Samaria National Park Incorporated ...

It's all about the Euros. 

When I was Googling places to hike on Crete, this Greek National Park rose to the top of the search engine. Many websites announced it to be a "must see" destination. How could I resist? 

So... I pointed my battered and gutless rental car to this splotch of green displayed on my Crete map. Little did I know a multitude of tour buses occupied by Wannabe Wilderness Warriors would be converging there at the same time.

I consider myself to be a connoisseur of quiet pretty places. I spent last summer gliding along on many earthy trails. I saw beauty all around me. I felt so at ease, I was even sleeping peacefully. All was good in my world.

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.gr/2016/09/an-almost-perfect.html

I tried my luck in the Hellenic Republican. On this hike, the Greek Gods weren't handing me their blessings. This might be the reason.

The country of Greece is undergoing a financial crisis. Unemployment is running at an unfathomable 23.2%. This is the highest jobless rate in the Euro Zone. Tourism is a major industry. It creates service jobs and brings in a year round influx of cash. Making Euros off of hikers is one way to stimulate the economy. 

Hence, lots of determined Germans, gossipy French, fashionably dressed Italians, families with dour looking children in tow, two beer guzzling Dudes, and one Wandering Wondering Jew were all forced to occupy the same dicey 16 kilometers (10 mile) descent at the same time. I often said "Excuse Me" as I squeezed by in search of a stretch of solitude. I've seen New York City streets that were less peopled. 

For my fellow trail companions, their amble to the Libyan Sea and village of Agia Roumeli would end with a ferry ride followed by a bus back to their starting point in the city of Chania. A very long drawn out and pricey day.

I decided to spend the night in Agia Roumeli and turn around and hike out the following morning. Sort of a Greek version of a typical Grand Canyon experience. Let me tell you, this seaside village is no Phantom Ranch.

Right away, I noticed a vibe I hadn't experienced before in Greece. Shopkeepers, restaurant owners and even hotel clerks looked upon the worn out trekkers like hyenas circling a maimed gazelle. We were all fresh meat and they were coming in for the economic kill. It turned me off for my stay there. I was fleeced a few times in less than 16 hours. I.E: I was charged €17 for two eggs swimming in an ocean of olive oil, three pieces of stale toast and a cup of tepid coffee. At least the proprietor said "thank you" when I called him on it. (Not all the merchants were like the above description, I just ran into the few bad gyros!) 

I then shouldered my backpack and headed uphill feeling used and violated. After paying €5 to a Park "Warden." I entered the gorge. It was quiet enough to hear my own crunching footsteps. I was enjoying the moment knowing eventually the downhill hiking hordes would appear. I passed rest areas devoid of people. Their empty picnic tables and cigarette ash trays awaited the coming crowds.

I made it 8 kilometers up before I met my first seagoing walkers. I began counting. The result surprised me. In a 8 kilometer (5 mile) survey, I saw 650 humans. (Margin of error plus or minus 3%). Believe it or not, this is the low season for visitation. On a busy day, there's over 1,500 adventurers cramming the trail.

Sadly, the Samaria National Parks administration has lost sight of their own management goals. From the Park's brochure: 

"Visitors have the occasion for a deep, true and meaningful contact with the natural landscape, plants and animals, opening themselves up to nature." 

More like opening up your wallet/purse! 

I understand the Park's plight. Theirs too many jobs and much needed cash on the line. I also know that this incident is the exception instead of the rule. Most of my hikes have been  uncrowded and relaxed. 

For the most part, Greeks are helpful, friendly, honest and generous. They enjoy smiling as much as I do too. 

This by and large has been a really great break from my usual journeys. I've already marked Greece as a return destination one day.

Eviva!

From a seaside village with a name that looks like Hora Station to my Gringo eyes,

Jeff

About the photo with the ladder on the rock. I suppose you climb there in case of a flash flood. 

More pretty pictures...

From a pretty place.

I'm too BUSY to write new stuff.

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2016/09/york-city-is-great-place-to-be-from.html

The last photo is a typical Greek lunch stop. No one said it was going to be easy.

Eviva!

Tomorrow, I'll be taking a slow boat to Crete. Hope we don't encounter icebergs.

Off season in Greece...

A few weeks ago, a beach towel's worth of space near the Aegean Sea was considered to be prime Fifth Ave real estate. Now the crowds are mostly gone, shops and restaurants are being shuttered and vehicles can make forward progress.

For a non-party animal like me, it's a perfect time to be here. The skies are gentle blue, the temperatures are soothingly pleasant and the vibe is almost Colorado stoner laid back. 

Getting to Athens required a sleepless overnight flight from JFK and moving east through seven time zones. Along the way I picked up a dodgy stomach.  I'm happy to report I'm starting to get back on track. Maybe I'll even sleep tonight.

Sure it's different here, people talk in a tongue, well, that's foreign to my Gringo ears. Luckily, most Greeks know a bit of Anglo. If that doesn't happen, I'll usually smile and point. 

For this stretch of my visit, Im lucky to have a Greek Guide Service. Her name is Anastasia. We met on the Camino de Santiago in 2013. When I'm driving on Naxos, she points and smiles. So far it's been a very workable relationship. 

And the food! Every meal is an adventure. This morning, I smiled and pointed at the veggie omelette on the menu. Little did I know it would come heaped with cold cucumbers and tomato slices. It was splattered with feta cheese.

What no salsa!

The beaches are pristine with mellow waves lapping upon the shores. The water looks clean enough to drink. But I have a question for my readers. Can someone explain to me why elderly German couples bearing too much flesh cover their crimson bodies with too little cloth? Or worse-No cloth at all! That's just wrong! No photo included for the squeamish. 

Other than that, Greece is about perfect.

The final photo is me doing my Adam (of Eve fame) imitation sporting a fig leaf for attire.

The Burro is Barley the Van's Greek replacement.

There's a Fat Greek Wedding going on now. They go all night I'm told.

Eviva! Cheers in Greek

Jeff

"New York City is a great place to be from."

SCliche by Jeff Sambur

Being born in The Big Apple taught me many lessons for life.

Here's a few of them: 

People come in all variety of skin tones besides Crayola Crayons "flesh." One color is not better/prettier or more special than the others. They are just different.

There are many languages in the world besides American English. People can choose to speak their favored form of communication. It's their right and its perfectly legal. Sure it might be frustrating for the English only crowd, but somehow ideas get exchanged.

Humanity comes equipped with lots of sexual preferences. It might not be your glass of IPA, but these individuals  probably won't harm or bother you either.

Lastly, a smile, being civil and polite can work wonders in most human interactions.

It's sort of an offshoot of the Golden Rule. It's not Harvard Law School stuff.

Back to the present: I journeyed to NYC to take in the qualifying round of the World Baseball Classic. Teams from Brazil, Great Britain, Israel and Pakistan were on hand for four days of America's Pastime. There were no fights, taunts or threats on the playing field. We saw good sportsmanship and class acts between the players and coaches. 

I wish the rest of the world would get along as well as these participants did. 

BTW: The Chosen Team will move on to the Baseball Big Show in March. Who wants to see games in San Diego?

While in America's Melting Pot good buddies Big Al, Jean, Lisa and Claudia joined in the frenetic fun. It was great seeing them all. 

We saw many sights. These photos might give you a taste.

The last photo is the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. No trip to NY is complete for me unless I visit this water spilling feature. I own a grainy black and white photo of Clara Sambur (my Mom) sitting in that approximate spot some 70 years ago.

It makes me feel happy and peaceful to be in the same place as she once sat.

I'll end this blog with the lyrics from Frank Sinatra's classic hit.

start spreading the news, I'm leaving today.
I want to be a part of it, New York, New York.
These vagabond shoes, are longing to stray 
Right through the very heart of it, New York, New York.

I wanna wake up, In a city that doesn't sleep.
And find I'm king of the hill, top of the heap.

These little town blues, are melting away.
I'll make a brand new start of it, in old New York.

If I can make it there, 
I'll make it anywhere.
It's up to you, New York, New York.

New York, New York.
I want to wake up, in a city that never sleeps.
And find I'm A-number-one, top of the list, king of the hill, A-number-1... 

These little town blues, are melting away.
I'm gonna make a brand new start of it, 
In old New York, and... 

If I can make it there, I'm gone make it anywhere.
It's up to you, New York, New York!

An Almost Perfect...

Summer. 

Have you ever been on a good time roll where you looked forward to the gauzy light of dawn to appear?

Or a string of days yielding to weeks and eventually months where you sported a 24/7 grin?

A run of fun where your legs and lungs were taking you to places of such beauty, you'd almost weep with joy? Or just sit down to take it all in? 

That's the sort of summer I had. It was so great the Coleman Stove Cuisine I was creating tasted gourmet. Of course the Starbucks was hot and the IPAs were cold. Perfect. 

A few months ago, I promised to show you "America the Beautiful." If you were following along, you got a taste on what's out west of Interstate 25.

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.com/2016/07/five-years-ago.html

Mr Trump, I have news for you, America is still great. Any country that affords its citizens the right to roam around free as a migrating Arctic Tern is great. A country who invented National Parks, Monuments, Historical Sites and Wilderness Areas can't be all bad. We might need a few tune ups but not a major overhaul from a "Reality TV" game show host.

So after that political rant: What would have made my Almost Perfect Summer Perfect?

The companionship of a Wandering, Wondering Woman, that's what.

I'm on the move again.

See where this roll takes me. It might surprise you.

Cheers,

Jeff

Get a load of what's out west through these photos. There's so much to see...

A Coyote Ate My Lunch...

was the only event to mar our 60 mile Rae Lakes Loop hike in the John Muir Wilderness of the Sierra Nevada. Once again my brother from another Mother (AKA Brad) and I had a great adventure. It didn't even rain or White Death on us. Just skin searing blue skies and warmth. 

http://jeffsambur.blogspot.ae/2015/04/my-brother-from-another-mother.html

And one skinny, mangy coyote. Gone were precious calories. I finished the hike on my hidden stores of fat. Hunger drove me up those two passes on the last day. It's true, food can be a great motivator. Just ask Pavlov's Dogs.

The Loop takes you through the Prime Cut of the Sierra. Once again, fame has a price. It's sort of crowded. Brad and I hustled to a few premier campsites. It was worth the sweat. Look at these drool worthy photos. 

I'm now in Fort Collins, Colorado after 1,020 miles of Barley the Van piloting in two days. I'm beat. However, there's no rest for this Wandering, Wondering Jew. I'll be on the move again come morning. 

I'll take a break later. Sort of...

There's too much to see. 

Cheers,

I hear an Colorado IPA calling me...

"Jeffy, Come here! Drink me!"