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I write this entry on the train from Bari to Rome, after more than a FULL DAY of travel involving 2 buses from Kalambka to Ioannina to Igoumenitsa, then a ferry to Bari and now this lovely train. Ergo why no entry yesterday, although most of this entry will concern yesterday
So I got up extra early to take a taxi up to the second-highest monastery (I saw the highest one yesterday) with the intention of walking back down before I had to leave at 3pm. Actually had the same guy who took me around yesterday (Nikos) take me to the bank to get cash (where he ended up helping me figure out how the lines work), then drive me up at 9:30am, where he only charged me 6euro. Great guy.
The first monastery was the Valyan (sp?) which, while pretty, was nowhere near as impressive on the interior as the Grand Monastery I saw yesterday. I say on the interior because the way this monastery was situated on the cliffs and the cliffs themselves was really cool, with the spiral staircase and huge neighboring boulder. There was also this huge group of obviously British tourists that were
both really disrespectful of the place and really funny. And it was pretty funny to see how women who weren’t used to dresses handled the ones they were made to put on before entry (no shorts on men and no pants on women in the monasteries).
So as I said, I wanted to walk back down. I didn’t want to follow the roads because a) they had no shade and b) I did that yesterday in the taxi. So, I asked one of the monks who as far as I could tell didn’t speak English how to “walk” (insert finger motion here) to the next monastery instead of “drive” (insert silly steering wheel motion here). He then told me to go left as I exit. So I did. I found what looked like a path, but I wasn’t sure how far it went or where it ended up. But as you can see in the videos (which I can hopefully get uploaded on time this time, and I will get the previous ones uploaded, I’ll let you know when they are…), I decided to push on. The path was cool both in temperature and in atmosphere, so what was
there to lose (ahem)? I even sorta “jumped” a small gate that was in the way at some point.
The view on the path was amazing, and as I continued it became obvious that the path was meant to be walked as it was paved at some places and even had benches. About halfway down, I saw an opening in the rock that seemed to go deep enough to stand in, so I decided that I would check it out. It turned out to be a very nice cave, the first cave I’ve ever been in that I “found” rather than being led into. It was even relatively clean and easy to navigate, although there were bats (eek?) and places that I wasn’t willing to try to climb into. Check the videos for this as they speak better I think than these words. I know a few people who would’ve really liked to have been there (Silas especially).
I kept going and, a few forks in the path later, ended up back at the road right above the St. Nikolas monastery, the smallest one of the 6 which is also the hardest one to climb to as the
steps when darn steep. But hey, as a reward you get free Turkish delight at the top! Sweet. Then I continued walking down to my hotel which took longer than I had originally thought (22km for the win), but I still somehow managed to get back down before 1pm. I ate at a restaurant which took you into the kitchen, had you look at the “menu” of food being made and choose what you want, charging per plate (I had tomato-encrusted chicken, peas of some sort and the same potatoes as yesterday), as well as this lemon soda which was great and which I hope to find again.
I then still had a good 2 hours until the bus. But, I was tired and had my bags at that point since I had checked out of the hotel, so I decided just to wait at the bus station. Watched a little TV (VH1, which is still primarily American music here) and met up with some fellow travelers. I met an Indian couple from Wisconsin who ended up following my entire path to Rome who said there favorite part of Greece were the islands, particularly Santorini, ergo making me wish
I had given myself the time to visit them I also met an Irish gentleman who seemed content to be lost and stay that way in Ioannina and who recommended I visit the walls of Mohr in Ireland. After arriving in Bari (on a ferry that was very nice, by the way), the Indians and I met a couple young Canadian girls right out of high school, one at the end of 3 month trip and the other starting one (both of which managed with les than $5k, by the way) that we played card with. They knew Euchre! I knew it wasn;’ just a Midwest game, silly Californians 😉
Anyways, here’s hoping that I get to my hostel tonight to post this entry and the pics. I’m sort of worried as I’ve heard Rome is amazingly bad for pickpocketing and such, so wish me luck (posthumously, as it were). Tomorrow I plan to hit the “old town” parts of Rome—but first, I need to find a laundry for tonight…
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