Journals from the week ending May 9, 1997
Hiking the Samarian Gorge
Meredith Shake, 4/30/97, aboard ship...Friday, April 25th dawned beautiful and clear. Most of us actually watched the sunrise, since we had to be up and gone by 7 a.m. We were off to hike through the Samarian Gorge. The bus ride took three long hours to arrive at Hora Skfia, a small harbor village. Most people slept on the bus and missed some beautiful views of the mountains. We had a little free time in the village before we boarded a ferry that would take us to the gorge. We met some American and Canadian kids, who were from Saudi Arabia, and we talked to them for a while on the way over. It was sunny and warm and the view made for a very enjoyable trip. When we landed, our guide gave us a few quick instructions, then turned us loose. We followed the path, tall mountains on both sides. There were trees, rocks, and bushes of various sizes covering the hillside. A stream bubbled over its rocky bed, adding its happy noise to the sound of nature. We came to a toll booth and had to wait for our guide. Most of us were quite impatient, I might add. She got us through and we took off, anxious to overtake those who had already passed us. After crossing the stream one more time, we turned around a bend and were shocked to discover that we could go no further. Our 9 kilometer hike turned into a 2 km hike because they wouldn’t let us go any further due to heavy rains that had made the trail dangerous.
We stopped for lunch and rested for a while, enjoying our surroundings. Many of us took our time getting back since we had time to kill. Some of us lounged in restaurants, others went to the beach. At 4:30, we boarded the ferry and began the long trek home. One hour on the ferry, then three more on the hot bus. We made one stop to get drinks and pastries, then headed on, arriving at the dock at around 8:30 p.m. All told, it was a very enjoyable and beautiful day, which compensated for the disappointment of the shortened hike.
Crete
Nick Hurzeler, 4/30/97, aboard ship...Crete is a very large island in the Aegean Sea that was the home of a great civilization about 4,000 years ago. Today, Crete is a flourishing part of the nation of Greece. When Class Afloat visited Crete, we enjoyed the big city and seaport called Iraklion and saw the ruins of the ancient city of Knossos, which was the center of the Minoan civilization. We also managed to see many other parts of Crete by bus, including the second largest gorge in Europe, as well as a few traditional villages. Crete, like most of Greece, is largely overrun by tourists from both Europe and America. Since tourism is such a great source of income for Crete, much of the island is geared toward serving tourists. Crete is an incredibly interesting place, but I felt that it is ruined by the number of visitors that come each year. It seems that nations like Greece need to find a balance between preserving their identity and making a good income from sightseers.
My Excursion
Ben Dunn, 4/30/97, aboard ship...Patrick Sawyer and I decided to rent mountain bikes in Crete. Eight months ago, Pat and I were in pretty good shape, but we have been sitting on a boat a long time, so our legs are not as strong anymore. Crete has a very interesting terrain, and somehow they managed to make the entire island uphill! The roads wind endlessly up until you reach what seems to be the top, then you blink and get a strange sensation. When you open your eyes, you’re at the base of another hill. Imagine that!
At the top of each hill we got an incredible view of the island. Tons of sheep, whitewashed houses, and unfamiliar foliage were everywhere. The first twenty kilometers were pretty hard, but it was the next one hundred that really killed us.
As the sun went down, at around nine o’clock, Pat and I were passing out in the middle of the road—literally. When Pat’s snoring woke me up, we got the strength to push the bikes a little farther. At around 9:45 pm we saw a pick-up truck coming so I threw my bike down and made the truck stop. The guy in the pick-up gave us a lift to his brother’s inn/restaurant. From there, we immediately ordered a taxi and an incredible amount of food. After two hours and tons of food, our taxi arrived. It was midnight and we were late already. When we arrived back at the ship another two hours later, we were really late!