Who is up early reading again? Of
course it was me, but not for long as Shawn wakes up, we eat
breakfast, and are ready to face a beautiful sunny day! We pack our
car with some snacks and camera, and we are off on a three hour drive
across the island to find a famous gorge. First, we stopped at the
small beach town nearby to buy souvenirs for our family members.
Shawn once again spoiled me, and bought me a beautiful Greek dress
made in Athens to wear to my baby shower. We also bought a cute
little teddy for the baby!
Bear for baby
Our three hour drive soon became a four
or more as we saw so many beautiful sites along the way. We pulled
over many times for amazing views, including a beach to make sure we
touched the Mediterranean. Our trip took us along the coast for the
first half, with views of sandy beaches as well as cliffs diving into
the water. About halfway through, it took a turn and began our climb
up the mountains. Along the way, we found a little restaurant tucked
in the mountainside. It was so quaint. We were the only ones there,
except for the owner and one other employee. We had homemade pizza
with more tzatziki, fresh squeezed orange juice (there was an orange
grove right there in the back), and enjoyed a quiet lunch with
amazing view. We even got stuck behind an orange truck for awhile,
which smelled amazing.
Ready for adventure
Shawn touching the water
Orange truck
Stopping to eat
View
The climb up the mountain was fun.
Shawn was so happy to be driving a stick and the roads winded back
and forth. Some parts were very narrow, and there wasn't even a
guardrail. I am glad I love and trust my husband! We also met many
goats and sheep along the way. I can't even begin to explain the
views, and the pictures don't go it justice. It felt like we ended up
in a completely different place, as we could no longer see the water
or beaches. In the end, we were about 4,000 feet up the mountain, and
found the national park.
View!
By the time we got to the park, it was
already four o'clock. We found out the total hike down was around
9-10 miles, so we knew we could not do the whole thing. Not only was it
late afternoon, but don't forget I'm seven months pregnant. We
decided to just hike for awhile, and see what we could do. Even
though we didn't make it to the bottom, it was still amazing. We were
so high that we were above the clouds. Sometimes along the path, we
would walk under fences to protect us from falling rocks. That was a
little scary. As we were walking along, I suddenly heard a noise that
sounded like a car driving on gravel. I realized though that there
were no roads anywhere near us, and that we were hearing a huge rock
slide across the other mountain. That was a pretty cool experience.
All in all, we hiked about three miles. Not bad for my big belly
self. It was a great experience, but I was tired!
Hiking
Above the clouds
The trip down the mountain was just as
fun, as Shawn and I blasted music and talked about life. Once again,
I am grateful everyday I am married to my best friend.
By the time we got back towards the
hotel, it was getting late. We decided to go to a little restaurant
on the hill near the hotel, and were once again treated so kindly. We
were the only ones there and the owner waited on us. We enjoyed
dinner and music, and headed back to the hotel to pack and hit the
hay!
The next morning we finished packing
and sadly said goodbye to the hotel as we headed to the airport. We
had booked a taxi the night before, and turned in our little rental
car. Our journey home began. We had a pleasant flight from Crete to
Athens, then Athens was interesting. As we are boarding the flight to
leave Athens, we realize there are a group of workers being flown in
to the Middle East. I see them all holding their paperwork, and I
believe they were from Bangladesh. When the attendant calls boarding
for rows 30-35 (we were like 32), they all rush forward. Before you
know it, I'm being pushed all over the place and almost knocked over.
There goes hospitality and civilization. We get to the gate check,
and when they scan my ticket we are told we missed a step somewhere.
Not sure how, because we already went through passport control, but
we are told to step around to the desk. This is impossible as we are
almost being crushed. We finally got it worked out, but I was already
missing Greece and I hadn't even left. Then, when we boarded the
plane, there was a man that didn't speak English in our window seat.
We gave up trying to explain and Shawn ended up in the middle. Oh the
joys...
Besides that we made it back in one
piece. We had a layover in Doha, Qatar and then landed in Abu Dhabi.
We caught a taxi to our car, and then realized we had made a big
mistake when we got there. I had purchased some food in the airport
at Doha with dirhams (the currency of the UAE), and didn't realize
they gave me their currency in return. When the taxi driver drops us
off, we have Euros, Doha currency, and 500 dirhams; which he can't
break. He was so mad at us. We asked him to bring us to a gas
station, and we would pay extra fare, but he said he didn't know whee
one was nearby. We tried asking other taxi drivers for change, but
they didn't have it. We finally ended up paying him in Euros, which
was a better deal for him. He was very rude and upset though. We got
in the car and Shawn drove the hour and half back home while I
drifted in and out of sleep. I was so happy I didn't have to work the
next day!
Overall, it was an amazing experience.
Even though this country can drive me crazy and I get homesick, I am
so grateful because I get to have experiences like this. I highly
recommend Greece to all, and know I will be going back in the next
two years!
Beautiful Crete!!!
Sheeeeep
Driving the mountain!
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