Somthing needed to go wrong!

Croatia
 
OK I have put off everything and moved on.  Moved on from the past and live in this moment.  I do this and I am sorry to all that might actually care about hearing the rest of my trip.   I am in Innsbruck, Austria right now enjoying the company of new and old friends.  The weather is bad and has been for the past while.  Ideas of climbing and getting out and about have been damped.  So I cook a lot and even try to learn a little German although I think that is maybe a little bit of a overstatement.  Jumped down to Italy last weekend for a couple climbs but basically a driving tour.  Great time though and nice to experience Italy a bit more than I have in the past.  But I am done, done traveling around and being a nomad. Figuring out the next place to sleep or just orientating myself.  There is always a time for everything and when that time ends it is over. 
 




Croatia, simply easy with moments of amazement, joy, boredom, and wondering.  I found this leg of my trip to be normal.  Challenges were always part of everyday, but the normality of how I had became use to the lifestyle on my Kayak brought boredom to me.  Simply put I guess I needed something to go unplanned creating a diversion to nothingness.  I am not saying I know it all and I have arrived, but I had a system that works for me.  This normality brought me to the point of what I wanted to enjoy and with that, ended my trip.   

Zadar-Cres, 100 miles, 42 hours, Monday-Friday(plus 2 hours on Saturday) and many islands! 
 
I started the Croatia trip in Zadar.  Zadar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zadar is a  medium size town (90,000) located about central coastline as Croatia is situated on the Adriatic.  I spent a few moments in Zadar in 2008, mostly just a transfer with a great night of sleep in the local bus station with the homeless.  This time I found a hostel to sleep at.  I am not super keen on hostels in general but this one worked. I had my own room, but the key plus was the close access to the water.  Not arriving until later Saturday night my plan was to slowly Sunday set up my boat in a relaxed matter making sure everything was all good in preparation for a morning start on Monday. 


 
Sunday happened with good progress, Monday morning my boat was launched into the Adriatic sea.  Many ideas of how much I wanted to push myself and or how relaxed I should make my trip.  Realization came in to effect though after a nice 2 hour jaunt across the first channel ending with a much wanted coffee break at a small town on the first island.   Coffee was and has always been a weakness to me but it became my pleasure activity.  My day did not end though with that first stop.  I was eager to get back on the water as always when I was on land.  A love hate relationship you might call it but my boat was my home.  So I was off, back to the rocking motion of the sea and the endless strokes of my paddle.  The wind always comes up in the afternoon and sure enough it did that day too.  As I have learned you can never call the day until you are asleep at night. 


 
Wind wind wind in my face!  Yes I should have set sails and went Southeast but no I wanted Northwest.  Of course the day went by, I paddled, paddled listening to music and spacing off into my own little world I knew so well.  One game I played was a talking to.....well not myself but "you" or anyone I could think of.  Yes they were one way conversations but I though they were useful in a productive matter.  The only problem was that "you" would never have a say, but that's OK I had it all figured out.  Basically that's it that was my day and all the others.  I am trying to think of what really happened that day but like most days I just paddle and sail, there is not much to it. 



Nights are nice, but also lonely too.  I found myself a place to sleep after about 20 miles of paddling that day.  I saw my first sea turtle that night, dead!  Dead on a beach full of garbage.  I was disgusted with the garbage ashore and floating in the water.  This was not the first place to see this destruction to the environment.  You will find garbage on all the remote beaches.  Beaches where locals or tourist do not have the need to go to.  No one cares and the tourist agencies would never shown the reality of it.  So there I was in a heap of garbage cooking dinner.  Again my expectations were defeated.  Monday was done, I fell asleep.





Tuesday was great, very productive.  Bright thoughts are always in the morning.  Small breakfast and coffee to start the day.  No wind across the water enabling a fast pace on the mirror like surface.   A sense of remoteness and reality of what and where I was came on me when in the distance I could see four dolphins swimming.  Moment to moment throughout this trip brought me joy or sorrow, this moment though was joy and with a total desire to be in that moment only. 
 


Throughout the day I paddled and paddled like always.  I had a couple of small crossings.  I am always careful when crossing open water even though I am getting use to it.  This carefulness brings me safety and concentration givings me something to do.  2PM and again I was drinking coffee at the port of a small town.  I had some idea of the area I would be sleeping that night and it was not too far from where I was.  Coffee and a walk around town mainly to spend some time and again I wanted back on my boat. 



3PM paddling, I needed to get as close to the north end of the island I was on and camp there that night.  Wednesday I had a 5 mile crossing I wanted to get a early start on and the closer to the start of it the better.  Just as I though the map was right showing a nice cove with a perfect beach to sleep on.  Arriving early that day, maybe 3 hours before dark I was bored.  I know I have said it over and over, but when you arrived at these beautiful places alone it really is not that great staring at it alone.   What I did need to do was bath.  A nice hop in the sea and a little swim around did it for me.  I even washed my underwear!  Again another sunset and a nice early night to sleep.  
 
Wednesday: the day of the biggest crossing and the best orange marmalade in my life.  Early morning after a odd night of sleep being woken up by fishermen throughout the night.  The early start proved to be super important.  With wind already in my face at 7AM this worried me being on the open water.  Weather should always be monitored and I chose to monitor it consistently that morning, given the situation.  My idea was to go until I decided the line of risk was getting to close to negative.  This decision comes from my belief I use mountaineering.  If you never try to go because of the weather then you might never go, just watch yourself and turn around when you need to because the weather could get better. 


 
The fresh early start brought me across the channel in time perfectly, helping me avoid high winds, drink a coffee and eat the best pancake with marmalade I have ever had.  Ilovik, a nice port a little off the beaten path.  By 11AM again ready to get moving as the day was really just starting.  1 or so mile channel crossing and I was on the last island of my trip!  The angle of crossing was great giving me great wind to sail,  gust though dampened the help.  I was on top of my game sailing but still knowing one large gust could flip me and the angle of the wind had potential to just pull me to sea only stopping in Italy somewhere, I lowered my sail and paddled. 
 






This last island was a big one.  I would be on it for the rest of the trip a total of 3 days.  Basically I just fought against the wind for the next 9 or so miles.  I learned later that day that the wind was about 20 knots and gust up to 35.   I think about this and am glad that I was not too far offshore and was able to use the coastline of this island as a slight wind block.  
 



Mali Losinj http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali_Lo%C5%A1inj , I arrived there around 6PM after a long day of wind fighting. This would be my final destination for the day.  I looked at staying at a campground which would have been nice, but I am all about the marinas when staying in town.  Marinas are usually perfectly situated near the center of town.  There are also other boats there with people with information and company.  Another thing is they never charge me to stay there.  I believe they do not know what to charge and just forget about it.  Sleeping on a dock or my boat has suited me just fine many nights.  Arriving at the dock people come over to me and help me tie my boat up always with the question of "where did you come from?" and handing me a beer.  It is so funny sometimes, I kind of wonder what people think.  I have to say it also become a little annoying.  Not annoying to the people who ask about my trip and we enjoy a nice conversation.  It is more the people who stare, I do get use to it and have over time.  Still though sometime I loose my nerves and stare back at them in the same annoying matter. 





The Marina office manager is super nice, he does not care if I stay.  He ends up getting his friend the local reporter for the Island newspaper to interview me.  That was different too, as I find it hard to explain my trip.   Just another story, telling him I have know idea what I am doing and that I like Croatia and such.  I can only imagine the picture he took of me.  I really looked horrible with sea salt dried to my skin and clothing.  That night I enjoyed a nice dinner at a local restaurant and took a walk around.  Just walking and looking is what I do as a tourist.  I really try to get outside of the central part of town and get a feeling for what it is really like.  I know living in Leavenworth that central is a tourist joke and if you really just walk a few hundred meters you can see a little more than some fake German building!  My night is not ended though without some great German and Austrians inviting me onto there sailboat where we enjoyed wine and cocktails late into the night.  Again a great day of unexpected normality.
 
Thursday was a regrouping rest day.  Do some grocery shopping and then a short jaunt to the next town.  I have been trying to cook more on my trip both cutting down on cost, I like to cook and it gives me something to do.  The wind direction was sopost to change too so I decided to wait for that also.  2PM I took off rested and full off caffeine from all the coffees I had drank in.  Now the winds were really in my favor.  Full speed ahead at a modest speed of about 3knots(4mph,5km/h)  9 miles later I arrived in Osor.  That was about it.  I like this as I was faster and nothing dramatic happened but it was kind of boring.  





Osor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osor was super, a small old town of a few hundred people I would guess.  I spent the evening walking around the town and eating out again.  The Pizza was amazing and I figured I could eat the leftovers for lunch.  That night I slept on the dock.

 

Friday I went a little crazy even by my standards this day.  Wonderful morning in Osor drinking coffee and a bowl of cereal while watching fishermen bring in the morning catch.  I'm not sure what is was about this day but it was different.  Again perfect sailing, this time even wind at my back.  Smooth, and direct with my only goal, to get the the next town for coffee.  I arrived at Martinscica a perfect little port with a perfect cup of coffee.  Still though these perfect little ports, sunshine, nice temperature and well paradise was I hate to say: not enough for me.  
 



Back on the boat, I had a long stretch to go.  Nothing, only super nice beaches I cared not to spend time alone on.  Instead I spent the next 8 hours about a mile offshore heading towards the next point.  The swells were big, but no wind.  Sometimes a boat would come by.  I would raise my sail only to warn them of my presents.  The stillness made my mind go crazy.  I knew like all other days that the day would end but those moments seemed like they would not.  I would like to describe what I was thinking then, but that could take along time.  Basically my thoughts were all in detail.  Detailed as in would go into deep thought about anything and everything.  The real funny part is I was thinking out loud and it was fun!  
 







Finally that day did end but like all days it was not over until it was over, this time though I had amazing luck, right at sunset, dolphins!  four of them again, I chased down those suckers in a rapid manner.  Amazing how much motivation I had as I was not at all all day long until I had something to motivate me.  I was cruising trying to catch up with them.  Then I started to wonder if I should really get too close to them?  I mean what if they flip my boat or something?  But why not I figured, I would try and see.  I can't say I actually caught up with them.  They did not like come up up to my boat and let me pet them or anything but I did get a sense of being close to them.  I even tried calling them, I am not sure what noise they made but if I remember right I think the TV show flipper gave me some ideas!  The dolphin insadent gave me a good feeling and an up for the day if not the whole trip, I was super excited with the desire to be in that moment only!  
 
My last night on a beach was that night.  I did not know it would be but I think it was a note worthy time.  I had a nice little fire and cooked some more pasta.  A couple sheep came near me and I talked to them a bit.  Made me think of the farm and enjoying the company of animals even when there are not people around.  A simple night with perfect weather.
 
Saturday:  It is funny to think that was my last day.  I woke up at a nice 0700 and did the norm just another day.  I had a idea to go tot the town of Cres, which was about 2 hours away.  My thought was since there was not much as in the way of town along the coast where i was I would go to Cres and portage my boat over the little mountain so I could start on a different coast line.  This way I could see more people and not just more coastline and go crazier.  As Always it was a idea and I would just see how it all went.
 
Paddling and sailing to Cres was one of the most relaxed moments in my trip.  I was comfortable being offshore, I was sailing at a good pace and just seemed like I had come to a point where I knew what I was doing.  As I said before this is a good thing but then also bad for me.  I like figuring out problems and when it becomes too comfortable then it is time to move on.  Arriving in Cres pleased me.  The locals harbor was super nice as it basically put you central in the town square.  With my boat being so small I was able to find a nice spot to park the boat and find out about portaging to the other side of the island. 
 





The conclusion after talking to the most unpleasant tourist office lady was that it was about 7 miles of road.  That moment I knew my kayaking tour was over.  I had in my mind committed to this portage idea and nothing else.  It was an odd feeling.  A love, hate, happy, sad feeling.  My trip was so full of ups and downs it became normal.  I expect so much at the beginning and now at that moment I expected nothing and went with everything. 



 It was time to pack up the boat and see if I had a place to go.  I contacted my friend Dani in Austria and after a few emails I figured out a way to get to Innsbruck Austria.  It took about two days, all the connections and waiting.  You just have to roll with it though.  Run when you need to run to your next connection and wait when you have to wait.  How nice though it was to arrive in Innsbruck and greeted by friends.  Pretty much everyone I befriended while my earlier times in Innsbruck arrived that night for visiting and drinks.  I was a little out of it and overwhelmed, but super happy. 

Packing up the boat going to the mountains

I am Finished. Happy and sad. Now time to pick up the climbing gear in Austria for some climbing in the Alps. I will post a full report of Croatia soon, it was a great time though!

couple of pics

Kythnos beach



My camp



I think this is the only photo I took durring the crossing when it calmed down some. I really did not feel good at all!



Pretty sure I just puked



Me beach from afar



the Beach

Another Map

Am I Thinking?

It has come to my attention that I might have not been doing the smartest activity ever thought up, if not crazy. Playing frogger with ships at the same time peekaboo with my boat (Norwegian friend I made calls my boat an air mattress) as I duck under the peak of waves. I have decided to drop out of the Aegean sea crossing. I take this in a good way as in I tried and have decided to move on somewhere I am not fighting the weather and ships, Croatia is the new venue for Ben and his Kayak! Like many other weeks, this past one has been full of everything.

I did make the crossing from Kea island to Kythnos after a long ordeal of patients and scare. Patients with the weather so many sailors I have met say is the key to survival. Yes I can be a patient person if I want to be and I know that does not make sense but it does to me. I understand that weather is one of my biggest challenges using a boat the size of mine. The use of resources form the internet have been the key source of information. The weather reports on the VHF radio are not good told by many of the locals, if you are even able to hear them. So patient I must be and pacients I was on the day I was intending to set out for the crossing. Nothing but sitting and waiting at port with intentions to getting an early start the next day.

Intionaly I really wanted to get an early start, but that did not happen. Now my excuse: first I did not want to get up and second another excuse I slept horrible because of the rain, sand flies and the disco that played 90's hits tell the morning light! (It does all come into play though and with good luck in the future, it just shows everything is for a reason)

The first part of the day was uneventful with not much more than a slight swell and little to no wind. It all came into action when rounding the southern point of the island into the obvious windward side. It never got too horrible really, but slowly progressed from mild winds, big rolling waves to wind in your face slowing progress and waves breaking over the bow of my boat. None of the conditions really bothered me besides the fact it could get worst. I decided I would not cross that day(again good thing I got up later than I wanted to or the weather might have hit in mid channel) and for sure not at the southern point for if the weather did get worst blowing me further south I would be without land. That land part was an issue too. The southern part of Kea island is cliffed out. Even if I wanted to there was nowhere to land my boat. My decision was to head further up the east side of the coast looking for a beach to camp out on and wait out the weather before it got worse. Slowly, very slowly I did make my way up the coat at about 1MPH paddling at a good pace. By that time though I was into it and did not care I was enjoying the ride the sea was giving me and singing away with my iPod! I landed at my beach early afternoon.

My Beach, it is a wonderful place. An old site of Greek ruins. It actually comes with two beaches separated by a rock outcropping on which 3 temples lye in ruins. Then there is a small chappel and a a couple of workers huts for working on the ruins. The hillsides are terraced from long ago and so many stone fences with corrals line the hills. So there I was at my beach just me, alone. It is a funny feeling though because it is a deserted beach but so long ago alive with many people giving it a weird feeling like someone else should be there.

I really had nothing to do and that is not good. I hate beach holidays. I have only really been on one you could say. I was in Mexico after climbing some volcanoes I had to wait at the beach for a friend and then spend time there. I think it was 5-7 days and really after 1 or so hours on a beach laying around I need to run around or something. So now I was stuck on a beach alone and for how long well the weather only knew. I ended up spending 1 and a half days on the beach and my something I ended up doing was hiking. The terraces really give you a great trail to run around on. So much work was done by so many people there in the past it was amazing to be the only one there. I also did head inland to find house and some people. I put a plan C or so into play that if I was not able to paddle way before my 3 day supply of food and water I could break everything down and hike it out to a road and hitch or something.

I built fires at night, read a little and enjoyed the sound of the waves. But still throughout those days the wind and waves held there own for my little kayak. I did even try once to go out but then remembered to be patient. The night before I actually did make the crossing a sailboat and crew from Denmark did come into the bay. They too in there 40 something foot boat were hiding from the weather. This justified my reasoning and was now happy to be doing nothing on a beach. The crew of the boat came ashore asking me if I needed anything with the offer to take me to the other side of the island the next morning. I declined the offer though knowing I was self supported and had time to wait it out. Something about me is I never like to go backwards. I will try anything and the idea as everyone obviously knows might be too big for me to bite off but I hate going backwards. So that night I decided to just get a good nights sleep and hope for the best the next morning.

The weather the next morning was looking up for a great crossing. Perfect amount of wind to sail and only smaller sized waves to deal with now. The big problem was I was feeling horrible. I not sure actually why. Maybe it was something I ate or the wine I had was bad? Even though, I had to go puking and a head ache my decision was to go. So after packing up real quick and puking up the food I tried to eat I was in my kayak and paddling.

First thing I hate being sick, I rarely get sick and second you never want to get in a kayak when you have to paddle and you have to make it to the other side when you are sick. At first it was fine I had a little wind with it picking up making it so I did not really even have to paddle. But after the winds got higher so did the waves. At the point I believe I was 3 miles offshore almost half way in the 8 mile crossing the waves were higher than my head while sitting in my kayak with a slight white cap on them. This will do nothing good at all for your stomach let alone your nerves. I was really doing it then! I had thoughts of going back but the thought of going back did not sit well with me I was almost halfway across. When I tried drinking anything I would just puke it up all over the side of my boat. So this is it I was just going and counting the tenths of miles slowly going by.

Then there is the boat traffic. Even when the weather is great I never want to be in the channel. The ferries and large container ships along with just your regular recreational boats scare me. I know they can't see me. I have a VHF radio but still I don't want to have to judge when I should use it or not and then it be too late. So again I want out of this channel ASAP. Traffic is high today just my luck and many pass by obviously without incident. Then I see one of these cargo ships coming a distance off. It is really hard to tell how far but it does look possible with my progress and his we could connect. The decision is to either stay where I am and wait for him to cross or make a run for it. Now if I stay where I am, I am exposed to others longer and if I run for it I may not run fast enough. So I choose to run haha.

Paddling and watching we become closer and closer connected. Maybe I should have stayed where I was but still we will see. The actuality of him hitting me is slim but I do not want a chance at all. Within a few hundred yards I decide to call him on the radio just to warn him of my presence. It must have been funny to hear my transmission. I think it was something like this”Big shipping vessel this is Irene do you see me” or something like that. I know I did use big shipping vessel haha. Lack of professional use of the radio probably warned him more than the words. The radio worked and my worrying was over as the crew looked over and gave me a nice shout of enthusiasm.


Still I hate the traffic and there was probably nothing to worry about. All I had to do was get to the other side now and get off the boat. This seemed easy but not at all. By the time I did make the crossing to Kythnos, where I was there was nowhere to get out. Rocky cliffs lined the coast. I wanted nothing more than to get off the boat and lay down or die. None of that was possible as I still had a good 7 miles to go from there to the port. This was the long part of the day. I would paddle and stop then do it again. I wanted nothing to do with being there. I had no choose though. Hours went on like this, I was pathetic. My worst and best performance yet. I did make it obviously and with that it became my best performance because I did it. I was met at the beach by a local named Consta. His family owns a restaurant situated on the beach and he offered me a fresh squeezed orange juice “On the house”

How I hated and loved that experience. I would do it again, but do not ask me to. I have said this before but I do love to suffer and maybe give myself too much pride in it sometimes. Sometimes though I wish this was not the way I was. My short term memory of pain my be the reason I get myself into these ideas. Somethings I do want to develop in my life but this one is undecided and I think it is just the way I am.

The island of Kythnos was nice. The town of Loutra where I stayed is a small place. Perfect really all you really need is there. Soon after I arrived I was greeted by an older Norwegian man: Lasse, who owned a 40 something foot sailing boat. He was the only other tourist around. After talking for a bit and him telling me I was traveling on an air mattress we agreed to meet for dinner to try to find a good steak. Maybe this is only funny to me but I was not really sure about finding a good steak and was right. Hamburger steak I guess you could call it, we did though the next night find a descent steak. Over the next few days we spent time eating together telling stories with me learning lots about the sea and sailing.

I am in Croatia now, with the advice of Lasse and my troubles waiting around for better weather. Another choose would have been to go to the southeastern islands of Greece near the Turkish coast and sail about for a bit. The problem though is time, both mine and relations with the politics in Greece. As many of you may know the economic crisis has hit hard in Greece. This past week some of the transport systems have striked and the ferry's along with the train services were effected. This also played into a role of my decision. I just did not want to put of with there issues. A choose was made, Croatia is a nice place having been there two years ago and the island hoping seems like a given area to try it out.

So here I am on my final train leg. In about 1 hour I will be in Zadar. I have been traveling since 8PM two days ago when I left Athens, it will almost be 47 hours by the time I arrive. I do not mind this type of endless travel. You just go with the flow and sometimes the system is smooth but most of the time it is not. I always do know I will make it there someway. Just like today when I did not read, as I can't read that the train does not run at 1300 to Zadar at my connection on Saturdays, I had to wait 3 hours. But those three hours were in a small town I would probably never seen if I did not have that luck.

So as for this last week, it happened and another is in the future.

Next stop Croatia.

Weather, time, unsettled transport strikes, ship traffic and just plain scared I have made the decision to go to Croatia. I am in Athens with a start to Croatia tonight on a bus. The goverment transport systems are on strike and I want to leave Greece ASAP. I will write more soon but want to roam the streets before traveling endlessly the next day or so. I think this is the best choose for me to be able to actually get out on the water and not just hang out on a beach. More soon!

Sea PIcs!

From bag to Boat!



Sign says it!




Me boat and Daniel's boat!



humm nice water



Enjoying the open water!



Sailing



My sailing ship



fishing boat



village



streets



spring




village streets



Sheep head yumm

Island Hopin!

Sunny perfect weather, this is Greece! Kea Island and I am waiting. Waiting for good wind. Good wind for my kayak that will make my next crossing a pleasant one. I arrived here on the evening of the 14Th after making the crossing from the port of Lavrios. Before Lavrios which is 20-30 miles southeast of Athens which is just a nice bus ride from Athens where I spent half of last weekend enjoying the city. The week has been a good one, new changes in the right direction as far as my enjoyment is considered.

Athens-Nice place, but really big. Again the weather perfect when I arrived this last Sunday morning. A quick walk around the port with my luggage I was able to find the metro to the city center. Really easy the transport is in Athens. Knowing that the Olympics were there in 2004 I am able to understand why this is. The hostel I was easy to located and very central. Central though is not the central square where everything is nice and perfect. Central in Athens is a hodgepodge of people who live there because it works for them. I liked it. I met so many different people on the streets, mostly foreign to Greece. The Hostel was plane, kind of reminded me of a hospital. Yes it was very clean but no character.

As it was a Sunday the historical sights were free and that is a great plus as they were expensive compared to other such sights throughout the world. Amazing though, I was really impressed like anyone should be. I do find these types of places funny. Everyone taking pictures left and right with no real need to look at them I guess, maybe they do that at home I am not sure?

Enjoyable as the sights are I really like to see what is going on at the moment while in city's not just the historical. Athens is great for this. Wide range of people watching, from the markets to the tourist sights, to the parts of town you would not want to be seen at night. So overall Athens was great, I was able to see a small part of the culture but still with the motivation to get moving and start the Greek part of my Kayaking trip.

Intentionally I was going to start on the 13Th from the Port of Lavrios. I made it to Larios around 9AM or so but the fact is I wanted more time to set up. I first need to stock my water supply. A quick hop to the supermarket and then to the port and I was ready to start unpacking my boat and setting up.

The marina in Lavrios is nice I think. Mostly full of charter boats but also some private boats. I found a nice area and talked with the owner of one of the charter boat company and he said to go right ahead an put in wherever I needed. Nice and simple. Few people believe me at first when I say I have a boat in my bag. I think that it is funny too when they are surprised like I lied to them! When setting up my boat I always get a lot of lookers. I am thinking if you want attention you need million dollar boat or mine, either way I can get attention.

One to notice what I am trying to do was an older but still young Italian guy who owned a nice sailboat near here I was setting up. Interested and wondering we talked and talked. Daniel a tried and true sailor with countless years on sailboats liked my idea. In mutual respect we talked about sailing and the fact that I knew nothing about what I was doing but with Daniel in total agreement of my undertaking with the same understanding of desire for adventure. My departure was delayed yes by talking and learning so I decided to stay there in Lavrios that night enjoying the company and incite of Daniel. Slow process of setting up the boat was also delayed again when Daniel made me lunch and made me drink a glass of his special wine from his home in Italy. With the boat perfected and my nerves at easy for not having to cross that day Daniel and I basically talked all day about anything and everything. That night we ate everything Italian (besides the Swiss chocolate.) Great simple Italian food and after a nice walk into town for coffee and of course Italian. That night I had my own cabin on the boat what a pleasure really, with my boat tied to the back of the boat I slept great that night looking forward to the crossings.

14Th- The biggest sailing/ kayaking day of my life and I felt good. Calm winds, a nice cup of coffee and the encouragement of everyone on the docks I was off. Heading out of the harbor it was really calm. Putting crossings into easy terms for me when crossing: I just think of it like I am right on shore but actually miles from it. I believe the mental game for me is big. All I really have to do is paddle and sooner than later I will get to the other side. What I want to do is watch out for other boats. I am not really sure but am almost positive that the radar on other boats can not see me. My idea is that I will dodge the ships not even thinking that they see me to move out of my way. All of my thoughts are conservative with the confidence that all it is is paddling.

The first crossing is about 2.5 miles and the secound is almost 10 miles, 9.89 to be exact. All I can really do is start and start I do. Four to 6 hours it should me. Again all I can really do is paddle. Just a mental game to keep going. There is a little wind so I am able to sail which gives me a little push. The sail does a great job and I feel confident of the stability of the boat and the sail.

Time goes on throughout the crossing and so do I. In my head I think of this as a big ordeal, it maybe or it may not, but I make it one. Winds pick up a little near the island. Eyes are set on a small beach that has a nice campground I have heard. It is a little rough getting in the bay as the winds coming off the cliffs. Still I am able to sail into the bay landing the Kayak on a nice pebble beach. Empty as it looks there are people around. Being my first stop I have nothing to work off of in perspective. There is a small restaurant with some people working in it. I ask about camping only to find out I need to wait tell 5PM. No problem, the wait on a nice beach with a slight breeze and a warm sun goes fast as I fall asleep shortly after sitting down.

Campground is not open and I really do not want to camp out alone as I have done enough of that for right now. I enjoy human contact believe it or not. The town of Korissa is a nice 5 or so miles away with another 3 hours I should reach it in not time. The water is still nice just a little wind but nothing to be worried about. Time goes by fast me singing to myself and watching the coastline go by. Arriving at Korissa it has a nice pleasant port with everything I need. Paddling in to the port people greet me with wonder of where I have came from. It is a nice evening. John a local whose family owns a gyro shop tell me to come by after my boat is taken care of. I end my day with a gyros and a beer and sleep on my boat tied up along side the rest of the harbors boats, falling asleep to an old man who talks to himself and he seems to enjoy it!

Same old man I fell asleep listening to still at it when I awake from my boat. I was able to sleep 11 hours laying on my boat with people passing as it was tied up right along a sidewalk. This is a skill I think I could use in the future. The night before I did not really even look at the small town. I want to stay at least a day and get a feel for the place. Organizing and waking up just the normal routine I have in the morning I meet Phil. Phil and his wife Daniele an Australian, French couple have a 46 foot Sailboat 50 meters or so down the way with a couple fishing boats between us. We talk just about well sailing I guess and the norm of what and why we are in Greece. Phil offers me if I want to tied my boat off to his to keep my valuables safe and a little more protection from the wake the ferry gives off. Great and again I am amazed by how wonderful people in this world are. Phil and Daniele's boat is amazing a great early retirement home! There plan is to sail the next 5 years with the destination of Australia. Coffee is nice and welcoming as is visiting like always with good people. There plan for the day was to walk up to the small village of Loulis/Chora. Me being my rude self pretty much ask myself to be invited with a nice for sure from Phil and Daniele. 5.5Km a nice walk into the hills of Kea. The place was really nice, small streets with beautiful colors and wildflowers all the way there. The big attraction though was this stone lion dating back to 600 BC I think. Yep we saw it and it looked like a lion. The nice part of the walk though was the good company and the perfect spring weather. Nice Greek salad at a restaurant and walked back to the port. The rest of the day I took some notes from sailing books of the area and enjoyed the heat of the afternoon. So nice of them Phil and Daniele invited me for dinner on there boat which I could not refuse. Dinner was perfect, a fresh lentil vegetable soup, wine, bread, cheese along with a coffee. Again a perfect night of visiting with great people into the night over dinner. I am so grateful for the amazing people I have met and thank you all!

I slept on the deck of Phil and Daniele's boat. Today though the weather is not what I am wanting for sailing my boat. Phil and Daniele offered to take me around the top of this island on there boat. That would have cut off a good 6 or so miles. But with the forecast and the way it was looking my plan now is to hold up here tonight again so I am able to get the best forecast I can for tomorrow even though a longer day. Somewhere around 20-5 miles which is not that bad. 8 mile crossing but so far the forecast looks great for tomorrow. I am just taking this one day at a time learning a little more patients everyday. I can't complain though, life is good.

Sailing

Kea island http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kea_(island) I arrived yesterday night after crossing fro the port of lavrios. To crossings. One about 2 miles and another 9.89 miles. In lavrios had a great time visiting with and Italian who was ther4e withis his sail boat, suoper nice guy. The crossing was great with a great surprise of a submarine coming up near me about 3 miles offshore, kind of scary! Now on Kea island I slept on my boat in the marrina. But now I have to go as I am having dinner with a couple who own a sailboat. i will write in detail more later.

Can I or should I and I Will try!

Crossing th Aegean Sea! Can I or should I and which route is now the question. Here I have a couple maps I put together for ideas of crossing the Aegean Sea. The options all look pretty fun with a great since of adventure no question about it Slower progress than the river should be expected. Sailing should be a option. Then there is weather issues more than a bad day in the rain. Wind is the issue. My boat is really not that great in the wind. The large size of the sit on top and baggage I carry with me makes me a large object for the wind. Like I have said before time and time again I am not really sure what I am doing but I will try and we will see.



Option 1: A considerably challenging complete crossing. Crossings are big, with many. The longest is about 17-18 miles with many in the 10-12 miles range. I'm really going to have to just go for it with this one knowing I have a very fine line of risk. I would like to do this one. The pure paddling without the use of ferries is pleasure to my ideas. The actuality of this happening is will depend on my observation of the situation and the amount of risk I am willing to take on.



Option 2: Same as option 1 with the use of a ferries. I have put markers on the map of a definite ferry crossing but also with this option I could cut out ethics and use ferries when ever needed. This maybe the most sensible option. Still a challenge but with the safety of when I deem necessary the use of a ferry is no problem. What I do not like about this option is I can back out of challenging myself before I have even tried. I will still have challenges I know too with the crossings I do try. This puts me in a predicament all the time with deciding weather to go or use the ferry. I know also this is most logical option and possibly the quickest too. This question will be up to me.



Different ending to the story map: This ending is a shorter option still connecting the crossing complete. All of the routes can use this option. This option puts is about 65 miles at that point compared to about 110 miles. Ferry connections may be better on the way back from the shorter option and I am sure I will just want to make it across the big puddle of water by then.