1/1/25
We didn’t have to get up early and had to time to have our favourite breakfast of banana pancakes. We were getting collected by the taxi in Palekastro so we had to walk in for 10am. The weather was looking good, the wind had dropped and the Sun was coming out.
We were a few minutes early so we went in the shop, it was only open briefly to sell cigarettes mainly, to buy some different flour. Thermi was our taxi driver. They always seem to have the snazziest cars, and everyone else drives old beat up cars. He had a newish Volkswagen of some kind. He didn’t speak a word of English mind.
It was about 20km to Zakros on winding hilly roads and took about half an hour. We were aiming for a gorge with various names, Dead Man’s Gorge or Dead’s Gorge or sometimes just Zakros Gorge. It isn’t named for all the dead tourists, but rather there are caves, high up in the sides, that the Minoans would use to inter their dead.
When we attempted to talk to Thermi, he immediately called a translator, we presume his wife or daughter, with whom we confirmed a time for him to collect us. We figured about 3pm would give us adequate time to go down the gorge and then back up. Thermi seemed to think we were crazy and had assumed he would collect us at Kato Zakros, the village at the end of the gorge.
We were dropped at the well signposted ‘Entrance A’ just outside Zakros. We walked on a dusty track and soon found a sign for the E4. It’s a long distance walking route that starts in Spain. It uses the gorge for the last part in Greece before heading to Cyprus. We went down, through a gate and into the valley where there was a flowing river.
We soon found an old concrete aqueduct, that had been superseded by a black rubber pipe. The path was narrow and rocky and we crossed the river a couple of times on stepping stones. We soon reached a pool where the water seemed to go off in a different direction. To the left was a marked trail that looked exciting and to the right was the equally enticing gorge.
We followed the narrow path as it weaved down what we could only assume used to be a river bed. Water can’t have flowed here for a very long time. The caves appeared, clearly a ridiculously difficult place to put a body. There was no water in the old taps anymore either, all dried up now. As you’d expect Crete has an extreme shortage of water that is getting worse and worse as it is hit by droughts and suffering ground water supplies.
At the end of the gorge was another gate and the path led us past the ruins of a Minoan Palace. One of the best ruins to see but unfortunately closed. It was New Year’s Day after all. We walked to the beach, then looped back around to head back.
It had only taken an hour and a half so we decided to take the path that went up above the gorge and though a little longer it would take us back down the exciting looking path we’d seen. The Sun was mashing down on us and it was very hot. We couldn’t help question the sanity of anyone who attempts to walk up here in the Summer. It must be awful.
It was a really well marked path. Lots of red dots and arrows across the martian landscape. It was still easy to stand confused for a moment looking for the next marker. We managed to get a look across the gorge from above before heading away from the edge. The path had to cross the high points of all the gulleys.
Eventually we headed back down again towards the valley. It was a couple of sharp switchbacks that the sheep around us made light work of. Their ability to put their hooves in the right place, without being able to see is impressive. We could barely put two feet right among the rocks.
The path was blocked by huge rocks, well not blocked, but if it weren’t for the markers leading the way we wouldn’t see this as a path. We clambered over and through them and reached a nice little place to sit for a moment. It was so quiet and peaceful that you could hear absolutely nothing until a distant bird interrupted the silence briefly.
After we set off again we almost immediately came to find ourselves high up on the rocks and the path dropping several metres below. It made no sense at first and seemed rather perilous so we hunted for the markers. The route actually traversed down the rocks using screwed in handles and a chain. We weren’t wrong about this being an exciting route.
We hadn’t realised how long it would take us to come round the alternate route back and were feeling a little tight for time. We tried to move more quickly through the rocks but it wasn’t really possible. Soon we were back at the diverging point and reached the car park at ten to three hoping Thermi was early. He wasn’t.
We sat in the shade first, still feeling hot, but moved into the Sun ten minutes later. Thermi still wasn’t here. Had we made a mistake communicating where we’d like to be collected? By ten past we were panicking a little and tried calling and texting the number we’d been given. It didn’t work and the ringing tone was a bit unusual. Just as we considered whether we should walk to Zakros, Thermi arrived!
He dropped us, and the flour we’d left in his car, at the shop and we gladly paid him the €50. It had been worth every cent. We were looking forward to a cup of Cretan mountain tea, the herbs are delicious, and a hot shower. Alas, no water came out of the taps. We had enough drinking water but really wanted that shower!
We wondered if there was a supply problem and rang the owner of the house. She sent round the man to take a look for us. He arrived 15 minutes later and went straight to the back of the house and discovered someone, or something, had turned the tap off. Hoorah, a simple fix.
We had baked potatoes with the rest of the cauliflower for dinner, accompanied by a creamy, white sauce. Frankie made a mug cake, that was infinitely superior to Jonathan’s failed efforts. We finished Kaos. There is no second season, Netflix cancelled it. If you’re reading this, watch the first season, you’ll love it, and request the second series!
Surly They Won't Make It 