Walk from Agios Nikolaos to Kalo Horio

Walk around Crete in 50 days: Day 2 from Agios Nikolaos to Kalo Horio

Weather 18 C and cloudy
Distance 17,4 km
Burned calories 889.5
Walking time 2h 45′
Number of steps 14.784

I wake up at 07.00 with a fantastic view on the bay of Elounda and the sunken city of Olous..no wind, bit cloudy. Ann and her husband Vangelis had prepared a superb breakfast and we were joined by Phaedra, a dutch member of the animal welfare group of Elounda. They gave me a t-shirt “We love Henry” (Henry is Ann’s dog). After breakfast Ann and Phaedra drove me from “Elounda Heights” to the main road in Agios from where I started my walk at about 09.30.

Soon I arrived at Almiros Beach, a beautiful and quiet place with cristal clear water…Passing Almiros I discovered a feeding station for animals (managed by the animal welfare of Elounda). There was water but no food. I did not see any stray here. Maybe only in summer when tourists are here. Very good initiative anyway ! It was still couldy but getting warmer (18 C)..

I reached Ammoudara at about 10.30. A lovely village with a fantastic bay. From here started a very long and difficult climb. I had to walk on the highway for a while but from the beginning of Ammoudara village to the end (1.5 km) there was a perfect path, very well maintained…After that I joined again the highway..VERY DANGEROUS. People drive like crazy at maximum speed and most of the time while on the phone or drinking a “frappe” (cold coffee)…Irresponsible !!! Lots of orange and lemon trees gave me a good feeling anyway…..

About 12.10 I spotted the first houses of Kalo Horio, peaceful against the hillside. At that moment I met Stavros and his dog Enrico (7 years old). Stavros lives in Kalo Horio and sells oranges, lemons, onions and papoules (fresh salad) along the road side. He is there from 08.00 till 17.00. When I met him he had sold only for 6 Euro’s !

“Den eine kala, simera” he told me..Times are bad, today it is nothing again….He has to survive, with only a small pension of 360 Euros a month… Stavros is a very kind man, taking care for his dog as it was his child.. I just love the man ! This is also typically greek ! Hope more people follow Stavros’ (64 years old) example.

At 12.30 I reached Kalo Horio (main road) after a 15 km of walk.. Another 2 km to the village where Joan, a Scottish lady, living here for 16 years was waiting for me.. She drove me to the internet cafe where I was picked up by Jean Paul, Marie Paule’s husband. They offered me an overnight place at their residence in Vathi, a small village at 2 km from Kalo Horio.
Indeed I passed Vathi on my walk to Kalo Horio….I got a nice appartment with all the facilities.

Around 16.00 we were joined by Gayner, a volunteer, Ella from Mirtos (working for animal welfare over there and backed up by “wereldasielen” from the Netherlands) and Ann (English lady) who came from England especially to take Beauty (the dog on my press release) to her home oversea ! What a fantastic moment, knowing that Beauty was found, starving on the road at Kalo Horio by Joan.

Ann and Beauty (which recovered at The Haven) enjoyed the walk in Kalo Horio and Beauty was very proud…!

Around 18.00 we left the village and I joined Jean Paul and Marie Paule for dinner..What great people they are, taking care of 6 dogs and 2 ara’s ! One year ago they alse took care of a donkey, but it died of age, unfortunately. I went to bed at 09.30…to take a good rest…

Day 3 : from Istron to Kavoussi