Day 26 - 28th June 2013 - Crete - Samaria Gorge

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Friday

The alarm goes off at 5.15am. I thought this was supposed to be a holiday! But today is the day of the Samaria Gorge walk and we have to catch the bus from Paleochora bus station at 6.15am. The previous evening we had reconnoitered (RECKIED) the route so we did not waste time in the morning. We set off at 5.55am;(6AM) 20 minutes for a 5 minute walk. We immediately go wrong but can easily retrace our rote.(HA, HA IT WAS MAKING US LATE! AND NO TIME TO SPARE) Carol insists we practically run to the bus station though and we arrive at 6.05am. (A GENTLE TROTT WAS ALL IT REQUIRED AND TIM WASN'T PREPARED TO DO THAT WE GOT THERE AT 6.15AM WHEN THE BUS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE.)

The bus station is a hive of activity as it doubles up as a cafe and there are lots of people there having coffee before starting work. We, and about 6 other people look hopefully up the road for a bus. There was lots of anticipation and disappointment as various lorries, rubbish trucks, trucks and mopeds appear that are obviously not buses. At one point a minibus parked about 30 yards up the road and the waiting walkers engaged in a staring match with the driver in case this was the bus. The driver felt so uncomfortable he moved further up the road.

Eventually, at 6.30am, the bus arrived. In our youth Greek buses were very basic affairs with passengers and livestock all in together. Now they are quite smart. Only 15 minutes late. But then we sit and wait before finally leaving at 6.40am.

(TIM AND I ADOPT A GERMAN TRADITION OF SPREADING YOUR BELONGINGS ACROSS A COUPLE OF SEATS AND THEN YOU GET TO HAVE LOADS OF SPACE TO YOURSELF SO YOU CAN HAVE A SNOOZE. WE HAVE A 2 HOUR RIDE AHEAD OF US.)

Greek bus drivers must have nerves of steel. We wind through narrow lanes with hairpin bends, often through gaps with about a foot of clearance. And then there are the goats and sheep, whole herds of them standing in the middle of the road.( TWO GOATS ARE SO BUSY SQUARING UP TO ONE ANOTHER THEY TOTALLY IGNORE THE BUS.) It is a long climb particularly when you realise that you have to make your way back to sea level on foot.

We arrive at the Samaria Gorge entrance at 8.15am, pay our 5 Euro each and set off. (TIM RECKONS IT WILL TAKE ABOUT 4 HOURS TO MAKE THE 16K DESCENT AND HE REFUSED TO LET ME PACK FOOD FOR THE JOURNEY AS HE SAID WE WOULD BE DOWN IN TIME FOR LUNCH AND IN ANY CASE WE MIGHT GET THE DREADED DELLI BELLY AND THERE ARE NO TOILETS EN ROUTE.) In fact there were a few that must have been built since I was last here.

Perhaps here is a good moment to point out some facts about this walk. The tour operators will tell you that this is an easy walk. It is easy in the sense that it is a well defined route with no scrambling or overly difficult terrain. (APART FROM ROCKS AND BOULDERS, WOBBLY BRIDGES AND OTHER STUFF.) It is, however, uneven and rocky most of the way and steep at the top section. It is around 16km from the top to the sea. This is particularly hard on knees and feet. So go equipped for that type of walk. On my first visit I saw people in flip flops with bleeding feet. Nothing that bad this time but we did pass people in sandals examining blisters within the first 2km. We also saw a girl in ballet pumps early on who I suspect suffered later.

I walked the gorge on our last visit in 1996 but this was Carols first time.( I HAD BEEN LEFT CHILD MINDING ON THE BEACH LAST TIME. WAS THIS FAIR I ASK?) I could remember walking into a taverna at the bottom at lunchtime ( A DELUSION I BELIEVE.) and so confidently said we didn't need to take food, just a couple of bananas each. I don't think Carol was convinced.

The top of the gorge is spectacular, with steep alpine vistas. Nothing can really prepare you for this walk and photographs just don't capture the drama. This section is very hard on the knees and we pass some elderly women helping each other down the steeper bits clearly suffering. We wonder if they are still there. (BY 3K MY KNEES WERE BURNING AND I HAD TO NEGOTIATE STEEP DOWNWARD BITS IN A PARTICULAR WAY OTHERWISE I LET OUT A LITTLE WHIMPER WHICH TIM CHOSE TO IGNORE.)

The steepness eventually begins to turn to gentler downhills. My memory of the walk from 1996 was a little patchy. I was a bit stunned to pass the 5km mark after 2.5 hours. Surely there must be some mistake, we can't be that slow can we? (OH DEAR ARE WE GOING TO BE DOWN IN TIME TO CATCH THE BOAT?) Err yes we can apparently. We are being passed by the odd fit young type but we are pretty much keeping pace with the people around us. It's going to be a long day. (MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WERE PASSING US BUT I SUPPOSE THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE YOUNGER THAN US RATHER THAN OLDER THAN US THESE DAYS.) Carol looks at a group of Russians tucking into a full picnic. She looks at me. She looks at the 2 bananas. I decide to say nothing and keep going. (IF THERE WAS A HAMBURGER STALL I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT 2 BOTH FOR ME.)

There are many rest areas where you can drink from mountain streams and sit in the shade for a while. ( SO WHY DID WE CARRY WITH US 5 1/2 LITRES OF WARM WATER?) There are often donkeys and ponies here and we wonder if they are for carrying loads of stuff or transporting people who can't make it.

The middle section follows the gorge floor with lots of boulders and sometimes water running through. (THE ROCKS ARE OF WHITE BOULDERS AND PEOPLE HAVE PILED STONES ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER, HUNDREDS OF LITTLE PILES GIVING IT A BIT OF A MYSTICAL MAGICAL FEELING.)Then slowly the gorge walls start to close in and tower above you for nearly 1000 feet. Here you pass signs saying "Great Danger, Falling Rocks, Walk Quickly." We decide to put on our specialist safety headgear, our sunhats. At least we wont see them coming.

Maybe it is Greece rubbing off on me but this brought out the philosopher in me. (OH NO WAIT FOR IT!) It's a bit like the do you get wetter in the rain when running or walking question. There must be rocks falling here for them to post the warning. You can see them all around. But there can't be that many or they would close it to the public. So... if a rock falls it will fall onto a certain spot. Does it make any difference if you are travelling at 2mph or 5 mph if you are on that spot as it hits the floor? If you walk faster you are in the danger area for a shorter time but does that really reduce the risk? If you are in the wrong place at the wrong time you will get a headache (albeit very briefly with rocks falling from that height.) Just thinking. I'll stop doing that now. (THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT WHAT A LOAD OF CODSWALLOP.

OH BY THE WAY APART FROM THE KNEES THE HIP IS STARTING TO PLAY UP WHEN GOING DOWN HILL IT ONLY WANTS TO GO SIDEWAYS. IT IS GETTING VERY VERY HOT, I TAKE TO DIPPING MY HAT IN THE STREAM AND PUTTING IT ONTO MY HEAD IT WAS WONDERFUL. TIM HOWEVER REFUSES TO DO THIS BECAUSE HE HAS THIS THING ABOUT NOT LIKING WET CLOTHES AGAINST HIS BODY.)

We have been walking for about 5 hours as we enter the last section of the gorge where it is narrow and the path crosses the stream often. Log bridges with a few slats across are used. They were not very stable and Carol was not very keen on these. I thought for a while I was going to have to piggy back her across. (THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN WORSE.) But she went across in the end. I though it would be fun to bounce up and down on the end as she crossed one. Not such a good idea as it turns out. (HOW RIGHT HE WAS NOW DO I TAKE THE MICK WHEN HE HAS AN ISSUE?)

We eventually come to the narrowest point where you feel you can almost touch both sides. You can't as I tried. Your arms would need to be about 30 feet long. (FIFTEEN TO TWENTY FEET AT THE MOST.) Carol was very impressed to find that to get through here you had to go on a particularly wobbly 3 section wooden bridge. (WITH HIND SIGHT I COULD HAVE WADED THROUGH IN LESS THAN A FOOT OF WATER BUT LIKE A SHEEP I FOLLOWED EVERYONE ELSE.) It was 6 hours to here, so walking back up was not an option. Carol stuck her hands out like she was on a tightrope (it was 4 feet wide) and went for it. It wasn't just me taking photos. She made it.

Then we were out through the check out gate (they have to count you in and out) and the last few kilometers to the beach and ferry at Agia Roumeli. We walk up to a sign offering bus rides for the last section to the boat. I now know that Carol is a mind reader as she said, "No way, we are walking the whole route." (HAVING WALKED 14K THERE IS NO WAY WAS I NOT DOING THE LAST 2K EVEN IF BY NOW IT WAS THE KNEES, HIP AND BACK ACHING, TIM ALSO CONFESSED HIS BACK HURT TOO.)

I think that bus operator must be in league with the council. By now we have been on our feet for a very long time. We were wearing walking shoes and so while our feet were in good shape with no blisters, the constant rocky walking had made our feet very sore. (HIS FEET WERE SORE MINE WERE OK JUST EVERYTHING ELSE WAS SORE.) So how did they construct the road from the check out point to the beach? A nice smooth tarmac or concrete perhaps? No. it is concrete inlaid with rocks.(LIKE A COBBLED STREET) It looks nice but your feet scream for mercy. (I THINK MORE THINGS HURT AFTER THIS WALK THAN RUNNING THE BUNGAY MARATHON, BUT THEN I DON'T DO DOWN HILL VERY WELL.)

Eventually we arrive at the ferry quay at Agia Roumeli, journeys end, having bought some sandwiches in a supermarket. Total walking time 6.5 hours. We sat in some shade to eat but they turned out to be a little unappetising (STALE AS HELL NOT EVEN THE BIRDS WOULD EAT THEM.) so we decided to treat ourselves to an ice cream. (TIM STARTED DEMANDING THAT I GO AND FIND ICE CREAM WHILST HE LAZES IN THE SHADE.) Shortly after that I decided, all of a sudden, that I would much rather lay down on the grubby floor and allow ants to walk all over me whilst sweating freely from every pore of my body. I felt really bad and it came on just like that, in the space of around a minute. I could tell Carol was worried as she was nice to me. (BEING A DUTIFUL AND CARING WIFE I EDGED SLIGHTLY AWAY FROM HIM AS I CANNOT STAND THE SOUND OF ANYONE THROWING UP.) (She was still annoyed at just having 2 bananas and a stale sandwich to eat all day.)

I blame the ice cream as I felt fine prior to that, (RUBBISH HE JUST COULD NOT TAKE IT.) but I suppose it was dehydration or heat stroke of some sort. We had been really careful to take lots of liquid on board but it was hot work. (HE SHOULD HAVE PUT ON A WET HAT.)

There was a taverna with proper shade about 30 yards away but it might as well have been on the moon for a while because there was no way I could make it there. Carol went to the sea and wet my swimming trunks and slapped them on my neck. I'm not sure of the medical benefit of this. (LOADS OF MEDICAL EVIDENCE THINK OF THE VEINS AND ARTERIES IN THE NECK BEST PLACE TO COOL THEM DOWN AND BRING A BODDIES TEMPERATURE BACK TO NORMAL.) I thought I looked perfectly stupid enough without wearing wet swimming trunks on my head but I was in no position to argue.

After a while I made it into the taverna to drink some water. I also used a trick I had learned somewhere of putting something cold (the water bottle from the fridge) on your wrist to cool your body down. (JUST LIKE PUTTING WET TRUNKS AROUND YOUR NECK.)

By the time the ferry left for Paleochora at 5pm (there is no road to Agia Roumeli) I was feeling much better and pretty much better by the time we got back to Paleochora. By the time I had taken some re-hydration fluids and drunk some Coke I was ready for the night out. We went to a taverna where there had been a resident pelican in 1996. The waitress said he was still around but not all the time. Tonight I left the raki to Carol. I think she is getting a taste for it. ( NOT REALLY I JUST THOUGHT WE OUGHT TO HAVE DRUNK A LITTLE OUT OF POLITENESS.)

Tomorrow we are back to the Heraklion area for our last couple of days prior to flying home. We are going to visit Colossus.

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Photos

Samaria Gorge Crete
It took us 2.5 hours to do the first 5 km.

Samaria Gorge Crete
Spectacular views that cannot be captured in a photograph

Time for a drink
Probably should have spent twice as long here

Samaria Gorge Crete
900 ft cliffs

Arriving back at Paleochora
13 hours after leaving by bus