Wake up in a splendid fortress overlooking the sea, I must confess I didn’t find myself in much of a hurry to leave the area. I had a leisurely breakfast and coffee (Starbucks VIA, by the way, perfect for camping). Washed some socks, then went and filled up with water. Finally, I set off to explore the Tripiti Cape and Gorge.
On the hilltop above the Ottoman Fortress, wide views and steep cliffs.
And of course, what would a beautiful hilltop on Crete be without a corresponding chapel?
Finally, though, after lunch at camp it was time to hit the trail.
I didn’t go far, though it was by design.
At the bottom of the Tripiti Gorge I dropped pack once again to do some exploring.
There were time that, inexplicably, I felt like I was lost in some sort of dinosaur-less production of Jurassic Park.
(Keep in mind I’d been hiking alone for days at this point.)
Unexpectedly there was a house built beside the cliff on the beach at the foot of the Tripiti Gorge.
Having expected to camp on the beach here and so spent the whole day exploring the area, I was at a bit of a loss for a campsite.
Which is how I can to sleep in a cave full of bats.
They kept hitting me in the head every time I turned on my headlamp, making it quite hard to follow the storyline of the book I’d been reading.
Waking up early after a decidedly fitful nights’ sleep (you know… on the ground in a cave surrounded by bats flying just overhead) I had a quick start and made good time to this deserted beach. After a quick swim (this was april in the Mediterranean, which isn’t known for its warmth right around then) I made soup and snacked and slept for a couple of hours in a solitary land of unspoiled beauty. There were three sets of footprints around. One belonged to me, one to somebody’s dog, and the last to perhaps the only other person to see this beach in weeks.
Eventually, as always, it was time to move on. There’s some steep trail action through here, but also a fragrant forest and more views of the Sea than I can even recall. Finally, come early afternoon, Agia Roumeli rolls into view.
Exciting things, like the most famous Gorge in Crete, to come!
