Europe - Rhodos, Greece
Europe - Rhodos, Greece |
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It seems like we are on a 'slow boat' for Rhodes. We are stopping at every little island in the Aegean-sea. We soon lost track of where we were sailing, from time to time we asked the captain when we could expect to reach Rhodes and got a different reply every time
 Night-time on the Ferry bound for Rhodos |
Tuesday, August 2
The next day was like the previous, no end in sight of our journey. The arrival time changed from early afternoon to midnight. At 1.30AM, Wednesday we finally made it. Off the boat we called the telephone number of our friend, but things are not so clear to me. I think we took a cab to his address and his mother drove us to the apartment, but I am not so sure of the series of events, I was dead tired.
 It is a long way from Paros to Rhodos |
Wednesday, August 3
Morning in the apartment and we are welcomed by our friend. We are invited to a breakfast at his parents place. Nice after that horrible ferry-trip with a homely meal.
Thursday, August 4
In the night Nick suddenly sat up in his bed, still asleep, mumbling some gibberish. The only part Kenneth amd I could understand was the words: "..Statisk sorteret.." (statically ordered). We sat a while to hear more about this fascinating concept but no more was revealed and in the morning Nick couldn't remember the incident. Perhaps he was into some of the latest Quantum Computer stuff, some leading edge dream seeing into the future. Remember that this event took place in the summer of '88.
 Entrance to Mandraki harbour |
Friday, August 5
Rhodes
Saturday, August 6
Today was our second day with the scooters and we had set our mind up on going to Lindos, the ancient town halfway down the eastern shore. The trip ws going great and we made a stop at viewpoint overlooking the Tsambica beach.
 The Fantoms at viewpoint on the way to Lindos |
A minute after the above picture was taken we had a flat tire. I was riding with Dimo, there was a race going on and we were ahead. At the next crossroad we could nolonger see Kenneth and Nick, we waited a while but no sign of them, something must have gone wrong. Sure enough, a flat tire and it is Saturday. Are there any people working, can we get some help ?
I think that the Lindos place is jinxed, to me at least. I was with my parents on Rhodos when I was 7 years old. Then my father rented a car and we went to the valley of butterflies, but when we headed for Lindos, going across the island. We got lost. This is the second time I miss the sight.
 Flat tire on the way to Lindos |
So we drove back up the hill and met the two angry riders, drawing the bike with a flat rear-tire. At the crossroad we turned left to get to a gas-station, Lindos is straight ahead. The gas-station guy must be able to help, but he does not have the tools for the job. If we could continue straight ahead to the village by the ocean (a few miles) a mechanic there could take our wheel off.
So on we walked, well Kenneth and Nick. Dimo and I drove ahead to find the mechanic, we had his address and we got there allright, and rang the door at the address. But only his wife was home, the mechanic had gone fishing and would be back in an hour. We could see him chug around in the bay, there was nothing else to do than await his return for Lunch.
An hour of restlessness later we had the wheel off, but he could no fix the tire himself. He directed to a gas-station that could do the job, mending the puncture. Dimo and Nick drove off while Kenneth and I took a nab at the beach. I wonder what the locals thought. A strange place for tourists to go spend a day at the beach.
Time went, we must have dozed off, two-three hours. Then they returned with a working wheel. At the gas-station they had closed for siesta, just minutes before they arrived and they had to wait until the guy returned. When the mending was completed it was 3PM, no chance we could reach Lindos today.
Now another problem occured. Our Scooter was running low on gas, all that driving back and forth had drained the tank and all the gas-stations had closed by now. We jogged slowly back to Rhodos city, saving as much fuel as possible, turning the engine off going down hill and otherwise driving 10 miles an hour. It was dusk untill we returned.
 Panoramic view of Rhodos City |
Sunday, August 7
Rhodes
 Jørgen and The Fantoms |
 Fantoms going for Santorini |  Author on Bike |
Upon our return from Santorini we rented some small Bikes and drove around the island. It take about 6 hours to drive round Rhodos, lunch break included. On an empty road Nick was practicing his Evel Knievel stunts, like driving on the rear-wheel and stuff.
 Lindos, southern Rhodos |
Monday, August 8
Rhodes (departure)
It is early morning when we arrive at Pireus, timeing is everything and we take a cab instead of the metro, to get to the Athens Central Station. We have to catch the early train out of Greece, no point in wasteing half a day here with nothing to do. We are first to board the train to Germany and find a compartment in the middle of the carriage, hoping we can keep it for ourselves. In the beginning we are undisturbed, our luggage is all over, but just inside Yugoslavia some youngsters invade our compartment - that is okay and we pack our stuff down again, it was worth the try. We can't all be inside the compartment, eight people in a six-seat cubicle so some are sitting on the floor in the corridor.
In the afternoon Nick want to have a bottle of Coke, one that we have brought and open it on the ashtray by the window. But the bottle must have been shaken so it opens with a Wush and the content of the bottle is all over. In fact the guy in the corridor get most of it. First chock and then laughter, the Yugoslavians only ride with us an hour more, then they get off and can get out of their sticky clothes. We are going for yet a couple of days in this mess.
At night time we are suddently invaded once again, three men enter and go directly to sleep. There is no room for all of us lying down in the couchette carriage. Nick decide to have a go at the luggage rack, with a limited success. We have more room now, but he have an uncomfortable night, sleeping on top of rucksacks causing a small back-pain for a few days.
 Crowded train in Yugoslavia |
Wednesday, August 10
Yugoslavia/Austria/Germany - Souvlaki on the train (not that expensive)
Thursday, August 11
Germany/Denmark (home again)
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