Itisallgreek2me

The Square - Agios Kirikos, Ikaria

Kick started off my last evening on Samos with another Gyros and cold beer before moving on to Iliad Cafe Bar for a couple of ouzos – as some Greeks will say, we have two legs and we should, therefore, always have two ouzos!  Fortunately, business was not brisk on the night which afforded Kiwi Sandy plenty of time to sit and chat with me. 

Up early yesterday morning and managed to partake of at least some of my breakfast before fare-welling Despina and setting off to catch the 0720 hours bus to Vathi, from where the ferry “Nissos Mykonos” would depart for the island of Ikaria.  Quite a walk from the bus stop to the port where the ferry arrived at 0800 hours – a one hour turn around time with many vehicles and people to offload and board for the journey to Karlavassi (Samos), Fourni, Agios Kirikos (Ikaria), Mykonos, Syros and finally Piraeus. 

When we arrived in Agios Kirikos, the capital of the very mountainous island of Ikaria, the temperature was somewhere in the 30+ degree C range and with a strong wind blowing, I had an uphill walk to make to Maria Elena Pension where I believed I had secured a room via email.  Alas, the room had been given to someone else and so after some telephoning, I walked back down to the port and along the harbour to Akti Pension where the lovely owner Marsha greeted me and I secured my room for 2 nights at 10 Euro per night cheaper than the first Pension! 

In Greece they have Panagiria – traditional feast days celebrating Saints’ name days and other religious holidays.  Yesterday being 20 July, there was a Panagiri celebrating Profitilias in the village of Glaredes and I tried making my way there on foot last night, however, turned back after asking and being told many different things about how far I had still to go, fearing darkness closing in and not wanting to be alone somewhere I did not know.  An opportunity missed to revel with the Ikarians amidst village surroundings – traditional food, live music, non-stop dancing and copious amounts of wine (sounds like a bit of me huh?). 

This morning I hopped on a bus to Therma 2km east from Agios Kirikos.  Renowned for it’s therapeutic hot mineral springs that contain radium, since the 4th Century BC it has been a known centre of hydrotherapy.  Along the coastline there are many areas where radioenergic hot mineral springs flow into the sea from the shoreline, where it is possible to swim and bathe.  As I was sitting waiting for the bus back, I noticed a small boat arrive, it had come from Agios Kirikos and I hopped a ride back for one Euro. 

My room here at Akti Pension shares a bathroom and small kitchen with another room which was vacant last night, however, today saw the arrival of another intrepid traveller – her name is Heran and she is from Korea.  Heran has been 9 months travelling on her own in Iceland, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and now Greece.  She will also catch the weekly ferry “Theofilos” tomorrow at 1645 hours – I will disembark on the island of Chios at 2115 hours, Heran will continue on to Mytilini, arriving there 0050 hours the next day.  From there she plans to fly to Paris via Athens and eventually travel on to the Netherlands.  Always good to meet up with another like minded soul. 

I am looking forward very much to my time on Chios, especially since this morning I found “Chios Rooms” on the Net.  Run by Don (Kiwi) and Dina (Greek), Don has this afternoon confirmed my room there and will be waiting to meet me off the ferry.  I plan to stay for at least 4 nights, maybe more.  My next blog will be from there.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 at 2:05 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.