Learning new!

The best thing in travelling is meeting people and learning new things! This time my camper friend, Paula, was teaching me macrame- work and by this she surely gave me a new addiction!

As I do make jewerlies already quite some years, its even more fascinating to learn new techniques! We spent two days in my camper by doing works and talks and drinking coffee, how welcome was that!

So this is what I made as my first work, feeling proud :)

Trekking day through Hohlakies (Chochlakies) Gorge

I wanted to walk through this gorge after Kato Zakros, but no way that I could have manage to pass the village of Chochlakies with my camper, so narrow it got. Didn´t like the idea to park either next to the road, so I thought I must skip the idea of walking this one. BUT...After spending few days in Kouremenos with my Swedish friend, he suggested why not to borrow his scooter and get there? I was thrilled! It was 11 km drive, so why not :)

Kouremenos - Port and beach life with a friend

Kouremenos is a small place with a beach and port just beside to Palekastro / Palaiokastro in eastern Crete, south of the known Vai- beach.Vai is known for its palm forest and Kouremenos is known for its surfing. It is a well known spot for surfers, so you can understand that there is quite nice amount of wind in there! We stayed at the port some days, had nice time again with my Swedish camper friend whom I met frist time three years ago in Peloponnesos.

Back in Kato Zakros

Kato Zakros is always a nice stop for me, due the nice walkings and due Christina and Jorgos from Taverna Glaros. Many people come there to do hiking, mainly to walk through the Dead´s Gorge which I have already walked quite a few times. Another nice walk I did earlier this year was Pelekita Cave , so I needed to look for something new. Meeting new people, enjoying time by the sea, that is enough to do in Kato Zakros beside the walks.

Discover Crete with a sea kayak!

I love this photo, it deserves to be bigger, but then again it wouldn´t fit on my page :P

 
I did write already earlier that why not discover Crete without a fixed place? Well I have something new to add on this one, see Crete from the seaside with a sea kayak! Sounds great for me!

I met this nice German guy in Kato Zakros, one afternoon he came to ask if there are many mosquitos around (hahaha, this question can ONLY mean that he has been in *Xerokambos!) and I told him that it´s okay in Kato Zakros, why, was you just in Xerokambos? And you can guess what the answer was. This poor guy spent entire night (sunset comes much earlier now than in summer) in his tent due the mosquitos and I think he didn´t wish to have another night like that (well, I wish that to him too). So welcome to Kato Zakros, you will manage it over here! He built his tent up and the next days we had some nice conversations.     *I passed in 2013 in Xerokambos during the day and got bitten by many mosquitos in a sunny afternoon and surely did not want to camp there, so that time I continued my route to Kato Zakros which is only 10 km away and mosquito free!

One day stop at Asprolithos Beach

Plan was to continue the road from the Kapsa monastery to Kato Zakros, but already five km later I could suddenly see this beautiful beach in this rocky area. Ah, Kato Zakros can wait one more day :) 

Asprolithos means in Greek, "white stones" and yes it was kinda contrast between the darker rocks. Just close your eyes from all the greenhouses which are behind your back, take your shoes off and wonder around this sandy beach. That day was no wind, water was turquoise and sun was shining!

Perfect stop for a swim, there was even a beach shower to use and a large parking to have an overnight stop with camper.

Hiking through Pervolakia Gorge

Pervolakia Gorge is located east from Ierapetra, before Gouduras, right beside the monastery Kapsa.

I had a beautiful day when I hiked through Pervolakia Gorge, not too hot, little wind and time to time some clouds, the next day was full sun and no wind = more hot!. Roundtrip took all and all about six hours for me, five hours walking and one hour in a tavern. Totally 13 km.

In this walk you will meet some challenge, little climbing is necessary time to time but all worth it! Sometimes you walk on the river bed, but then the trail is bringing you back up and back down again. Beautiful smell from herbs were coming to my nosetrills over and over during this hike.

Kapsa Monastery

The day I visited this monastery in October, my father died at the age of 64, rest in peace Isi.