Gaios – Day 2

8

We got going late today. Spent a couple of hours trying to upload photos…wifi here really sucks. I spent a few minutes walking up and down the quay looking for a spot that I could get it from near the water…I felt like that cell phone commercial….”Can you hear me now?” Finally we gave up and went to have a cappuccino near where we knew we could connect.

After all was done, we decided to hoof it around the island instead of rent scooters. The island is only 12 km long, and wanted to go about halfway inland and across….feet work. And we can always use the exercise.

But as we headed back to the boat we heard loud bangs! And the street was littered with flowers and petals. Strange. At the far end of the town we could see a lot of people and two people were out on the goat island with cameras and telephoto lenses. Something was going on….but we had no idea what. We grabbed the spy goggles and looked up to the other end of town…a band and a whole of of people. Might as well hang out and see what was going on. They slowly made their way along the waterfront, firecrackers being shot off every so often, people running out to throw flower petals along the walk in front. Eventually they arrived near us and the ferry boat moored beside us. There were three or four priests in all their finery singing and chanting. A large painting of religious nature was carried and festooned with flowers. A great many people approached the painting and kissed it and took a flower. Eventually the priests (?) boarded the ferry along with many of the followers and they pushed off. They did a little circle in the waters in front of us (and surprised the heck out of a boat coming in to moor), singing and chanting before heading out through the breakwater and out of sight. Absolutely no idea what that was all about but a stab in the dark would suggest something to do with St. Gaius for whom this town is named and who brought Christianity to Paxos.

We grab our packs and head for the hills…literally. But damn….did we have to really go uphill the entire way! I’m not sure what elevation we gained…but it was significant.

Up, up, up and my calfs are burning. And it is so freaking hot. The locals probably think we are insane. They go in for siesta and the crazy tourists are out in the heat of the day, packs on backs…hiking. Silly!

Eventually we are convinced that we are lost. It’s not a big deal…the island is 12 km long and about 4 km wide…eventually you will figure things out. But we see some locals in a small community high on the hills and ask if they can point to where we are on our crappy map in the book. The fellow asks where we are trying to go, we tell him the church on the cliffs and he gives us directions. Follow this road for about 200-300 metres, then there will be a Shell station on the left. There will be a road on the left about 20-30 metres on. Take the road to the left and it will be well marked. OK, sounds good…. about a kilometre on we are seriously wondering about his directions…. and that “right” thing doesn’t make a whole lot of sense since the ocean is on the left….. So the distance was probably triple what he said, but eventually we found a Shell on the right…and about 20 metres on there was a sign…pointing to the left….

We wandered along this road until we saw a sign that said “Stone carved cisterns” So we followed that to see what was at the end. Interesting, but not amazing. A few old stone buildings and some deep wells. And absolutely no information whatsoever. They aren’t in our guidebooks, nor was there any interpretational information either. This is familiar from our last visit. Where we would expect to have some historical information, there is often nothing. And even more oddly, there is no restrictive fencing. Everything is just left open.

We head back to the “main” road and keep on. But there is no further signage to direct us to the church… so we guess….and about a half hour later, clinging to the side of a cliff….I say…I think this is wrong….

Kirk’s Eye View:

We followed the signs that directed us to the Church, saw a path and a building and headed down the path…the path got narrower, gradually it got steeper off to the one side (i.e we on a cliff….sorry…Paige’s interpretation). The goat trail (see! We are ARE on a goat trail!!!) got narrower and was heading down towards the water. The footing got a little sketchy (sorry…sketchy?!!??!?!?) with no church in sight ( ummmm…yeah….because we went “your way”). It looked like the trail went around the corner and we had brush on one side and gradually sloped hill on the other (read CLIFF!!!!!) and Paige chickened out ( yeah…..right…….). So about face, and back up the trail we went.

OK…we agree on one point…the view was freaking amazing!!!

We are so bloody hot that we head back to a building that we see is closed up and look for some shade. Seriously….how can a square building NOT have some shade somewhere on at least one side!!! We find a small alcove with two tables pulled up on end. We move one table and sit down in a shaded spot….but one that has no breeze. We drink some water and enjoy a cool plum to get ourselves back in action.

Eventually we are somewhat cooler and put the table back in place before heading back up the road. A sign directs us to Erimitis Bar and we are so hot and thirsty we follow that darned sign….we’d follow it to the ends of the earth at this point…but since the potential distance cannot be more than 6 km…(we are in the middle of the island after all…and the island IS only 12 km long) we drag ourselves up that dusty road through the olive grove. The clouds are slipping in and wisps of fog are creeping through the olive trees. We are at the top of the island and when we emerge from the orchard and find the most amazing spot on earth…we are grateful that it serves Mythos beer.

There is us, and another couple. They smile and say hello and say that it is the most amazing view…or it was five minutes ago…before the clouds came in….and obscured the cliffs. At least we did see them from the goat trail, so we are not completely pissed. Hot, tired, thirsty…but happy. Particularly when that tall bottle of Mythos lands on the table. And a pheasant cackles in the brush below.

We sip and hope the clouds will part to allow us a full view…but the Greek gods deny us. Eventually we have cooled down and we must be on our way. It is a long walk back to Gaios, but at least it is (mostly) downhill. Every time the road turns up I mutter…. (OK, Kirk says I do more than mutter….).

When we arrive back at the boat we see we have neighbours. We wonder why people have to moor alongside us when half the quay is empty, but whatever. We had put an extra breast line out because the wind was picking up when we left and this is lying somewhat under their stern. I pull it out and retie it on a closer dock ring.

Another vessel starts to make an approach to our starboard side and Kirk goes over to offer assistance. They don’t get their anchor laid out properly and bounce forward. He says sorry, Kirk says “I’ll still be here”. They try again and I walk over to offer another hand. They get close and toss their stern lines. We catch them and hold it close until he can get ashore and take them. He sees our Canadian flag and asks Kirk if he speaks French, Kirk says no but that I have a bit more than he does….I fend it off with a quick “very little” in what I think is the right phrase…he laughs and nods and speaks to us in English so it would seem that I at least didn’t swear at him accidentally. I am thankful for small mercies.

A very large vessel enters and begins to make an approach to the port side of the boat to our other side…I mean really big…. sporting an equally big Australian flag and bearing a home port of Sydney. They have come a long way. They have a crew aboard and one fellow is in a large zodiac scoping the area out. As they lay anchor, the young fellow in the zodiac puts the bow against the side of the vessel and pushes it sideways to direct it into the spot. We think that’s just plain cheating!!! And we are not alone in our thoughts!

Once they are more or less tied up, a fellow wanders over from the nearby cafe and shakes his head…we think we have just identified our immediate neighbours. They are not pleased. Eventually the three of them walk over and say to us ” Are you from Canada?” I am so darned tempted to say “NO, Bulgaria!” Come on….. it’s the Maple Leaf…and it’s BIG. Where exactly do you THINK we are from!?!? Instead, like a polite Canadian, I say yes.

Turns out they’ve all been to Vancouver and love it, one has a daughter-in-law in Chilliwack, and we have instantly become friends. They disappear inside and emerge bearing their flag….they say they are feeling threatened by all the surrounding colonists. We instantly love them and spend the next half hour or so chatting up a storm. They apologize for anchoring and docking right next to us and say they really aren’t sure of the etiquette. We say it’s OK, they bring up the population of Canada and say that surely we understand that they are used to being in closer quarters than we are…and exactly what was the population of Canada and our land mass again? Yes, we are used to space, but we assure them that, being colonists, we are more than happy to have British neighbours.

Another boat chugs in, and old boat, and we think how cool it is that there are sailboats that are very much older than we are, still out there plying the waters. He is single handed and makes a couple of passes to asses the wind and currents before making a final approach. I pull the dinghy close, Kirk waits ashore to take a line. He gets his line of approach, ties off the tiller and moves forward to release the anchor. He has a line for the anchor running forward from the helm. Kirk and two older Greek men have a conversation consisting of gesticulations and laughter. The boat closes in and the fellow tosses Kirk a line…suddenly… I am shocked…it is GLENN aboard! Or at least his twin! (check back later for photos because if you know Glenn….you’ll see what I mean, it’s kinda freaky!)

That seems to be it for the vessels tonight. Much busier than last night. Last night it was us and two others. Tonight there are about 15 boats. But no flotillas. Whew!

We stir fry up a spicy vegetable dinner, watch the quay come alive.

Our British neighbours are heading the same direction we are, so we are relatively certain we will encounter them again….

Tomorrow we head for Preveza…….maybe……