Location: Matala
You’re probably wondering why I’m updating so frequently when I’m supposed to be having adventures in Crete. It’s because the weather has been really wet and cold (for Greece) for the last few days. Today got so bad that we had to cut short our first kayaking trip due to high winds. We got out there for a blissful two or three hours this morning, and then had to turn back from today’s destination, Red Beach, because ugly clouds were gathering and the wind was picking up. It’s only three o’clock here now, a bit too early for anybody in the States to be up to Skype with. So I’m updating the website under the influence of three shots of raki with one eye on the window waiting for the sun to come out.
I set my little travel alarm clock for 7:00 this morning (since there are no phones in a lot of hotel rooms in Greece, wake-up calls cannot be counted on), got into my paddling clothes, and trudged down to breakfast, which was my favorite, yoghurt and honey, with some bread and butter on the side. I drank a deep sip of what I thought was warm milk before I discovered it was cream. All the Greek people who run the hotel were probably like, “Stupid Americans, always drinking the coffee cream.” We headed out to the beach and got outfitted with kayaks, paddles, splash skirts, and life-vests. I'm in a little red called Minos. Our first lesson was how to do a “wet exit” - that is, when you tip your boat over and you have to extract yourself from swim skirt attaching you to the kayak to get to the surface. I went first, of course; it’s very unpleasant tipping over, but easy enough to get out of.
The kayaks we’re using for sea-kayaking are a lot longer and a lot thinner than the kayaks my parents own, which I believe are for lake/river use. They also have a rudder, which is controlled by foot pedals (e.g. push your right foot down, you go right). After a quick demonstration, we started to cross the water at Matala Beach to Red Beach, a nearby secluded (clothing-optional) area that you have to either hike to or kayak to. I’m a natural at paddling, according to the guides. :D The biggest hazard on the water for me ended up being the rest of my group, who flounder around the water like dying seals, and I spent much time making short stops and sharp turns to avoid them careening into my boat or cutting me off.
On the way, we got to explore a few sea caves, which was so eerie and fun. Having to squeeze through these narrow crevices in a kayak really put my steering skills to the test, and for the second time today, I was told I was a paddling natural. My red Black Diamond headlamp got water into it, and I’m afraid it’s kicked the bucket. I’m more upset about this than is probably rational. It’s just that was my first headlamp, given to me by someone really important to me, and it’s always the one I take with me on my adventures, and honestly it’s saved my butt more than a few times; there are a number of occasions when I would have been completely lost and bivvying under a tree if I didn‘t have it. I have a lot of good memories associated with that lamp. RIP red Black Diamond headlamp.
At this point, the wind began to pick up and the guides wanted us to turn back in the middle of the trip. It was rough-going over the increasingly large waves back to Matala. I’m a strong paddler, though, made even stronger because of my mile-high acclimation. I was a little disappointed we weren’t going to get to test our mettle in the rougher waves longer than we did; it reminded me a bit of white-water rafting.
Back in town, Alexis and I killed a few hours getting food (I got cheese pies, she got mousaka, a sort of lasagna-like dish with eggplant), which is where the three shots I mentioned earlier came in. Pretty much every Greek family here brews their own raki, and they’ll proudly give it to you for free at the end of a meal, and supposedly it’s considered rude if you refuse to drink it. If they’re really pleased with you, they’ll pour you an extra shot. And then another. Pretty much until you leave. Which is how Alexis and I got to pounding them down at this restaurant while we were waiting for our change. The waiter thought we were cute. Then we went to a bakery, where I got some sort of chocolate pastry thing and a donut, just because I was surprised to see one in Greece. America does it better.
Speaking of cheese pies, I've ordered cheese pies on three different occasions at this point, and each time, they have each been completely different - different dough, different cheese, different taste, different texture, different foods entirely - so I have no idea what a cheese pie actually is. They are all called τυρόπιτα, tiropitas, and the first time I had them, it was some sort of mild cheddar or something like that in puff pastry. The second time the cheese was wrapped in something more like pizza dough, and the third time (today) they were like crab-cheese wontons without the crab. I have liked them all, though, so I will gladly continue my cheese pie research while I'm here.
The rain has cleared up, although it’s still around 50 degrees and cloudy; this is not very cold, but keep in mind I packed for sunshine-filled 80-degree weather. The best way to warm up is to generate some body heat, though, so I'm heading out for a hike.
LATER: Hiking was miserable, rainy, cold, and windy. The idea was great in theory - we went up this easy trail to the top of a hill looking down on a pristine empty beach; the guides brought a bottle of champagne and the timing was just right for us to enjoy the sun throwing its brilliant colors over the ocean... except the clouds were so thick and dark, you could only see a smudge of sun in a tiny corner of the sky, and the rain and the wind made standing around drinking miserable. We huddled up behind a bush to keep us out of the wind, and we were all soaking wet by the time we got back to the hotel.
Dinner was mussels, sea-bass, and seafood-stuffed mushrooms, with chocolate mousse for dessert. I successfully ducked out before the rounds of raki were served. Cats are everywhere here, and they stroll in and out of restaurants like, well, like cats. You have to be careful where you sit, because there might be a cat sleeping in your chair. They beg for food, they paw at your arm if you ignore them - today one even got his claws in the tablecloth and attempted to leap onto the table. No one here seems bothered by this.
To end on a good note, I'm starting to connect a bit more with my fellow kayakers. I've learned not to sit by the older people, and I'm hanging out more with the people who are my age. I'm also being less shy about leaving meals on my own, so I'm not forced to sit through two hours of uninteresting chit-chat.
The kayaks we’re using for sea-kayaking are a lot longer and a lot thinner than the kayaks my parents own, which I believe are for lake/river use. They also have a rudder, which is controlled by foot pedals (e.g. push your right foot down, you go right). After a quick demonstration, we started to cross the water at Matala Beach to Red Beach, a nearby secluded (clothing-optional) area that you have to either hike to or kayak to. I’m a natural at paddling, according to the guides. :D The biggest hazard on the water for me ended up being the rest of my group, who flounder around the water like dying seals, and I spent much time making short stops and sharp turns to avoid them careening into my boat or cutting me off.
At this point, the wind began to pick up and the guides wanted us to turn back in the middle of the trip. It was rough-going over the increasingly large waves back to Matala. I’m a strong paddler, though, made even stronger because of my mile-high acclimation. I was a little disappointed we weren’t going to get to test our mettle in the rougher waves longer than we did; it reminded me a bit of white-water rafting.
Speaking of cheese pies, I've ordered cheese pies on three different occasions at this point, and each time, they have each been completely different - different dough, different cheese, different taste, different texture, different foods entirely - so I have no idea what a cheese pie actually is. They are all called τυρόπιτα, tiropitas, and the first time I had them, it was some sort of mild cheddar or something like that in puff pastry. The second time the cheese was wrapped in something more like pizza dough, and the third time (today) they were like crab-cheese wontons without the crab. I have liked them all, though, so I will gladly continue my cheese pie research while I'm here.
The rain has cleared up, although it’s still around 50 degrees and cloudy; this is not very cold, but keep in mind I packed for sunshine-filled 80-degree weather. The best way to warm up is to generate some body heat, though, so I'm heading out for a hike.
 |
| Matala at night. |
To end on a good note, I'm starting to connect a bit more with my fellow kayakers. I've learned not to sit by the older people, and I'm hanging out more with the people who are my age. I'm also being less shy about leaving meals on my own, so I'm not forced to sit through two hours of uninteresting chit-chat.
No comments:
Post a Comment