Last night, as I was sitting on the harbor journaling, an older man (I'll refer to him as Crete Grandpa) sat next to me and started up conversation. It was very endearing and cute at the same time. I really enjoy talking to old people..they always seem to enjoy the simplicities of life a little more, you know? Crete Grandpa started by asking me if I was from New York? He is the second person that has asked if I was from NY. I had a really hard time understanding him because of his heavy accent but I imagined that he had a hard time understanding me as well but it was the experience that counts. He has a brother..from NY..he was born and raised in Crete. He talked extensively about a war with Korea and then asked if I was Japanese. I am not sure why I always get Japanese here in Europe. It was getting late and I wanted to walk around a little before I called it a night so I said good night to Crete Grandpa and told him it was nice chatting with him.
I wasn't able to sleep as well last night. I woke up at 1:30am to the sound of garbage trucks and couldn't go back to sleep until about 4am at which I woke up shortly after because I was cold. There is a blanket in the closet about three feet away from me but I didn't want to get up and chose to curl up like a ball hoping it'll be warmer! Woke up at 8am to catch the 9am bus to Elafonisos. I timed my walked there..took about 15 minutes..good to know for tomorrow morning. I haven't figured out the Greek language but I have employed my own strategy! Photographic memory!! I've come to just take a photographic memory of the first three letters of every street that I have to know..it's worked so far!
Elafonisos- natural pink sand?!
Which I guess brings me to today! I chose Elafonisos because it's an island of beaches and one of the best in all of Greece. The bus rolled in around 8:45ish and let me tell you..I am not sure that bus meant any safety standards if there were any! After 2.5 hours of a bus ride through the mountains and waters of Western Crete, we arrived!! Elafonisos is divided up into many different parts. You can walk through the water from island to island. Water is about knee deep which is pretty cool! There is even pink sand! Go figure! I had planned to read but that didn't happen. I napped...played in the water..walked through the water..took pictures and repeated that cycle again throughout the four hours that I was there. The weather was amazing and the atmosphere was surreal- not crowded at all! I did see one very hairy man butt though! It's one of those things that you notice and you don't want to stare and you shouldn't stare but it's hard not to stare! He had a girlfriend..you'd think she'd do something about that. Seriously, that is not ok!
The bus ride back to Chania took only 1.5 hours. What I enjoy most about long bus rides is the scenery! I saw many goats or maybe they were lambs? Definitely not llamas! Saw gorges, mountains, water and Greek life in general. I did see something that made me very envious though, cyclists!! I miss my bike..I miss riding..!!
I am spending my last evening in Crete..just trying to take it all in. I do have to say though, these Cretan folks are huge in knock offs! So far, I've seen knock offs of A.Kurtz hats, Von Dutch, Gucci and the best..Crocs! Yes, Crocs. They have knock offs of Crocs! Many of you think they're ugly but I still love my Crocs..they're the best thing to stick your feet into after a long ride/run! That is it for today..I have an early morning tomorrow! I have to catch the 5:30am bus to Iraklio for the 9am ferry to Santorini!!
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