the island is a delicate subject. Separation? Not invented. Recycling. Foreign word. Paper cups for coffee. Aluminum foil for take-away food. Plastic bags in the supermarket. This also makes paradise a little less paradisiacal.

But enough of the negative vibes. Mostly, the magic of the island prevails. Starting with the cacti. Green. Thick leaves full of water. Indestructible. Unusual shapes. Fruits. Fascinating. Delicious.

There's more magic when you look at the different rock formations and types of stones. Thanks to the volcano that created them.

View. Sea. Wide. Breathe. In. Out. Pure freedom. Pure lust for life. Energy. Even more magic.

Luxury vs. Poverty. Also part of the chapter of contrasts. Luxury villas. Luxury restaurants. Luxury clothing. Luxury yachts. Reflection of the tourists. But how many of them are truly luxurious and how many are only for the duration of their stay? What happens behind the facade? Hotels that are not completed due to lack of financial resources. Dilapidated houses that are no longer profitable to operate. Monolithos. Residents next to the power station. Constantly inhaling its exhaust fumes. Constantly exposed to its noise. What kind of life is this?