Can you see me?

You can’t help but feel that the spirits over time on the Ancient ruins of Agios Stefanos have seen many things as the Basilica projects into the sea at the far end of Kamari Bay. Club Med is about to experience a new lease of life and even now at the end of the season tourists still swim out to the Island across the shallow stretch of water with a lone Pedallo floating on the sea. Wedding parties set sail to the small church, water sports delight tourists off the beach and local dog walkers seem to see this as a turning point on their jaunt along the sand.

It’s Ochi day and a group of people have decided to picnic under the tree and enjoy the view. As you walk round the edge of the ruin and glance down into the sea the Black Sea Urchins cling to the rocks and snails hug the dried barren vegetation. The mosaics reveal themselves in the sand and the pillars and stones gradually break down over time from the heat and rain.

As the tourists leave the site, the geckos scamper across the rocks to bask undisturbed in the sunshine. You’d be forgiven for not seeing them as their camouflage matches their surroundings so well and when they know you’ve spotted them they freeze as if their lack of movement makes them invisible. Move closer and they move too, get too close and they vanish as if like magic, into the crevices of the rocks and pillars. You can only imagine the picnic they’ll have when everyone has gone home for the season.

Can you see me?

and me?

Flamingos have the last laugh

In the warmth of the late October sun with the clear blue skies you can be forgiven for thinking it’s still Summer. But the absence of busy roads, sunbeds on the beach, hustle and bustle in the streets and a clear view across Eleftherias Square indicate the tourists have gone home and everyday life gets back to normal. The winding down after the Summer season has begun and Tavernas and shops are shutting up for the Winter.

The Greek equivalent of Costa and Nero have shot up yet the choice of coffee’s include Fredo Espresso and Frappe essential to the Greek way of life. Yet only Greek’s can do a coffee delivery service on their mopeds and young and old sit sipping coffee for hours under the bougainvillaea whilst smoking a cigarette and watching the world go by.

So on my way out of Kos town a detour to the Tigaki Salt Lake seems the perfect opportunity to see the Greater Flamingos. With no one around you soon realise another indication that October has arrived is the absence of sound, no cicadas the sound of silence is enormous. As we pull up to the lake side a flock of Jackdaws take to the skies cackling to each other as they fly off across the fields and rooks squabble in the trees.

Standing on the side of this shallow lake we are able to observe the Flamingos around the corner and decide to follow the path round to get a closer look. So just like David Attenborough we creep up silently  through the reed bed. We can hear them chatting to each other with that same laugh Ducks have when they are quacking about who knows what. They are so close and just as we peer round the grasses they spot us and take flight back to where we stood earlier. The salmon pink under wings are beautiful but they are too quick for us to capture on film.

We will try again next time and take our tripod to give us a better chance of capturing the spectacle. You can still hear them, laughing at our failed attempts, but they soon ignore us as they get back to feeding.

A life on the Ocean Waves.

If you get a chance take a boat and Island hop. Plenty of locals to take you on tours, individually or hop on a Ferry and seems to me Kefalos substituting for Kos town at the moment makes the trip further afield more accessible. So maybe Rhodes, Symi or Nisyros?

The three Island trip is a great experience and we went several years ago. Travel sickness tablets taken we set off from Kos town, the gentle swaying of the boat had no impact. Pserimos our first stop to swim or rather paddle as the shallow bay afforded swimming for the likes of me in need of arm bands. Strange experience as the Tavernas sit right on the beach , no roads and only open in the tourist season.

Pserimos everything on the beach.

Off to Kalymnos and the harbour of Vathis for an onboard BBQ lunch, a stroll and Sponge buying. Then for anyone who wanted to swim……not me,  to Plati. As we anchored up Ron dove off the side straight into the cool waters and swam towards the shore only coming up for air after some way. Boo and others jumped in and leisurely swam around the boat and towards the beach. I stood alone on deck. ’Why you no swim?’ they said accusingly. ‘I can’t ‘ said I. ‘no problem you have life jacket ‘and with that they threw me in. The trouble was I didn’t know what to do and somehow the buoyancy of the jacket turned me upside down and had me swimming round in circles like a beetle on its back spiralling gradually back towards the boat. Boo passed me, ignoring my endeavours and climbed back on board to get a life jacket and jumped back in swimming quickly back to shore. I continued to circle back towards the steps unhappy that my brave attempts had been overlooked.

A giant inflated rubber ring sailed over my head followed by a the Captain’s mate with calls for Oxigon. Still I edged nearer the boat. Finally ascending the ladder I was able to see the emergency in action. Ron was being rescued by Boo and Boo was being assisted by crew and once heaved on board Ron was given Oxygen. Out of practice, unfit and showing off had meant Ron made it to Plati but couldn’t get back. Needless to say he recovered, Boo was hailed as a Life Saver and nobody noticed my brave attempts. So after that I’ve only been out on the bigger boats where they won’t throw me off unless we are sinking, but maybe I should learn to swim.

Kalymnos

Just Ron and Boo

 

Are we nearly there yet?

As soon as Ron landed on Kos tarmac he came over all Demis Roussos meets Dimitris Deverikos. The Drive to Kefalos was like the trip around Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner. Any sense of peace, tranquillity and relaxation that may have been induced by several Gin and tonics on the plane soon gave way to pure terror. The race to get to Kamari Bay was adrenalin fuelled as quite often the plane was so late that the petrol station was closed and my chance to say ‘Ekosi euro parakalo’ had to wait till the next day with fingers crossed that we had enough fuel to get to Kefalos.

With indicators muddled by windscreen wipers and message to self ‘you forgot to bring the new ones with you, bought in double packs from Halfords as you know they perish quickly out here’ the lights of Kamari Bay beckoned like a Siren from Greek Mythology.Seat belt rules do apply especially in the Kardamena, Antimachia location but Ron forgot unless I started shouting, no different from home really. The rush was on, with taxis overtaking at the last minute and us reciprocating, worry beads flipping back and forth and that was me, and eyes closed in case cats or dogs ran out across the road.

So eager to get to Kefalos one year we veered off to the right at speed into Antimachia by the High school and ended up inches short of a large Carnival model on a truck, ‘who’d have thought they kept them from the February parades in both Pyli and Antimachia ‘.Scary in daylight and terrifyingly surreal in the dark. ‘my God those travel tablets were powerful didn’t think they were hallucinogenic’. With equal reversing speed we got back onto Highway One hoping nobody had seen us. The road might be straight most of the way but with hidden bends close to Cows tethered to the side of the road and chance of a goat crossing I always hated the night drive. Daytime equally traumatic as the Quad Bikes took over the road dicing with death from the coaches. Give me a scooter any day although not having the best control over my centre of gravity maybe not a good idea.

Screeching to a halt we’d arrive just in time for a large Metaxa times two, I’d definitely need one by then. It’s amazing how quickly you can get to Kefalos from the airport Greek style and still be able to say Kalanixta.

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