Some photos from Milos below. Greece is magic, very friendly (we noticed how friendly after driving thru France, Spain and Italy).
My girlfriend and I have been here a month now… only four months to go…. helping Rod guide groups (www.seakayakgreece.com).
Milos is an amazing island, population approx. 5,000. There is one postman on the island and no street names or numbers (postie just knows everybody). Hardly any road markings so driving can be interesting. Many Greeks have very loud voices and have seemingly huge arguments all day (but it's them just having a chat - often in the middle of the road). ALL shops open once in the morning and once in the evening (some days they only do mornings and Sunday they all close). Midday everybody goes to sleep (siesta) between about 2 and 5 and the place is literally deserted. Kids are all up until midnight ish (due to recharging at siesta). Evening meal is at about 9pm. Everybody does everything very slowly and everybody knows each other. Rod collects urchins and swaps them for melons. Donkeys really do pass through the little streets loaded with produce. Plenty of scooters zipping around. No crime, no drunkeness (except old men on Ouzo and they just wobble quietly home). Leave your house door or car door open - no problem. We have a little apartment (with broadband!).
Guiding groups is great fun. Biggest group so far is 14 – all from a Swiss boarding school and all teenage males from various countries… so that was a riot (six capsizes, more due to “ramming each other at high speed” rather than wind or wave). Usual group size 6-9. Typical day is: paddle for an hour stop for an hour, paddle for an hour stop for two hours (eat and snorkel) paddle for an hour and a half… finish. No big winds so far although tomorrow is a forecast of F6 so we are going to the surf beach then for a trip out to an exposed island (have a more experienced group this week).
Okay… got to go… time for a little siesta...
