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Flying from Mykonos to Athens was like a thirty-four minute re-cap of the last eight days. Soaring over the Aegean and looking down over the islands I had visited was the perfect opportunity to reflect on an exciting adventure and to think about the next. Would the second group be as fun as the first? Would my arms fall off from kayaking? Was the Mountain Equipment Co-op salesman honest when he said the hiking shoes would prevent me from twisting my ankle in the Samaria Gorge?
Athens International Airport became the base for my trip - always arriving at this familiar airport (and seeing the large IKEA store across the street) before heading off again. This time, however, I wouldn’t be leaving alone as here I met Mary, whose original idea it was to embark on the GAP Adventures Trip EGCH - Crete Hike and Kayak. Jumping on Aegean Airlines, we were off to the largest Greek island, Crete. When in Crete three years ago, we disembarked from the cruise ship for a few hours and were bused to see the reconstructed Palace of King Midas at Knossos. This time, we flew into Chania and within an hour we were
downtown, enjoying a dinner of wine, Greek salad, and souvlaki, while overlooking the picturesque harbour.
The next morning, Mary and I casually ate breakfast while scoping out the rest of the guests in the dining room - guessing who would be joining us on our trip. Soon enough, it all became clear and everyone immediately clicked as Dave, our tour guide, led us to the market to stock up on dried fruits and nuts. Returning to the hotel, we jumped in the private mini-bus and were off from the north coast to the south coast, pulling into Paleohora, a secluded, care-free town, discovered in the 1960s by hippies. After lunch at the Galaxy Restaurant, we heaved the kayaks into the water and had a practice run to make sure everyone could stay upright (I was a pro right away), could get out of the kayak should it roll over (I refused to learn as I thought it was bad luck…), and could get out of the kayak and slide into the water for a swim without tipping the kayak (I don’t need a reason to jump in the Mediterranean).
“We’re heading towards Libya!” was probably the most common
phrase from Mary and I as we repeatedly found ourselves in the middle of the Libyan Sea while the rest of the group stuck close to the shore. I justified the detour by the stunning views that could only really be appreciated set back from the coast. I kept thinking that sailors from around the Mediterranean and throughout time must have been baffled of how to conquer this island, seeing these barren cliffs reaching up to the skies. Obviously, these cliffs didn’t deter anyone as Crete has been colonized by just about everyone since 3,000 B.C. - the Minoans, the Mycanaeans, the Dorians, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Venetians, and the Turks - who have each shaped the identity of today’s Crete. About an hour into our first day of kayaking, we followed the group into a cave, filled with bats and sparrows, before stopping at Lissos for a swim and lunch. Hiking up from the beach, we walked around the 13th Century A.D. Byzantine church and, only steps away, stepped back in time 1,500 years into the ruins of the 3rd Century B.C. Temple of Asklepios, the god of healing. Leaving Lissos, we paddled-on to that night’s destination, Sougia,
where, for the first time, we felt the consecutively warm and cold winds which travelled up from the African mainland.
With an early morning start, we began our first day of hiking - up the seven kilometer Agia Irini Gorge. Perhaps the most difficult portion of this hike was the few kilometers to the entrance of the Gorge in thirty degree weather on hot asphalt. We all seemed to underestimate the amount of water we needed on a hike like this and upon seeing the taverna after kilometer seven, copious amounts of water were consumed by all. Before the bus picked us up for the hotel, we ventured to a small Byzantine Chapel, promising stunning frescoes. Yes, the frescoes were impressive, but our attention was caught by the nest of bats just above the door - definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but worth a photo! Following a trip to the local cheese factory in Omolos and dinner at the hotel, we hit the pillows early, in preparation of tomorrow’s hike down the Samaria Gorge.
To ensure we weren’t in the middle of the Samaria Gorge, said to be the longest in Europe, at the height of the
day, Dave led us to the entrance around 8:30am. With at least sixteen kilometers ahead of us, we were all well-prepared with bottles of water and pre-packaged lunches. The Samaria Gorge is a geologist’s dream - exhibiting the strata of millions of years of erosion that carved this space with few points of escape for the modern-day hiker - either back up to the top, or down to the sea. Lunch was enjoyed at the old town of Samaria and we were joined by a group of Kri Kris, the wild goats of Crete, who took a liking to Mary’s lunch and were grateful to Dave for sharing his sandwich. We continued down the Gorge, stopping for rests every few kilometers, before reaching the “iron gates,” the narrowest point of the Gorge where the cliffs strain to meet each other with as little as 3.5 meters of open space between them. A few more kilometers remained until a celebratory Mythos beer and a short walk through the village of Old Agia Roumeli before we set our bags down for the night at the perfectly named Hotel Kri Kri.
With our hiking shoes packed back in our bags, we once
again jumped in the kayaks to visit one of the most picturesque Byzantine churches in Crete, built with stones from Santorini. Paddling onto a deserted beach, except for a much-needed taverna, we stepped into the church of Agios Pavlos - renowned to be associated with St. Paul’s arrival on his way to Rome. The next phase of kayaking was perhaps the most difficult. Blame it on fatigue or dehydration, but arriving at the next beach and devouring a fantastic lunch of salad, calamari, burgers, and lots of water, felt like crossing a finish line! Following a rest on the beach, we were off to find the white-washed buildings of Loutro, a small town inaccessible by road. Rounding the bend by kayak, I referred to it as the “secret garden” as it appeared in front of us, little by little.
The following morning, we set off for our final day of kayaking. After another beach stop, we kayaked full steam ahead to Hora Sfakion, a significant town following the Battle of Crete in World War Two. Hopping on a private mini-bus, we climbed through the interior of the island and arrived back in Chania. We all deserved a day of
walking around the town and relaxing by the hotel pool before visiting Dave on his boat for pre-dinner cocktails and a lovely dinner in town.
It seemed that a few of us never went to bed, as our Aegean Airlines flight departed at 7:00am the next morning and we had to leave our hotel at 5:00am to pile into the taxi. Mary and I spent the next two days being tourists in Athens, joined each night by our GAP travel mates, Nicole and Nancy. Two days in Athens is exactly the right amount of time to see the sites - the Acropolis (where I ran into Charlie from last year’s GAP tour of Spain and Portugal), the new Acropolis Museum, the Ancient Greek and Roman Agoras, the Hephaisteion, the National Archaeological Museum, the Temple of Zeus, and of course, the Plaka to buy out kitschy souvenirs. Each night, we enjoyed the Acropolis, lit as a beacon over the city, from our hotel’s rooftop terrace.
The next morning saw Mary leave at a VERY early hour to catch her flight back home and myself leaving at a more suitable hour for my journey to Toronto.
I entitled this
travelogue, “Arrivals,” and after just over two weeks in Greece, I definitely felt like I had arrived. I met two wonderful groups of people from around the world. I saw some of the most stunning islands in the world. I returned home with over 700 photographs and fantastic memories. Can next year’s adventure top this one? Wait and see.
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