So, this is the first island I've done alone. The hardest part, other than having to keep your stuff with you everywhere you go, is arriving in unknown places at night and not really having any bearings.... Last night, my ship was delayed, so I ended up arriving here in Iráklion at 9pm.
The city seemed overwhelming. My feelings were exasperated when a taxi solicited me, and when I asked to be taken to a particular hotel, he told me it was too far for a taxi, when I thought it would have been only a mile or two from the port. So, then I kinda panicked a bit that maybe I got off on the wrong island (which you hear happens a lot when traveling around the islands). I found out the next day that the hotel I had requested was indeed very nearby the port, but the taxi driver must have just not wanted to go there... So, I was determined to walk into the city and find a hotel instead.... And, eventually I found one (after walking about one or two miles). I was so mentally tired, and had not showered since my swim in the Santoríni hot springs, so I got situated and finally fell asleep around midnight.
When I woke up, Crete was a new world. Far less daunting than in the nighttime. I would call it a mini-Athens. Not quite as dirty, or crowded but still nuts—very busy and kinda dirty and everywhere seems under construction.
I grabbed a breakfast of fruit and headed to the bus station where I knew I could travel to Knossos. That was the best thing I could have done because the bus took me thru the city so that I finally had the perspective I'd been missing.
In Knossos I bought a ticket to visit the largest of the Minoan palaces, the Grand Palace. What they've done here, is dug everything out, restored it, and sent it to the Archeological Museum in Iráklion - so the site itself is the foundation with representational representations of what they found. The ancient people of Crete were far advanced and very peaceful - until, they speculate, the volcano in Santoríni erupted, bringing strangers here to Crete and fighting over lands.When I arrived back in Iráklion I headed to the museum to see the originals from the Minoan Grand Palace. The museum is very simple with room after room of extremly well preserved jars (taller than 6 feet high) and tiny ones, jewelry, dishes, symbols depicting everything you can imagine, enormous frescos....
I think my favorite spot here, since I don't have time to travel around outside of these places, would have to be the Venician Fortress. Its pretty cool—well preserved structure located here on the sea. It's a peaceful place now, cavernous on the inside. The walls protect you from the strong coast winds, but you have these amazing views of the city itself and the sea. This is where I'm sitting now as I type. ____
Day 2 in Crete I took the bus to Amnissós which is a resorty little part of the island. The beach is more similar to what I know-more like Malibu, I’d even say. Patches of rock on the beach, but plenty of sand too. Much wider than any beaches I've seen here so far. There were several hotels backing up to the beach with a Cancun sort of feel. There was a big volleyball competition going on at one of them, and apparently there had also been a sand castle building contest.
I strolled along for about a mile, and then kinda sat down in a lovely spot at a resort hotel. Since its not the hi-season, nobody seems to care much where folks go, they're just happy you are there.
After a few hours of napping and reading, I made my way back to the bus stop. I got a little worried for a bit because (1) this was the end of a particular bus route and I saw few buses going in my direction (2) the bus stop sign I was sitting under was almost non-exisistant, all worn out and I had to ask where to catch the bus because you literally could not read it, and (3) I was there for at least 30 minutes, and while I sat there at least 50 cars honked or flashed their lights at me, so I felt very conspicuous.But, now I'm enjoying my last meal on Crete before I head to the airport.... Its been too short a trip to this island—there is so much more here to see—but I hope to explore it more one day.
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Holy shit. The plane I am apparently taking to Rhodes is the smallest I’ve ever been on!! I hope this won't be too bumpy!!!
Photos from Crete
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=omz9rml.4ipxxodp&x=0&y=prebut
