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Published: October 18th 2008
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Music Street
Matala was once one of Crete's best-known hippie hang-outs! We saw quite a few of the original hippies I think. A great little town, just this side of being a tourist trap! Day 16 and 17
Good Morning…
Now where were we…ah yes, in our last exciting episode I was heading out to hike over the hill to the beach on the other side. It was quite the hike, the “hill” was very steep and the trail was, well, interesting. It wasn’t until I ended up overlooking a precipice about half way up and had to backtrack that I saw the red dots painted here and there marking the trail. I got a good laugh about this because when I was researching this trip and looking at different hikes the book said of hiking in general, “if you get lost and see a goat, don’t follow it, it will lead you to the edge of a cliff. Follow a donkey instead, it will lead you back to a town because it wants its dinner.” Obviously I was on a goat trail! I saw evidence of goats everywhere and was quite excited to think I was maybe going to see a Kri Kri.
I had realized part way up I had forgotten to bring my camera, which was a shame in ways, but sometimes it’s nice just to
be somewhere, and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Of course if you go up a hill to find a beach, chances are you are going to have to go down the other side to get to it. I could hear the beach before I could see it and picked my way down a little and there it was. Red beach, tucked in a cove, with a few ramshackle houses was so worth the walk. The sea here is much wilder than we have seen, and a bit warmer too. I took of my shoes and my “legs”, and walked up and down the beach taking in the sights. If I have time this morning before we head out, I want to try the hike that takes me up the right hand side of the hill. (I did have time and it was excellent...came back down the goat trail cuz it was so much fun the first time) I will try to remember my camera this time.
We had a lovely day yesterday, exploring Matala, a small town, kinda touristy but doesn’t feel like it is. We were sipping our coffee frappes on the Pension terrace when 3 Brits and
an American showed up. Swapped a few lies with them, got some recommendations of what to see in the area as one guy had been here before. I am sorry to have to report that the American woman thoroughly insulted my by saying I reminded her of Sarah Palen….oh dear! Now Meryl Streep, or Elizabeth Taylor, that I wouldn’t have minded so much! I wonder if we looked as white as they do the first time we put on shorts? No doubt we did.
Again, I’ll let the pictures explain our day, we head further west this morning with stops in Festos, where the 2nd most important Minoan Palace is located, and then to a private museum of Crete . All these ruins and such are very interesting, but I am looking forward to seeing how the average Joe, like me, lived.
17 Oct
Forget what I said about ruins schmuins! That palace at Festos (Phaestos) is something to see, we spent almost 3 hours wandering around, being amazed. Bought a small book you can look at if you want. Onward to the Museum of Cretan Ethnology at Vori; a private collection of artifacts of just
about everything you ever wanted to know or see about life on Crete. We saw how and what they grew, harvested, cooked and stored their food, what they wore, sat on, slept in, manufactured for trade, and defended themselves with, how they worshiped and celebrated special occasions. There was also a cool time line posted that compared what was happening in Crete to both Europe and North America from the earliest recorded time to present.
From there we headed West through more amazing scenery…and I see from my pics that once again I have failed to capture what we saw before our eyes. You’d best come see it for yourself. Just a few miles from where we finally settled for the night we came through this little village where it was apparently butchering day. First we passed 3 skinned rabbits hanging from a tree, then a couple of guys bleeding 3 goats on their driveway, the blood running down the street almost as far as the poor goat who was struggling on a rope beside a man at the side of the road; I guess he knew what was coming.
Stayed last night in Hora Sfakion
B and Videographer and Server
He does have a name and it starts with a K!!! It's back at the hotel right now...a real sweety! and will move on today…enough said about that! We hope to spend our last 5 days (can’t believe I can count our time left here on 1 hand now!) based out of Paleohora. I plan to trek the Samaria Gorge…google that to see what it is. For those of you in our area, the town near the trail head is where Tony from Antonio’s is from. It’s a 1.5 bus ride to the trail head, an 18 km walk, then a ferry ride back to Paleohora. Our guide book said it closed mid Oct, but we saw a ferry load of trekkers getting off the ferry here last night, so it’s a go!
All for now, the sun is coming up and I saw a sign for the trail to the beach. B&G Now at Paleohora staying at www.interkriti.net/hotel/paleohora/poseiden
I know the video's are very short...this is actually a pretty fast connection today...the one of me on the beach: there is nothing i love more than playing in the waves...I was trying to put my shoes back on but couldn't quit laughing long enough to focus...we ran into 4 Canucks on that beach. Our first sighting since
Lesvos. The raki shooter video happened by accident, we just wanted a picture but the camera was set on video and was even shorter than this one, so we decided to try it again. I like Souma much better.
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Janice
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Hey guys....saying hi to you from Vancouver...here visiting with Family for bit. Sounds like you are having the adventure of a lifetime.....any chance you might want to move to Greece? We could be neighbors!!! Glad you are having such a good time... Love Janice and all the rest of us!!!