Brother, Chania Spare a Dime?

“What we glean from travelers’ vivid descriptions has a special charm; whatever is far off and suggestive excites our imagination; such pleasures tempt us far more than anything we may daily experience in the narrow circle of sedentary life.”

― Alexander von Humboldt

Go-Date: Day 37, Friday March 1.

Strangers in a Strange Land

The all-night boat ride has concluded……at last. We arrive in Iraklio, tired, haggard, sick, irritable and without joy. And those are our high points. In car, belts on, driving down a roadway equivalent to Fort Worth’s Highway 80, but without the strip clubs, we bear onward west towards Chania, our home for the next two weeks and our base to explore the largest island in Greece. Cretan highways bear no resemblance to their cousins on the mainland, other than the road signs are written in Greek. What I found surprisingly good in Central Greece, I find disappointing in Kriti (Crete).

Cretan highways also don’t have tolls, which in this case, if there were tolls, would constitute governmental robbery to those travelling hazardly along the northern coastline of the island.  The day is harsh, traffic, though not heavy, is not as courteous as it was in the Peloponnese. On top of that, I’m in a small vehicle (generous description) with a manual transmission. This isn’t a big deal, I’ve driven jeeps for decades and can shift in my sleep, or so I thought. The clutch is long, the gears are short, the motor jealous of a Briggs and Stratton push mower, and I find myself over-revving to the point of smelling more than seeing the gearbox glowing ever more orange. I must correct this before we are forced to learn how to summon a Greek tow truck in the middle of nowhere. Neither Ellen or I are having a good time.

When I say the day is harsh, I mean the light is sharp and bright in between the scattered clouds. Blustering winds are like a late winter day on the South Plains of Texas. Seeing clearly is difficult as the sun is constantly low in the sky, in our eyes, and its as if Mother Nature senses our mood and accommodates us in the same manner. Two hours to Chania. If we are lucky.

Tired and weary as we are, and ready to arrive, we are not rushed. Check-in is at noon, and it’s only 9:30 as we begin our drive. We’d stop to see the sights, and there are many to see, but the will is not willing. I’m so tired, I don’t even want to stop to eat, even though its been about 20 hours since our last real meal. Ellen still looks a bit green around the edges from the ferry ride, so she’s not hungry either.

We’ve had bad days before, and this one doesn’t compare, but repeating it doesn’t hold any fascination either. The kilometers drift behind our roaring Toyota Aura, or Auda, or Cum-bye-ada or whatever this car is that is not sold in the USA. Soon, we are rolling into the suburbs of Chania (Kan-ya). And it’s only 11 AM. I’m nodding….trying to keep awake since I find head-on collisions a bit jarring on an empty stomach. So we think it best to find a café to kill time, get food (though we really don’t want to) and pace ourselves until we can check in. We find a Greek truck stop, fill up our stomachs, twiddle about until we can wait no longer only to discover its still just 11:30. How does time move so slowly when you wish it to run? Never mind, we’re going to the apartment anyway.

OK, so all went well. We found the place (with some difficulty), checked in, and found that Ellen had scored big time on a great temporary home. We are delighted. Pictures of our view are attached.

Let me say one thing about Greek roads. Or maybe its going to be 5 or 6 things. I’ve seen ranch-house roads in Pecos County, Texas wider than the highways here (in Crete and in all Grecian cities, towns, & villages). Google maps directs you along streets that would never meet zoning approval for an alley in Muleshoe, Texas; Morgantown, West Virginia, or Cumberland, Maryland. I mean they are narrow, steep, and uneven, with paving as thick as the frosting on a $2 birthday cake from Walmart. They are an experience waiting to put you in the hospital.

To make a short story long, we arrived, happily, and began our Cretan Adventure. The first day we went into Chania and explored the old town. We have much, much more to see, and will share that as we unfold our last weeks in Greece on this blog. The pics are probably more entertaining than my writings, but these will continue. If I don’t write them down…..I’ll probably forget them. So, lump it or leave it.