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Published: September 2nd 2023
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Today we’ll be heading out on the water with a boat trip to some nearby islands. But first we have to run the gauntlet of the local transport mafia. Our fearless leader Diana’s been chartering a bus to get us around, but it seems all is not well with that arrangement. The bus driver is rude, creepy and a terrible driver, and it seems he’s also doing his best to rip us off. Diana wants to ditch him, but that’s easier said than done. We need him to take us and our several tons of luggage back to the port when we finally come to leave, so just telling him to go forth and multiply would not seem to be a particularly good strategy. Anyway, today we’re travelling to the port in taxis, five of them, which is going to end up much cheaper than what we were quoted to go in the bus. And the most surprising thing about all of this is that rude, creepy, bad bus driver’s wife runs the taxi company. Now you’d think that if the grand family plan was to rip off a bunch of tourists they’d at least get their stories to line up.
I’m sure there must be some guys in Sicily with time on their hands who’d only be too happy to help them out with their little operation.
We cruise pass the barren looking island of Agia Kyriaki - its population is zero and it’s got one building - the Church of Agia Kyriaki. The doors of just about all the churches I’ve tried to get into both here and on Amorgos have been very firmly locked, but apparently not so here on uninhabited Agia Kyriaki. According to the ever-reliable Google machine this church is open a super welcoming 24/7, we’re just not entirely sure for who.
First stop is the island of Kounoupa, which is in two parts separated by a narrow pebbly isthmus a hundred or so metres wide. There’s quite a sizeable “restaurant” here that would give new meaning to the word "rustic" - tables and chairs set up under a rickety looking timber frame draped with palm fronds. The water is an unreal turquoise blue colour, and I join the rest of the Rembrandts for a very pleasant and refreshing dip, followed by lunch under the palm fronds. It looks like this is tour boat
party central, and we’re quickly joined by a largish crowd from other boats moored in the small bay. The restaurant’s now in real danger of bursting at the seams. It all feels ridiculously incongruous - rocky, barren uninhabited islands for as far as we can see in every direction, and here we all are battling to find any room to sit down.
Next stop is a small channel between the island of Koutsomitis, and another smaller island, that seems to have a name, but only if you can read Greek. The water is again an amazing turquoise blue colour and just about everyone jumps off the back of the boat for a dip. The island’s uninhabited, assuming goats don’t count as inhabitants, or in this case one goat. I guess there might be others lurking between the rocks - the local goat population’s probably in a bit of trouble if there aren’t.
Final stop for the day is Red Rock, a tiny inlet on the main island surrounded by spectacular sheer vertical cliffs.
Back in Livadi and Issy and I enjoy a very pleasant meal at a restaurant on the beach. Chora and the Castle are lit
up on the hill above us and we’ve got the perfect vantage point.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
The beauty of islands
Stunning beauty. Sorry you've run into some hateful transportation people.