We arrived in time, the plane was full one would wonder how it was possible considering the new regulations regarding COVID19! The passengers had a lot to drink, thus it was a permanent queue to the loo!
It wasn't easy to find our host, but we managed, asking around and people trying to be very helpful. It is OK the room, not brilliant, but it is clean and tidy. Honestly, the first impression about Rhodes is not very flattering. Yes, you feel you are somewhere remote, lost in time, but everything is disorderly, bits and pieces here and there, started, abandoned....
Anyhow, we unpacked and then went to the beach which is very close, 3 minutes walking. The water is warm enough and so very clear, I can say even clearer than in Cyprus. And the weather is hot, really hot for October. The location is Faliraki, and the host is Thalassa Studios. We intend to explore more of the island it is a small place and also to visit Rhodes, the town.
Because we travelled most of the night and we couldn't sleep during the flight we felt really tired so we tried to go to sleep very early.
Good night!
4th October 2020
I managed to sleep about 10 hours. Simon did sleep alright, but not so much because it was a lot of loud music around especially karaoke, which is not very pleasant when you just listen till early hours. So the first thing we did we asked to change the room, which it was done immediately and without any problem.
A very nice day today. In the morning we went to the beach. We realise now that here, on Rhodes, most of the beaches are very rocky, most of them covered not in sand but in pebbles, and quite rocky in the water. But we discovered a good piece of beach and shallow water without any rocks or pebbles, so we were very glad, especially that we don't need the car, everything is in walking distance: some 'kiosk's , restaurants 'taverna' as they call them. The water is very pleasant, I could say even better than in Cyprus, because there the temperature in the sea is not uniform, you can get into pockets of warmer water or colder. And it is so clear and clean that the sun warms the sand on the bottom of the sea; you can feel it when you walk in shallow water! Even when you swim further, deeper than 8 feet, you can easily see the bottom and your own feet, very clearly!
We found somewhere to eat, very good and a nice place. Anyhow yesterday, trying to find Thalassa Studios, I , asking around, made a few 'friends'. Simon is making fun of me because walking we greet and wave to those I talked to yesterday.
The prices here seem higher than in Cyprus. But this is what we know about last year in Cyprus. Perhaps this year, because of all the events with covid-19, the prices are higher there too. The price of the fuel is quite high, even more than in England, from 1.5 euros up.
During the week we intend to go on a little trip to explore the island and visit their main town, Rhodes.
We are both happy that we don't need the car daily, everything in walking distance, as I said. In the morning Simon likes to sleep more; so if I woke early I can go to the beach without disturbing him.
We are not sure yet, but we might go for a walk even though we want to go to sleep early, it wasn't enough just last night!
5th October 2020
The adventures are going on!
It is dusk, almost sunset. But let me start with yesterday's evening....
Even though last night Simon didn't sleep as much as me because of the noise (so said music!), he felt alright and in the end we decided to go for a walk. We went to one of the restaurants we saw yesterday and I had a fish soup and Simon had a shrimp salad. Both were delicious but it was too much for me being almost evening. We returned to our room and Simon tried to sit in a chair on the balcony to have a coffee and a 'puff' (he is using electronic cigarettes) as he likes to do. Unfortunately it wasn't possible because he was quickly covered by mosquitoes. We were told that there are mosquitoes and we had two anti-mosquito repellents, one theirs and one ours. But it was quite hot in the room because we couldn't keep the window to the balcony open because of mosquitoes! We had air conditioning and we decided to use it (we are not so keen on using AC), but it didn't work! Even though it was a Sunday, the same loud music blared out again from the surrounding night clubs until the early hours.
In the end Simon decided to call Mr. Vasilakis our host that barely talks or understands English even though is was nearly 9.30 in the evening, their information in the room says to call them night or day for any problems. Simon told him that we can't manage to turn on the AC and he was saying something about closing the door, but not the door to the room. My husband gave up, the conversation not successful, and both decided that next day in the morning somebody will come and check the AC. Meanwhile we were trying to deal with the heat and the mosquitoes, but not very successfully either. The little buggers didn't touch me I don't know why! - but they made a pincushion out of Simon. Poor Simon! As if it wasn't enough, at a moment a car with two young men stopped not far from us; they opened the boot and a very loud music started. They stopped it after a while, went in the car, moved a bit further and started all over again. They did this a few times. How 'nice'! Meanwhile we had a chat and after a while I tried to sleep, but Simon couldn't. About four in the morning we were both hunting the mosquitoes in the room; Simon figured out that the famous door that had to be closed was the sliding 'door' to the balcony and now we had that closed and the AC on. Bingo! We were hoping to be able to sleep after we would kill all the mosquitoes in the room. We did nod off somewhere between 6 and 8. After which Simon searched on internet to book another room; he succeeded, we packed and we left! My husband called our host, Mr. Vasilakis, and told him that we are leaving. The guy panicked; to spare all the explanations we just said that it's not about him, it's about us, we don't want any refund and we won't leave any bad review on booking.com. Like that it was a very short conversation!
It's heaven where we are now! It is called Paul's Garden Studios and everything is exactly like the pictures on booking.com. I already took some pictures of what's around and of the room. The garden, the little rocky mountain that can be seen behind the villa on top of which there are the ruins of a castle. The little village is called Haraki (or Charaki, as the Greeks spell it, with mute 'c'), just a few houses, a few villas and some restaurants on the small beach. The beach is not so far away, but we decided to go by car to be able to see what's around too. We had lunch at one of the restaurants overlooking the beach. The food was very good. We found out that on the other side of that little mountain with the ruins there is another beach, Aghati Beach, all sand the one here is all pebbles, no sand -, the water shallow for quite a long distance out at sea. We went back to our room to change for the beach and then left in the search of the Aghati place. Of course we took a wrong turn and we ended up in a village called Archangelos, which is placed on a slope and is built exactly like those villages in Italy at least like the ones I saw in some movies -, with very narrow streets and very windy and a car can barely drive through, with no more than 4 inches free space on each side. Simon did scratch a bit the offside mirror, but it is not a problem because we have the car insured against any damage. I was excited and clapping my hands, I never saw such a place, only in movies. But Simon was stressed and rightly because we didn't know where we are, not where to turn and not so much fuel because we didn't think we would need, no trip was planned yet! I would have liked to stop the car somewhere and go out and take pictures and videos of the place. The truth is that there was no place where to park.
In the end we found a petrol station outside Archangelos, we asked for Aghati Beach and soon we managed to find it! It is indeed only sand, in a small bay surrounded by rocks, rocky hills. And the ruins can be seen from here too, very nice.
For sure tomorrow we will do some snorkelling because I already saw a lot of activity under water! I did film a very curious little flat fish which I later discovered on the internet as a wide eyed flounder. It is about 13cm long with little boggle eyes on one side. Apparently in the early juvenile stage it has the eyes on both sides but as it grows, one of the eyes migrates through a process of metamorphosis to the other side!
Our room is indeed very nice and very good: it has nets at the windows and at the door that gives access to the balcony. And the only noise one can hear is the trill of the birds and the chirping of the crickets! The villa is remote and it is surrounded by a lot of trees and bushes and other plants and flowers; it feels like we are in a small oasis.
We have air conditioning and the girl that looks after the place, she is called Popi, told us that the door to the balcony has a sensor connected to the installation and that it functions only if that door is closed! And she showed how it should be!
Simon is still OK, I told him that he has more energy than me even though I slept more than him. Popi waited for us with a bottle of white Greek wine and a bottle of olive oil, to use it for the salads I will make here. I told her that I'm on holiday so no way I will cook and we can't take the bottle in the plane. I thanked her and I assured her that we will enjoy the wine!
Now everything seems settled, we hope that nothing unpleasant will happen! We'll see!
Oh, I remembered a few funny things:
We are almost burned after sunbathing yesterday the sun was very strong, it was very hot, but it was also a strong wind too, so we didn't feel too much the strength of the sun that we were actually glad that we couldn't go to the beach in the morning with all the hustle and bustle caused by the moving. We went to Aghati Beach late in the afternoon, after five. We rested a bit after lunch and chatting we admired the bites of the mosquitoes on Simon; we laughed because I managed to find one on my leg!
We were so distracted when we filled our bag with all we need for the beach (as we do every day when we go) that we forgot to take with us Simon's shorts, him being dressed already with his swimming trunks. When we discovered this, it was already too late, it was after Simon swam. So he had to drive the car and come to our room passing in front of our host in his bare bum, just covered with a towel (this we didn't forget!). We did have a laugh!
Good night!
