with day comes night

I havent felt like I've had anything great to write lately, but with encouraging words from some loved ones, I've decided to post some words that have been floating in my head lately.

I have been waiting for inspiration to hit me like a bolt of lighting. This whole time travelling I have felt like I have been standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to take the dive into some great truth. I had this niave idea that inspiration would come to me in a magestic and great form; not in the way of a banged up knee, stolen belongings, lonely nights, being stranded on the side of a road, or climbing a route that made me about pee my pants. I knew this trip would offer me many lessons to learn, and maybe hints of inspiration, but none have turned out the way I thought.

First lesson learned: dont wait. Dont wait for anything, especially inspiration. Get on that scooter, jump on the bus, travel down that dirt road, jump off that cliff into the deep blue sea...walk up and talk to that person. Order that item on the menu that you have no idea what it is. Hike up that intimadating mountain and go for the harder climb. Just keep walking, keep your eyes and heart open.

Sometimes you will get caught in the rain and have to hike out alone. Sometimes you will go for it, and then fall. But thats okay, that's part of taking a risk and reaching outside your comfort circle for inspiration; for that taste of sweetness that comes with living!

It seems the best lessons offered and inspiring moments during travelling are in the subtle things. The flowers and baby goats I walk by on the road, the feeling of salt water drying on my skin, the taste of oven baked feta. Its been the colors of the ocean I cant describe, the little shells I see sparkle on the ocean floor, that swim that lasted for hours allowing my thoughts and dreams to drift away with the swells. I have found strength in my courage to talk to people and reach out to make new friends. I have grown in trusting my instinct and believeing in my abillites. Finding kindness and love from a little old greek lady that brings me fruit or soup to eat everyday. Inspiration in watching others climb smoothly. Inspiration in seeing other people find happiness throughout the day. And having the blessed opportunity to step into other people's worlds and see how they live.

Sometimes the greatest inspiration comes from acts that takes practice and demand lots of sweat and maybe tears. With years spent working on a project or a skill, the hard work to gain "perfection" or that "one goal" gains clarity and comes into focus. "Like swimming laps, painting, or climbing, in the beginning the direction may be difficult and unclear, but after hours, days, and years of practice it becomes a habit and a form of living richly, finding happiness, and just in that, is what is truly inspiring" (MM).

By continuing with a project or goal, accepting the hardships and dull days along the way but not allowing those to fualter our steps, we improve our being tremendously. The following is a quote from a book that I am reading. I think the author states this very clearly:

"Life is difficult. Once we fully accept difficulty as natural and normal, we cease to be offended or daunted when we encounter a struggle or a test.  We can embrace these tests as opportunities. Difficult experiences are the way we learn, and they also are the way we can appreciate ease. We understand brightness by its contrast to dimness, happiness by its relationship to sadness. By embracing this duality of experience, we allow ourselves to find peace within our difficulities rather than wasting our power on trying to escape them. We shift to a position of power by focusing on seeds of opportunity within difficulty and staying curious, by exploring reality instead of avoiding it" (Arno Ilgner).





The Sun has found its home in Sitia

For this eastern part of Crete, Sitia, is far less developed that its western sisters: Rethymnon, Heraklion, and Chania. Not to discredit those places, well yes, Rethymnon and Heraklion suck. The only reason to see them is to fly into there and drive out of em to get to the west, east, or south coast. But Chania is a special city in itself. I stayed my few days there in Old town, which, early in the morning, before the toursits are up, is completely charming and fun to walk around in. Its right on an ancient port, there are beaches close by, boat trips, resturants and clubs on the waters edge when the evening starts, and ancients ruins and museums to check out.


Southern Crete feels like an entire different island! I took the ferriers from port town to port town moving west. I started in Hora Sfakion, stayed for a day and night (good food and friendly people!) passed by Loutra, a cute old fishing village, but too small and not a really a beach to right home about, and then I stayed a night and two days in Agia Roumeli, which I regret leaving so soon. This little town is often ignored and only a launching off point to catch a ferrier or go on to Palehora (the next western port town). I would love to spend at least a a few days in Agia Roumeli. It is small, so its not foreverone, and its quiet, which i like. No cars, no motocycles, just you and God's beautiful landscapes! It has two of the best beaches on either side of it. Big enough to share with a hundred other people and still feel like its empty. But the pebble beach, which is a bit harder to get too, but worth the 15 mintue hike, is seemly empty and only used by the few naked sun bathers. That beach is trully a little bit of heaven that fell from the sky. No waves, no currents, perfectly clear swimming along the bay for thousands of meteres. There are huge boulders strewn along the beach that allow for some shade and privacy against the sun, and the cliffs of the mountains shoot up so dramatically, that if you get tired of looking out onto the beautiful sea, you can turn around and stare at awe of the red virtical cliffs above. Another special thing about Agia Roumeli is that it is at the mouth of the opening of Samaria Gorge. I hiked up part of this, two hours up and two hours down, and it is as breath taking as all the post cards make it out to be. Sorry I dont have a picture, but if i did, I doubt my lens would be able to capture the significance of the stunning vertical cliffs and geological features that change every few hundred meters. The hike is easy, its is a slow mellow grade, and i think it took me two hours just because I was looking up the whole time. Its amazing. Go.

Sad to leave Agia Roumeli too soon, the ferrier ride farther west was suprisingly beautiful. If I could afford to hire a private boat to explore the southern coast of Crete I would. There are secluded private beaches, more gorges to hike into, and the perfect places to pitch a tent and be a hermit for a while. The next town over is Palehora, a much larger port town, I think at least a few thouhsnad people live here. Old hippies and grumpy locals are the type you will find. Its not really charming during the day. If you like a little bit more night life, its a fun place to be. They close the streets to cars at night, and the bars and resturants take over, putting out more chars and tables for those night owls. You will find good music, but not the best food and the beaches are too windy for anything other than windsurfing.

Back to Chania, I spent two more nights. Its a fun place, with plently of good resturants, art shops, and a fun to take an evening stroll along the waters edge to people watch. The bus ride to Sitia from Chania is long, but I wouldnt of wanted to drive it. If you dont think about falling over the edge of the cliff you are driving on, the view of the horizon and little islands is so worth the trip. After the toursity city of Agios Nikalos, the scenery turns into acres and acres of olive groves and scattered mountain villages. Once you arrive in Sitia, you walk directly from the bus stop to the water's edge in 5 minutes.

Sitia is a small port town, with old Venitan homes mixed in with the modern buildings that look like they at stacked on top of one another up the mountain side above the harbor. Its a large natural bay, but the town is very small. You can see almost all of it in half an hour. Looking out across the bay the gentle slops of the mountains are decorated with the green plots of olive farms and the occasional white groupings of a few houses. On the tops of the mountain range are wind turbines ( !) and as the deserty and dry range slopes softly off it looks like the tip of the peninsula is sinking into the sea. The narrow streets of Sitia, weave back and forth up the hill, where clothes hang out to dry on the balconies of the buildings. The stone ruins of an ancient castle is sort of hidden amoungest the modern buildings, but still seems like it looks over the city and harbor. There is a long and wide walk way where the resturants stake their ground, each playing their own version of Greek music or some disco to allure the younger crowds.

Sitia is defiently a town that deserves more than a couple days stay and underneath its simple look of just a port town, there are little jewels to be found.One thing this town is not lacking: resturants and sweet shops. Dont come here if you dont like to eat Its an enjoyable place to walk, try really good food, and soak up the peaceful scenery. The swimming at the beach along the bay is incredible with clear shallow water out for meters and sandy clean bottoms.The bay acts as a natural sheild against most of the wind, and the slight off shore breezes are very welcome and keep the temps here perfect.


I still cant figure out how to up load pictures on these Greek computers...sorry. Use your imagenation!