Sitia Sunsets

Well, the little sleepy town of Sitia has grown on me, I realise as I have to leave. Yesterday, Jer and I had a disagreement, and went our seperate ways for most of the day. I went down to a small inlet, very deep and rocky, perfect for a dive in and a swim about. The day before the water was pristine and clear, but yesterday the sea was more turbulent, and a sizable swell was washing in amongst the rocks (waves up to 1m). The had stirred the water up, so it was no longer so crystal clear. I still dove in (had to prove my manliness to a pack of teen dago's who were literally screeching in fear of the swell), and swam about the turbulent lagoon for a spell. It took some real prowess to avoid being washed up on the jagged rocks on all sides. It was a good thing that Jer had not joined me, as he is not nearly strong enough in the water to have avoided the rocks.
After the refreshing swim, I wandered about the harbour, and into the town. I lunched at the room, on canned grape leaves (a staple of my diet here), bagel chips, "la vache qi rie" cheese spread, and vienna sausages. mmm.
Later, after I had met up with Jer (who had cooled down by then), we wandered the harbour as he sun set over the mountains behind the town. It dawned on me that the little port resembles a North African port, and not a European one. The water front is lined with lush date palms, and the tumble down house that stretch towards the sea are closer to Cairo than they are to Paris or Rome. It is a striking setting. Naturally, the town does not have an African feel; the people are very cosmopolitan, they cafes that line the harbour serve modern Greek and Cretan dishes (as well as wine and beer), and the signs are all in Greek or English. Still, as you wander out on the pier away from the crowds and amongst the small fishing crafts, you can look back at the town, lit as it is by the dying sun, and you realize just hown close you are to the exotic shores of the Sahara. Indeed, a strong wind had blown up from the south, carrying with it the memory of the desert.
Later in the evening, a coolness settled in, bringing with it the realisation that Autumn is nearly upon us, even here. We had to use our blankets for the first time while on the Islands. We sat out late and chatted with some other people who were staying at Manuels'. The 3 Germans were very informative, as we shared information about our 2 homelands. They told us a lot about the various problems in Germany (the adoption of the euro very unpopular there as well).
In striking international news, Greece slew a giant, and defeated the USA at the basketball World Championships, 101-95. Prior to tip off, during warm ups, the USA treated fans to a "jam session", practising impractical allie oops, and other useless dunks. The fans went wild. At the other end of the floor, the Greeks practised foul shots. Their discipline showed in the game as they shot 60%, and committed only 10 turnovers. What a triumph for the European champions, who had never before beaten the US. What a glorious day for the world of basketball, as those arrogant cocks were made to look the fools yet again, with their personal glory style of play, beaten down by a TEAM that uses fundamentals and discipline. I LOVE IT.