The Mani, and beyond

Well, the train out of Olympia was long, and as you could see yesterday, full of reflection. We arrived in Kalamata in the afternoon to discover a large Greek port that was largly closed (it was Sunday). After our usual walk around until we get lost in a place where no one speaks english routine, we eventually found the bus station. Naturally, all of the buses to Sparta were already gone, so we were left with a choice: stay the night in a large, dirty port town, or take the only available bus out, to the small coastal town of Kardamyli, which sits on the Mani Penninsula. It was not a tough call.
The Mani is a truly interseting part of the country. If Greece ever had a "wild west", it was the Mani. The Penninsula is divided into 3 parts, the North-West (outer Mani), the South-West (inner Mani), and the South-East (Lower Mani). The terrain is very rugged, dry (even by Greek standards - in Inner and Lower Mani, there are no rivers, lakes, ponds, no water at all except when it rains), and as a result the area was quite isolated. The Manites did not give up the pagan worship of the ancient pantheon until the 9th century - amazingly late by comparison to the rest of the Med. world. After that, due to its isolation, a strong clan culture developed, focussing on family ties, as oppossed to national ones. Various empires waged war all over the Greek world, but left the Mani untouched, thanks to its innaccessibility. Indeed, even the Turks only ever sent the tax man, whereas they sent armies everwhere else. During the 19th century, it was on the Mani where the idea for Greek liberation was born, and the war for independence was started there, a war that ended with the creation of the modern Greek state. Even after the state was born, the Manites were a thorn in the Gov't side, and they assassinated the first Greek president for not ruling as they thought he should.
Since those wild days, however, the roads have been built, and the Penninsula is no longer backward, or even clan driven...it is a fully functioning part of the Greek state, one of the largest olive producing regions in the land.
The village of Kardamyli is also remarkable for its more recent inhabitants. A British traveller/explorer, Patrick Leigh Fermor, who also moonlights as a war hero, made the town his home in the late 1940's. Fermor, as a young man, walked from the Hook of Holland to the Gates Of Constantinople. When the War began, he was very sympathetic to the Greek cause, and was a leader in the resistance. In events made famous by the book and movie "Ill Met By Moonlight", Fermor and his compatriots succeeded in kidnapping a German General on the Isle of Crete, and took him to Cairo. After the War was over, Capt. Fermor again took up his rucksack, and wandered about the Carribean, and then conquered the whole of Greece by foot. When he had crossed the mountains from Sparta and saw Kardamyli below him, he knew he had found his paradise. He bought some land (very cheap in those days), and built a seaside villa, complete with massive library, study, and terrace with a unimpeded view of the sea.
Of course, the town has an "end of the road" feel to it, and when the bus let us off in the late afternoon, we eagerly set off to find a pension for the night. We were rejected many times by owners, often if they had rooms, but did not care for the look of a couple of backpackers, all sweaty and dusty from walking all over hell's half acre looking for a bed. We were seriously considering the beach as our last resort, when we asked one last time about a room. The old lady looked us over, then reluctantly agreed to rent us for the night a two bed room with AC for 35 euros. We had been looking for over 2 1/2 hours, so this was like a dream come true. By that time, we HATED the town and were cursing one another for deciding to come down there. (It was really Jer's idea, but he would not own up to it during our search...he just called me many four letter names, while I did likewise). Yes, it was a bitch, but we had a place at last. We were planning on busing out the next day, but decided to give the town a chance, so we signed up for 2 nights. That made the old lady very happy.
The next day we went walking to find the home of Fermor. We had found out that the man himself was not there. At the age of 91, he had fallen ill and was in England for medical reasons. (The night before, a Greek-American, who originally came from the area had told us the news - by the way, his wife was a spectacle, you have to love fake breasts - but gave us vague directions to his house). The once private bay where he had made his home half a century before was now a busy little place of construction, hotels and tavernas popping up. After a long search, we found the only old looking home in the area, and using the description from another travel book (Kaplan's "Mediterranean Winter") we knew it was Fermors. The ancient olive and cyprus trees hid his house from view and hid his view of everything but the sea. It was truly an amazing home, the abode of a remarkable man...too bad he was not home, he would have been an intersting person to talk to. To think what he would have seen!
The town itself was beautiful, sun soaked beaches (rock, like Georgian bay), and crisp, aqua marine waters. Our attitude, so hostile the night before, was changed rapidly. Amazing what a simple thing like shelter for the night (or lack thereof) will do to the mind. We stayed for an extra day again, just wandering about, swimming, relaxing, like the many other tourists in the region.

After those 2 peaceful days by the sea, we headed for Sparta. The town was very prosperous, so unlike other Greek cities, clean and polished in appearance. Sparta sits in a fertile bowl surrounded by mountains, and the farmland, which appears to be the regions only industry, looks like it does very well...no ramshackle farms here. Sadly, there is nothing left from the ancient Spartans, but there is a HUGE Byzantine ruin 7km from town at a place called Mystras. We had gotten up so early, and were in Sparta in such good time that we took in the extensive ruins (palaces, churches, massive walls, all clinging to the cliffside) and then moved on again for Nafplio further north.

Things did not run as smoothly as hoped. When we got to Tripoli to change buses, the last bus for Nafplio had left 10 min. before...they do no believe in bus schedules that coordonate in Greece, which makes travel at times hard. A friendly taxi driver corraled us, though, along with a Japanese PHD (in classics) student, and drove us for 45 euros (a lot of $, but what else could we do?) It was fast, and we were in town in a little under an hour.

Greece has all of the sights of Europe, only on a smaller scale. Litohoro was like its version of the Swiss alps, only in one small town. The French Riviera is contained to a single town in a likewise manner, and that town is Nafplio. It is a very pretty Venetian town. The old town looks like Venice (as did Kerkyra, Corfu), without the canals. We arrived late again, but knew that accomodation was plentiful, so we were not worried. We got a room after an hour of looking, and agreed to the 28 euro price. Little did we know that our $ was buying us a night in Purgatory. When we at last crashed for the night, the room was a little over 35 degrees...it stayed that temp all night. All we did was toss and turn, sweat, pray, curse, sweat, drink water to replace our diminishing reserves, and continue to sweat. It was the worst night of my life. The only air flow fthrough our window (which opened onto a small enclosed court) was the hot air from another rooms AC. Needless to say, we upgraded to an AC room the next morning...it was literally cooler outside at 11 am than it was in our room the night before...hell.
We took in the sites here in town. I have been here before, but had not taken such an in depth look at the castle before. The town is dominated by its medieval fortifications, which rendered it at the time unattackable. There are 3 forts guarding the harbour, the largest of which is the Castle. It sits at the top of a mountain that overlooks the bay, giving it a clear shot at any ships that would have come towards town. The Castle is over 1 km in length, and is made up of 7 bastions that were defensible autonomous. It took us several hours. Having Jer with me was nice (no offence schwy) because he knows so much about medieval forts that he was able to show me things and tell me about them, even though I was the one who had been here before. The castle was literally inaccessible to any foe. You can see why the Greeks made it their first capital in 1831 when they were still wary of Turkish invasion.

The town itself is a very popular vacation destination for Europeans (not the 'Backpacker' crowd so much), and is filled with couples and families on vacation. It goes without saying of course, that the women about town are stunning, totally gorgeous. I wish my head were on a swivel, and my tongue had a winch to wind it back up...they are everywhere..."Hey man I really like your daughter, when I'm horny like thirsty shes a bottle of water..." That song is VERY appropriate here. As many of you already realize, no doubt, I have had no luck, and towns like this only make things worse. I feel that I am very close to commiting an act of Carnal (thats for you Bigs)...I am looking forward to the Islands, as they are on the "backpacker circuit". Hopefully I will be able to meet some pretty young thing (who speaks English - that would be a nice first!) and then, yada yada yada, who knows, wink wink, nudge nudge, SAY NO MORE! (

"Your wife, is she a goer?" "She does go, yes." "I'll bet she does, I'll bet she does! Whooaa, eh!"

We have changed our plans for the Islands. We are going to Piraeus tomorrow, and then catch a ferry to Santorini (every postcard shot seems to be from there), a place I have visited before, but a place Jer really wants to see. From there we go to Crete, and then boat over to Rhodes, and then Kos (don't worry fellas, these Islands are big party spots as well, I am sure that I will have a tale or two to tell you...Brent, I don't want to hear your shit!). I am really stoked, as I have not been to any of them before, and they will all be fresh. We are feeling a little "ruined" out, and I think a little party on the Aegean sea will be good for our souls (or something very close to MY soul). To travel to strange new horizons, what a thrill. Still loving life over here, how could you not?