Tuesday 1 September 2009

Kalamafka

Sunday, 23 August 2009. After leaving Ierapetra we come to a small village called Kalamafka - a typical village of narrow streets and whitewashed houses with locals in traditional dress, the women in black with black shawls covering their hair.

We walked through the village as a group and I couldn't help but think the locals must groan at the noise of each coach party!

The tour guides tell you of course that the village is happy for the money that tourists bring - but only the kafenion - the cafe/bar - made anything from us.

Inside it was just like a house, with an empty interior and a tiny bar backing onto what was obviously a kitchen area. The kitchen floor was obviously a couple of feet higher than the room we were in because the woman who served us had to lean over the counter and stretch to serve us the drinks and take the money. Seating was provided outside on a terrace.

I thought I'd got a picture of one of the little old ladies, swathed in black and bent over as she carried her bundle, but (blush) I mustn't have pressed the button far enough or I deleted it by mistake! Around the back of the kafenion 200 steps led upwards to a church on top of the hill. We stayed put...

I'll bet it looked something like this though... The village was loud with the sound of cicadas. You'd think there was a whole swarm of them but just one insect produces an impressive sound which in the narrow streets echoes as though coming from many different directions. We did manage to spot one on a wall. Ok, back to the coach - time to head off back to Aghios Nikolaus.

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