Rhodes - Day 3

October 9, 2009 10:12 PM

What with all of the walking Phil and I have been doing since we got to Rhodes we thought that on reflection it might be prudent for us to hire a car for the remainder of the break so that we can get around the island and see some sights by ourselves. We could of gone with the tour guide trips, but having totted up the amount we'd need to do everything we wanted to do for two or us we would in fact save money if we just hired a nippy little motor to get us from A to B.

We had decided this last night as it happened and so had prearranged for a car to be dropped off today, and sure enough it was there and waiting for us at 9.30 in the morning ready to zip us off on our own island adventure.

Over breakfast we decide what we're going to do today and where we're going to go, and eventually decide upon a cross country / coastal drive which will allow us to stop at 2 or 3 things along the way that seem worth a visit.

So we head out down the coast road towards Lardos towards Genadi Bay and then head inland to Vatio and Arnitha before we make our first stop at the Dam of Apolakia. The Dam itself wasn't that impressive but what was spectacular about the place was the absolute silence we encountered. No noise, nothing. You could have heard a pin drop. The sort of silence you can imagine when humans didn't exist on the planet, it was awesome and bloody hot too.

We then drove north to Monolithos to see the castle that is perched on top of a steeply spired rock called Monopetra. Since it was me driving I was concentrating more on the road than the views but as we trundled down the hairpins towards to village I glanced to my right only to get a case of vertigo. We were so high up and the drop to the bottom was stupendous, especially since there were no road barriers, which made driving even more fun. It seemed fit then that we should stop at the top and let Phil take some pictures whilst I gave myself a strict talking to and had a look at what some of the street vendors were offering. A bag of sesame coated peanuts, 1 bottle of Souma and several pictures later we are back in the car and heading down the mountain towards the castle.

When we get to the foot of Monopetra we abandon the car and start on foot up a winding stone staircase towards the castle and eventually reach the top upon which a tiny chapel now resides. More marvellous views and photos later and we make our way back to the car, both of us with lasting memories of what were truly magnificent views of the Rhodes coastline.

Heading north again we saunter up the coast to Skala Kamirou, a small working harbour which I thought would offer ample opportunity for us to get some lunch, and in particular for Phil to devour some local fresh caught fish. And so when we arrive there we pick out a taverna, order some drinks and food and have a break. The food was pleasant enough, only interrupted by the adamant attention of some bees that just didn't want to buzz off, but a welcome break all the same.

We then continued our journey north to Kamiros, said to be the Greek version of Pompeii, but not really if you look into the history correctly. Kamiros is in fact what is left of an ancient town which got abandoned by its inhabitants who migrated towards Rhodes town when it was established in 408 B.C. So no natural disasters involved, just people moving from the countryside to the town (some things never change).

Both Phil and I got a real sense of history as we walked around the town, the ruins are really quite well intact and houses and buildings are clearly visible from the remaining house footprints. Again the views were great too, especially when we ventured to the top of the town where a small acropolis once stood.

After we'd whiled away an hour at Kamiros we decide it's time to be heading back to the hotel since it's getting late, so I plot a route back for us that takes us back inland towards Salakos and then up and around a huge mountain called Profitis Ilias, a staggering 796 meters above sea level. We then traversed many hairpins to get to Apollona where we turned off to take a short cut back to Lardos via Laerma which involved driving pretty much through the centre of the island where the damage of what appears to have been several large forest fires was quite apparent. It was odd in a way, a bit like driving through a ghost town of trees, not a lot left but shadows and charcoal.

Finally we make it back to the hotel, and we're both exhausted. So a quick siesta later and we're ready to head into Lindos where we get a cheap and cheerful Gyros for tea, followed by a crepe for dessert. Very nice indeed, and an appropriate end to a lovely day.