My next island after Rhodes was Nisyros - it’s small, doesn’t have much resort or tourist setup, is usually overlooked between Rhodes and Kos but it has a dormant volcano and Lonely Planet said the landscape contrast was cool so I included it in my trip. I’m glad I did because it has been one of my favourite islands!
I got off the boat with no place to stay (the first time by myself, had no accom booked in Crete but was with Julie) and just wandered off into town from the port. I had my Lonely Planet which had some accommodation recommendations, but it doesn't include a map of the main town, Mandraiki, just some vague directions. I asked a lady where the rooms I was looking for were, and finally as I was looking around a guy sitting outside his taverna said ‘you need a room?’ and I said ‘yes’ so he went and got this little old lady who had a room for rent right upstairs and the price was right (€25, which from my limited experience is the usual going rate for a nice room) so I took it - I have no idea what the lady’s name was because she didn’t speak any English so I can’t even recommend the place other than ‘the house with rooms next door to the taverna called something like Leftiko which is next to Tony’s tavern’. It may be the rooms suggested in the LP but I can’t say for sure. I had planned to stay two nights but ended up staying for three, which wasn’t a problem, though the room was booked out in July so June is definitely the time to travel the Greek islands.
So this little room I had was great - bathroom, little fridge and table and hot plate, no aircon only a fan - but it had the best view out to the ocean! The day I arrived was quite windy and choppy but the waves were rolling in an the sound was amazing - so quiet apart from the waves hitting the wall at the waterfront (and the occasional scooter - you can’t go anywhere without their noisy presence). The town itself was cute and small and the LP is right to say you feel a connection to it immediately. The only thing to get used to when arriving on a new island (and this has happened to me quite a few times) is that you inevitably set out for your first discovery wander sometime between 12 and 3, which is about the time everyone closes up shop and goes to sleep or rest inside. Some shops stay open, but most are closed and wandering around it feels a bit like a ghost town. Come out again at 7 pm though, and there are many more shops than you would have guessed existed, with people sitting outside and the whole place starts to feel inhabited. It is actually most cranking after dark, which is the only time that Greek people will head out for dinner (not even sunset, they need total DARKNESS which is around 10 pm and seriously too late for me, though I try to wait for the sun to go down if I’m eating at a taverna - if anything so it isn’t just me sitting there).
The sunset from my room on Nisyros was so beautiful - the sound of the waves, the colour of the sky, really peaceful. The sun set over the western edge of the island of Kos, and made for a stunning view I took some photos - I don’t really like the egg-shaped effect the camera lens has imposed but it still shows how good those sunsets were.
On Nisyros there isn’t a lot to do, especially on the weekend as no buses run on Saturday or Sunday - another factor that encouraged me to stay an extra night. I wanted to go see the volcano and the only way to do it on Sunday was to hire a car, so instead I went on a tour bus on the Monday (less time at the volcano but less effort and less money). The volcano was cool - well, it was stinky and hot. There was only really enough time to see the main caldera (apparently there are 5 but the trails are not well marked, though the main one is the only one you can go down into). The rest of the time I swam (the main beach was black pebbles, but the water was nice especially as the last two days were very calm and I was confident I could get out of the ocean without too much trouble with those damn pebbles) and walked up to the old castle ruins, walked around the town and finished my 1200 page book, slept a lot and so on. Tried to, you know, relaaaaax. My mind is finally starting to empty (I hope that’s a good thing).
Set off for Kos (was tempted to stay in Nisyros for two more days instead, but Kos is a ‘must see’) and got a room at Pension Alexis - an LP recommendation (since 1974 apparently) and it was a great place - very friendly people, very clean and in a good location in Kos town (I had considered staying in Mastihari, which is a little town 20 km away and is more beachy and has lots of studio apartments, but actually Kos town was the better place to stay for only two days). You tend to think of the islands as small, but Kos is really quite large and it’s not easy to see everything in two days. So Kos is the birthplace of Hippocrates, and I stopped by the square with the plane tree under which he is said to have taught his pupils (the plane tree is old, and held up with scaffolding, but most likely an off-off-offspring of the original). Also went up to the ruins of the Askeplion, originally temples and things but in Hippocrates time it was the first hospital with modern techniques (in case you can’t tell at this stage the history details just roll over my head so if you want the proper story look it up you lazy bum). I had wanted to rent a quad bike to see Kos, but for some reason ONLY ON KOS, you can’t hire a quad with less than 250 cc unless you have a motorcycle license if your car driver’s license is non-EU (so the fat chicks on the scooters wearing high heels are OK because they are Greek, it’s so dumb). It’s stupid, and the guy first said it was an insurance matter, but when he rang someone about it, no, insurance wasn’t a problem. The police, however, do have a problem with it and apparently lock up anyone who doesn’t have the right license. Who the fuck knows why, but even if he gave me the bike I wasn’t going to risk problems with the police - he certainly is turning down lots of foreigners each day which is bad for business so there is something going on. Another shop would only hire me out a big quad - and that was €50/day, which was crazy (you can get a car for less). So I got a bicycle (popular on Kos) for €3.80 and ended up riding over 30 km and nearly passing out at the Askeplion but I guess the healing powers of the place were sufficient to see me back into town (any mystical powers haven’t helped with my saddle soreness though, ow, it still hurts).
Hippocrates plane tree
Askeplion
Now I’m on Kalymnos, and I got a place to stay on the recommendation of Sonia, the lady from the place on Kos. She gave me the card of her friends and I’ve lucked out again with a great little room up on the top floor (massive roof top balcony) back from the street noise with an awesome view. The lady is really nice, and has family in Sydney. I’m staying in the main port town of Pothia, which again is not the resort or beachy area, but it has buses that go to the beaches and has all the conveniences in the town which is probably more useful for a short stay (when my main objective is not the beach all day every day).
Kalymnos is the sponge-divers island, which is really interesting because the first book on Greece I read was about an English/Aussie family that moved here to Kalymnos in the 1950s for a year or two. It was a great book, though certainly times have changed and the island life described back then lingers on only in the parts. The ability for the island to survive without risking it’s entire male population in the depths off the coast of Africa for 8 months of the year means it is now like any modern place - full of too much money, too many people just hanging around and consuming (geez when did I become such a hardass? but seriously, I think the work ethic instilled in me (thanks mum) means I just can’t ever envision myself living a life that revolves around just hanging around, and only working to support more hanging around.) The motorcycles have taken over the people parade along the waterfront, but that’s progress, right? I find it really interesting to see how a culture adapts to the import of technology in such a short period of time. Anyway, enough judgement I’m here to relax and just try to try to enjoy hanging-out!
coming into Kalymnos (I was standing at the front of the cat and got a bit windswept)
1 comment:
MMMmmmmmmmmmmm.... egg shaped sun.
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