Goodbye Roxanne-Unusual Intro to Crete!
Arranged through our hotel, Panagiotis was waiting out front at 5:45am to take us to the airport. Roxanne’s flight was at 9:10am, mine not until 2:40pm. It just made sense for us to go together, especially because she would be taking my cruise clothes suitcase to Tahoe. It feels weird separating… we’ve had SO much fun!!!
As the orange colors began to paint the sky, I tried taking pictures through the window. It wasn’t easy. Our taxi driver, who we called “Panos” for short, told me to be patient. He drives the route every day and there would be a better chance ahead. “Trust me” he said. Well, a few minutes later, the freeway wound around and we were aimed straight into the sunrise. He took my phone from me and took several photos. Such a nice person!
During our check-in, I learned something new (the hard way). Since Norse Atlantic was not flying out of Athens on the day Roxanne wanted to head home, we had to fly her to Rome and then Rome to Los Angeles. We booked her short flight on Ryan Air through edreams. Apparently, edreams is not a partner with Ryan Air so we had trouble checking in. When I first booked it, I got an email saying since I did the booking and used my card, Roxanne had to verify her identity. It cost under a dollar to do it. When I tried to check-in on line, it said she needed to get verified… so I tried doing it again and it said she was already verified. So basically, it was going around in circles. It cost $50 for them to do the check in. Rip off… We got the bags checked and went for coffee…
At 7:37, the board finally posted the gate section for Ryan Air. Like other European airports, they don’t like to have a bunch of people loitering in the gate area. They wait until one hour before boarding to let passengers know A, B or C. This allows time to get through security. Then 30 minutes prior, the actual gate is posted.
Knowing she would be flying out of the “C” gates, Roxanne and I said our goodbyes… so sad! We have been all over the place! Hard to believe but from the time we left our house until Roxanne got to the Athens airport, we had walked a total of 78 miles. Pretty good for my friend with the bad knees!!! Bye Roxy… I hope you had the time of your life…
Who is this guy, you’re wondering… funny story. After Roxanne flew away, I waited for my flight to Chania, Greece. My friend, Cathy, already had two airport runs (at the other airport) and was not available. She described a very reasonable bus to the Rethymno port. It was a tight schedule… land at 3:30, bus at 4:00. The airport is very small. Well, we ended up being 15 minutes delayed. My luggage was nearly the last off the plane. Needless to say, I missed the bus. When I walked out the door, I saw it leaving the parking lot. Trying to figure out my next option, I saw the man in the picture run out toward the bus stop… thinking maybe he knew of another bus, I followed him out to the stop. Honestly, I couldn’t even figure out the schedule. He saw that I was struggling and offered to help. He asked where I was going… I told him Rethymno. That’s where he was going. So, he called and got mad at whoever he was talking to because usually the bus waits when a plane is a few minutes late. Speaking Greek, I had no idea what was going on. I asked if he wanted to split a taxi, he said they cost too much. He had an idea, he said to follow him. We jumped in a taxi… which after, I realized probably wasn’t the smartest thing in the world. I sent the photo to Cathy as “evidence” in case I was killed. His plan was to beat the bus to the next stop… and it worked!
The guy I thought was an axe murderer, turned out to be an angel in disguise. The taxi was 20 euro. I had a 50 and a 10, so I gave him the 10 to pay my half. We waited at the bus stop for about five minutes, and it arrived. Getting on the bus, I wanted to pay for him as a “thank you” for all the help. The 50 euro bill I had was too big. The person working the tickets on the bus didn’t have that kind of change. It was only 8 euro to get to Rethymno. So, he paid for my ticket. He told me I needed “pocket money”, not big money that needs so much change. Feeling bad, I told him I would get change at our bus stop and pay for both tickets. When we stopped, he disappeared quickly… Without him, I would still be at the airport in Chania!
With only a few minutes to wait for Cathy, I watched the guy across the street cast his line out into the ocean. Intrigued by the domed building next to him, I zoomed in and snapped a photo. After such a chaotic start to Crete, this scene was quite peaceful.
Stopping at a local spot for traditional Greek food, I didn’t take any photos (which is weird for me!). Even as we walked through the Old Town of Rethymno, I wasn’t taking any pictures. Just taking in the scenes… the sounds, the smells… Cathy shared quite a bit of her historical knowledge. Such a great evening. We came upon this group dancing. Apparently, this is the dance people enjoy at weddings and other events.
Now, this information could be incorrect. I took in lots of details on a variety of subjects… but if I understood correctly, this traditional dance is called Kalamatiano. This 12-step dance is popular at family gatherings like weddings. Such a fun thing to stumble upon during my first walk around the area! There is also an 11 step dance specific to Crete and Rethymno. After watching videos of a few dances, I think this is Kalamatiano.
Stepping inside the first arch, I took a photo of this Turkish built lighthouse. The harbor itself is Venetian. Such an interesting mixture of historical eras shape this beautiful country. When I return to the Old Town, which I will, photos of the romantic restaurants that line the waterfront, will be taken.
Walking along the shoreline, we headed back to the hotel. It’s only been a matter of hours, but I am already in love with this Greek island. Some places are great for visiting, others I can picture myself settling down in a comfortable life… Rethymno is one of those “homey” towns.
Reaching the hotel, we settled into a table with the least amount of smoke. Overlooking the street and the ocean, this provides a bird’s eye view of the passersby. It’s the best people-watching spot! Ordering a couple of drinks, we chatted about life… it was such a nice evening… until…
As we were talking, we both became distracted by a guy walking in the street waving at the buildings. Initially, it looked like he was trying to get someone’s attention. After a bit, he started walking into the street whenever a car approached, forcing them to hit their brakes. Then it went from bad to worse. He began to undress right there on the curb. His game was pretending to pick something up in the middle of the street every time he noticed a car. Getting worried after a couple of close calls, the police were called. They simply talked to him at first, trying to get him to put his clothes back on. Before we knew it, there were four police officers trying to restrain him. He was eventually handcuffed and put into the car… but once again, he almost got out. Eventually, the police car left, carrying the troubled man.
On my bed when I checked in, two towels and two bathmats. Placed in a cute design, I almost hated to ruin it. One set I used to take a shower and the second set was carefully moved to the twin bed.
Equipped with a double and twin bed, I chose the “big bed”. With strong water pressure, I took a shower to get ready for bed. This room also has a mini fridge, a coffee maker and two bottles of water. What a perfect spot, where I can watch the waves flow in and out.
My final “welcome surprise” of day one came in the form of an earthquake! After returning to my room and taking a shower around midnight, I grabbed my book to read myself to sleep. At 1:51am, I experienced quite a bit of movement in my room. It lasted for quite a bit of time. Not knowing which side of the island I was on, the thought of a tsunami kept me from having a good night sleep. Wow! What an eventful first day!
