Since Rod's website indicated that our paddling route depended on the day's winds, we didn't know which of his 13+ tours he would direct us through today.
His assistant Dave met us at the port near our lodging at 10am, and shuttled us to the rest of the group--there were 17 paddlers, guides excluded--before we set off for our launch beach. We drove northeast to the village of Pollonia, where a calm little bay greeted us. The plan was to shove off from here and paddle north to the nearby island of Kimolos, exploring its rocky, cave-ridden coastline and unreachable-by-land beaches: maybe 15 kilometers round trip.
Above: Annie battens down hatches on our trusty vessel.
Annie and I loaded our gear into a tandem kayak that we could paddle together. I had some experience paddling back home, though just enough to feel comfortable on the water. Annie had never been in a kayak before, and neither of us had paddled in the ocean before. Adventure awaited!
Above: Adventure!
Once Rod and Dave had us all disembarked safely, they directed us out of the bay and across the channel to Kimolos. There were no safety instructions beyond, "If you capsize, just pull the ripcord on your wet skirt and bail out." We both marveled at the freedom companies here have from medical release forms and liability waivers...can you imagine what lawsuits could be mounted back in America for such an endeavor? There were 17 adults on the open ocean with unknown levels of experience and who-knew-what medical conditions--and only two guides to play hosts and wranglers.
"This is the most fun I've had since my quintuple bypass last week!"
All potential hazard aside, Annie and I had a great time. The waters here varied between shades of dark and light blue, as well as green, teal, and even white. The rocky shores that greeted us at Kimolos were impressive. At times sharp and gnarled, other times smooth and sinuous, the rock even shown in a range of colors: white, brown, orange, red...even pink and purple.
Above: If you look closely at the first rock outcropping, it resembles a sleeping dragon, facing left.
We paddled against the wind and current on our way up the coastline, so that we could return with half the effort. Our first stop for the day was on a deserted beach area with nearby rock outcroppings that Annie and I explored via snorkel.
Annie spied some crustaceans.
Rod set out some bananas and cookies for a midday snack, and we all rehydrated and rested for a time before setting out again. Further up the coast we encountered several cool arches to paddle through, as well as a few caves we explored by boat. They weren't terribly deep, but they were still cool to explore--plus the sound of the surf beating against the cave walls made awesome bass reverberations.
Our group actually consisted of no Grecians. Rod is an Aussie expat, Dave a visitor from the UK, and the rest of us were either American, British, German, or Spanish. One of the German dudes, an older guy with gray hair and a mustache, rocked a Speedo all day long, which was pretty, er, ballsy.
We found another abandoned beach for our lunch break, nestled in a sort of gulley between high rocky hills. The land immediately behind the beach appeared to be someone's farmland, consisting only of grapevines and olive or fig trees. After securing our vessels, someone noticed a lone donkey peering at us from behind a rock wall up the hill.
Above: Where's Waldo? Hint: He looks like a donkey.
He soon came down to say hi and pose for pictures, so I henceforth named our location Donkey Beach. Rod told us that the donkey had been here for at least five years (since he'd begun taking excursions here), though he'd never met the donkey's owner. After preparing our lunch(tuna and mayo on wheat with cucumber, avocado and onion), Rod fed the shavings and peels to our beach donkey. Fresh honeydew melon was our desert, and beach donkey particularly enjoyed our rinds.
ABOVE: Look at that jackass hitting on my wife.
After lunch, a few folks went snorkeling, others rested in the shade, and the active Germans went exploring around the next bend by boat. Rod entertained himself by balancing large rocks tip-to-tip, which he claimed was much fun and a YouTube sensation. I figured that must be the national pastime in Australia or something, like boomeranging.
Above: Rock Jenga! Requires twice the imagination, at none of the cost!
When it was time to head home, we bid adieu to our dear beach donkey, leaving him to stand guard over Rod's rock towers and await the next group of paddlers in 7-10 days.
"Uh, hey, you guys? Guys?"
We shoved off and enjoyed retracing our path WITH the wind. Though tired, our arms weren't all that sore--but our return to the peaceful Pollonia Beach was welcome nevertheless.
We reloaded the kayaks on the trailer, exchanged goodbyes with our fellow paddlers, then hitched a ride with Rod back to Adamas. En route, he told us about the island's rich geologic history. Most recently, he'd been part of a geological survey of two Milos mountains that had rich gold deposits. Though Rod's crew estimated the deposits' worth to be in the billions, he said the local and national governments elected to leave the minerals so as to preserve the environment. We all agreed that the decision was quite admirable, though it may help explain Greece's current economic woes.
Annie and I walked home through Adamas while remarking on her lobster-red hands and back, then stopped at our ferry travel agency to ask about our vessel's status. A government strike has been scheduled for June 15, and is rumored to include air and water transportation. We were assured that our particular vessel would still arrive and depart, because its origin was Crete instead of Athens. We aren't wholly positive it will arrive, however, but if we get stuck here, at least we will have plenty more of Milos to explore!
Mining Museum, anyone?
After showering, we left in hopes of visiting the Ecclesiastical Museum and its ornate exhibits of church relics, adornments, and artistry. At such a later hour, we had the small museum entirely to ourselves. There were many beautiful relics and ornately wrought religious icons.
When we had our fill of the religious, we descended toward the water for our fill of the edible. We selected a harbor side restaurant called Milion, and enjoyed some bread and a tasty fried zucchini appetizer. Annie got Xoriatiki (Greek salad) for her main course, and I got a "meal deal" with small salad, pastitio, & glass of wine. Filling, but nothing to write home about.
We returned home to hit the bed, and passed out while watching The Bourne Identity with Greek subtitles. Hopefully the coming days won't bring any soreness from our sea kayaking odyssey.
Milos Day 2 (June 14) Album:
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| Milos: June 14, 2011 |
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Milos/Kimolos, Cyclades, Greece
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