Day 13, Saturday - Rethymnon, Spili, Ayios Galini
We explored the Venetian fort at Rethimnon. There is a Turkish mosque inside. All traces of Islam have been removed except for a chain which hangs from the ceiling holding up a chandelier. Also the prayer marker (called a meharab by the Arabs) built into the wall in the shape of a pointed dome to show the direction of Mecca still had some of its very colorful and original paint.
We headed south for Ayios Galini along a winding road that took us south through the countryside. We stopped at a little village called Spili which had a Venetian fountain with 17 lion heads spouting water. We ate some souvlaki, yogurt and honey. Again, all the men here looked exactly alike with curly black hair, thick dark eyebrows, and mustaches to match. They looked just like the Minoan paintings in the museums.
Ayios Galini is on the southern coast of Krete. During the months of May through August the wind is constantly blowing sand everywhere. It had a beautiful harbor and a sandy beach protected from the waves by the pier. I went to every hotel before finally finding a room up the hill. Fortunately, it turned out to be B class hotel. The room was very clean with two beds and a tile floor. Everything in the bathroom worked, although there was a sign requesting that toilet paper not be placed in the toilet. The room only cost 1200 DR = $9.00, which is the best deal in Greece.
As soon as we settled in, we went to the beach. Half naked women were everywhere, mostly young and unattached. Even the post cards are full of them. One very cute half naked blond started making out with her boyfriend right there in public. It was like watching an X rated movie. There was a discotech for evening entertainment. Krete is definitely on my list of pick up spots for single men.
Even though the water was warm and clean, I was the only one who actually swam. I don't understand why people go to the beach to get a suntan. They can do that anywhere. They can only swim where there is water. There is nothing else to do here except swim and tan. There are no ruins to see. Just wind, water and sand. We could hear the wind howling through the windows all night. Apparently this is a perennial late summer phenomenon.
We have encountered very few Americans in Krete. Everyone asks me if I'm German. When they hear me speak Greek, they are a little surprised because my accent is good even though my vocabulary is awful.
The people here are camera shy. On the mainland, they pose for you. Here it is best to ask permission, but even then they may ignore you or turn their backs to your camera. All the bakeries have koulourakia, whereas I only found them in Patras on the mainland. For dinner, I had fresh squid. Except for a few extra fish dishes, the menu is the same as everywhere else. I haven't experienced much of variety in Greece.
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