Back to Civilization

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Stayed in Mesta for a few days, a medieval village on the island of Chios in Greece, just across from Turkey. The village has been in continual habitation since the 14th century and the castle like center of the town is still very much intact. There are only 300 permanent residents now, but it used to be a flourishing town of 2000 or so, profitting from trade of mastic, a resin from the mastic tree which apparently only grows well in the south of Chios and nowhere else. It was a great commodity with prices at its height similar to its weight in silve, and now still is about 80 euros per kg. The villages therefore are built with defense in mind, away from the shores and fortress like to prevent pirate raids.

I stumbled to finding this place after looking at the various islands you can hop over by ferry from Turkey. Chios, Lesvos, Samos, Kos, Rhodes are all possibilities. Chios itself is a non-touristy island that had been the center of Greek shipping trade, with many of the shipping magnates originating from here. It's quite amazing that every older man that I've met here had been to China (and many more places of course) as part of the shipping business.

I found Mesta through a website of eco and agro-tourism for "masticulture", set up by a couple who abandoned their IT yuppie lives in Athens to come back to the island. They are extremely helpful in arranging transport, accommodation, activities. Since it's again low season, I am the only tourist in the village. For 35 euros per night, I had my own independent little house just outside of town with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, patio and a couple of cats in the garden. By far the most comfortable stay of this trip. The village was very quite with a couple eateries, bars, and convenience stores. The people are extremely friendly, without any intention to sale you anything (as in contrast to Turkey), and even the grandmas try to gesture and talk to you. Went on a couple nice (and very long) walks, to the port, and to another village and through the fields of mastic trees and olive groves. Met a few Greek visitors to their friend who owns a ceramic workshop and they invited me to dinner at a tiny tarverna (where the grandma cooks, the mom fishes, and the daughter is the waitress), where I could finally try a bunch of different dishes since it's now a group. (That's one thing bad about traveling alone, hard to order more than one or two even tapas-sized dishes at a time). Food is great and simple here.

And they eat very late - Spanish schedule. My first day in Chios, went to dinner at 7pm, and no one was in the restaurant (a very popular one per my New Zealand room renter). Dinner really starts around 9:30. Where is everyone between store closing time and food? All in the numerous cafes, drinking and smoking. Of course correspondingly, their work day breaks at 2pm, when pretty much everything closes, and (sometimes) reopens around 6 to 8pm. I have to adjust from the Asian schedule now, when often everything is closed by 9pm...

Pics later again, as so many computers do not have USB ports.

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