Walk from Kavoussi to Mohlos and Mirsini

Crete in 50 days: Day 4 from Kavoussi to Mirsini

Distance 22 km
Number of steps 28.818
Burned calories 1159
Walking time 4h 26′
Weather warm 20 C

I wake up at 07.00. It was cloudy and cold..In my room only 15,8 C. I opened the heating system (airco combination) and after a while it became better (19,2 C). Nice shower and breakfast (bread, coffee and “meli” =honey). (Thanks very much, Wik and Henrietta Janssen from the Netherlands for the nice offer !!).

At exactly 09.00 I started at Kavoussi. Maria, the owner, said goodbye. Her son Jannis who I saw yesterday evening was still sleeping.. She told me also that only 550 to 600 people were living in Kavousi. Before 15 years more than 1500.. She has the Tolos appts for 9 years now and works without any tour operator and is satisfied.

Leaving the village I started a 4 km long climb to Platanos, carefully watched by the mountains on the right…. About 1 hour later I saw a dog, hiding behind an oleander tree… Tried to go nearer, but he stayed hidden. I took off my backpack and went looking. Poor animal (hunting dog) was certainly dropped out of a car.. It was very skinny and did not have any food or water for days, this was for sure ! I gave it a bit of water, had no food with me… I took a picture to recognize it afterwards, because Gayner would meet me in Mochlos.

Together with Maria, an animal welfare worker, we should be able to catch it and bring it to The Haven for treatment. I left, and cried a bit.. .I was powerless and had to carry on.. A few km’s further I met a man coming up the hill.. “Hello my friend” he said. “Yassas. Where are you from ?” He was from Egypt and working on a house down the hill. He had to go up and down to bring stones and cement… Hard job. He had never heard of insurrance…. Poor Mohammed (that was his real name). “Asphalia(=insurance)”? “Ti (=what)?”

I wished him (and his mate) all the best and walked on, thinking of the dog… After 6,5 km I spotted Tourloti, but first Mochlos… Another 7 km down to the village.. It was getting warm (20 C). A shepherd was shouting at his sheep and goats, afraid that they should be attacked by two eagles, circling on the mountain top. No wind at all, gorgeous weather.

I passed a place where people were collecting chalk stones..I call it “Chalk City”, such a big place!

Arriving at Mochlos (American Archeologists are still excaveting here every year in summer)I looked for Maria Tzagarakis, but she was in Ierapetra… From Gayner no sign. Maybe a misunderstanding ?

So I went to taverna “Kavouria”, which I knew from former passages.. A Belgian couple (Marcel and Julia) were sitting there, enjoying a beer. They live since two years in Mochlos and told me that it was a paradise..I knew this…It is certainly a paradise for cats.. I saw at least 50 of them, all well fed and quiet..

After my salad and a glass of wine, I left Kavouria and Marcel and Julia, promissing to Fotini (the owner) that we would be back in the evening for dinner ! My partner Christina was waiting for me in Mirsini, so I had to walk on..! Long, but one of the most beautiful walks I ever did on the island ! Fantastic nature, outstandig views etc…This one I highly recommend !

I arrived at 16.00 in Mirsini, tired but very satisfied ! Christina drove me to Lastros, were I spent the night, after a fantastic meal, together with Christina, Rea (my dog), Marcel and Julia.

Lastros is a quiet and very clean, old village…Only 100 people live there in winter and about 500 in summer…A place to go back, after my walk.

Day 5 : from Mirsini to Sitia