Greece: Samaria Gorge
I end my Greecian journey with a leg-breaking trekking on the 16 km long Samaria gorge, one of Europe’s longest gorge.
1 day. 16 km. 1,250 m climb down. 5 to 6 hours. 6 litres of water. 1 fall on the bum-bum. 3 days worth of sore thighs. Totally worth it.
We started our journey at this small little rest spot. Breakfast was just two slices of bread with jam, and a nice cup of hot chocolate.
Take a water break too, for there is no bathroom till the next one or two hours into your journey.
Before I begun my descend. My hike guide had to scare me by saying that there are park rangers roaming around to carry any injured person out of the trail. This is a popular hiking destination. It couldn’t be that dangerous right? I’m so wrong.
Right: A photo opportunity with the Zeus rock.
Below: Snap shots of the scenic view as I made my descend. It was just a spectacular morning, with the mist just lifting from the thick forestry. What a lovely way to end the Cretan experience.
Right at the beginning, I had to climb probably 1,000 m down in about 50 flight of steps. I was amused at the number of grandmas and grandpas flashing past us - all decked out in their seasoned hiking gears. They even have a tan to boost! I on the other hand was under dressed in a pair of running shoes that did not have a good grip on the slippery stone. I feared for my life.
Being the weaker of the trio, I had to speed walk my way. I had to cut down on my resting time to keep in pace with my friends (who were gliding and not walking down the winding path). It didn’t help that I had a couple of near falls down the smooth rock steps. We past by Zeus rock - supposedly where Zeus was born or was enthroned (can’t remember which).
Along the way, you will see pretty things. Like Inuk rock formation, bright bougainvillea, nice whirly old trees (I took a picture with one! The lighting was so strong, I look as if I was giving off light).
Below: Quick snaps of the streams, flowers, and rocks of the Samaria Gorge.
Left: The old whirly tree that we spotted mid-way into our journey. We paused here for a photo opportunity. We had to hurry though, because we needed to be out of this gorge before sunset.
At about noon time, we hit the abandoned village of Samaria. Hikers usually eat their packed lunch here. Replenish your bottles with the spring water before you continue your trek.
Right: The abandoned village of Samaria. I have no idea how did these people survive here. It was about 3 hours away from the start of the climb and 3 hours away from the open ocean.
Compared to the previous trek, trekking from here on was leisure. It was like a stroll in the park, except that you are like a little doll.
10 km into the hike, you will see the Iron Gate. This is the narrowest path in the entire gorge. This is also where the flow of the water is the highest during the rainy season. We were really lucky to be there during a dry season, for in 1993, a flash flood washed some hikers out to sea, and they were killed.
Be really careful about falling rocks though. The likelihood of being killed by these huge rocks is much bigger. Do not stray from the allocated path as well. Follow the arrows as marked.
I must admit the markers can be unclear at certain points in the trek. I accidentally strayed off the trek at a picturesque spot near the Iron Gate. Here is the bed of the lake. As there is still a constant flow of spring water downwards, it is not surprising to see that the markers are either washed out (painted stones) or washed away (branches).
While I was snapping away, I heard this rumbling of falling stones. I froze. Right before my eyes, a huge chunk of stone fell. I scrambled for safety. Found the right marker, and went back to the appropriate path. Phew. Never belittle the signs that says “falling rocks”. (Not that there was one where that rock fell).
I loved the later part of the walk. I loved the feel of the granite and the feel of having cool spring water trickling through my fingers. I got excited at the occasional sightings of wild Cretan mountain goats.
The end of our Samaria Gorge trail ends off with a subtle mountain-valley feel. It reminds me of those touristy postcard shots.
Just look at those hikers in the picture.
We had to cross gentle streams. We walked on handmade bridges to avoid getting our legs wet. It was just aye, so soothing, and so restful.
The scenery was the same throughout the end, except for the occasional spotting of flowering trees in the gravel ground. (How do these plants survive the annual winter season or flash floods for that matter?)
Our trek ends with a fishy dinner at Agia Roumeli. I loved the char-grilled fish. The Cretans really do a good job at it. Lightly grilled with salt. Simple yet mouth watering.
If you have some time to spare (if you are one of those crazy hikers who can finish off the trek in two hours - seriously, how do they do it?), you can take a luxurious dip into the clear blue waters at the harbour. I even spotted some people swimming in their bikinis - really well prepared ehz?
Below: Candid shots of the Agia Roumeli village.
Next up, Turkey - the last league of my graduation trip.
Nature undisturbed
Nature, where men do not roam, is the most beautiful.
I never knew fishing spots existed in Singapore. Look, I even found a snail in the clear waters.
The truth about shoes
I love shoes. I love it high heeled, flat out, pointed, shimmery, matt - I just love shoes. But the truth about shoes after many painful years of affair with it? It hurts to wear them most of the time.
Call me stupid, but after many years of experimenting, I have decided that whatever the price is, only leather shoes are fit to wear.
I have an odd feet measurement. My rightie is a 6.75 and my leftie is a 6.25. So they met with a consensus that they would both fit into a 6.5. Unfortunately, most shops do not carry a 6.5, and thus, I’m left with a torn-up decision. Buy one of the other size, either foot would complain.
Until, I started experimenting with squishing stuffings into the shoes.
Like all “eureka” moments, this discovery came quite by accident. Two years ago, I purchased a pair of 4 inch leather peep-toes from Nine-West. But, my feet weren’t exactly pleased with it. So, I just left the heels in its box, with its stuffings intact for exactly a year.
Perhaps the black heels got bored of sitting around in the box, or it grew fat over the year by drinking the stale oxygen, or simply the stuffings helped expand the front of the heels; making it a comfortable fit for my odd feet.
To make sure that this is not a one-off instance, I went on to experiment stuffing acid-free paper into all my ill-fitted shoes.
Guess what? It worked!
Perhaps some of the shoes require a little more coaxing, and hence, more incubating time, but it beats better than to cringe in pain whilst trying to season the shoes with my own feet.
Another discovery I made, it only works well on leather products. Apparently leather is stretchable over time. Plus, even the worse grade of leather shoes allow your feet to breathe a little, unlike pvc.
Give a woman a good pair of heels and she will walk a long way.
Give a woman a good pair of leather heels, that fits like a dream (do the stuffings! I promise you, you won’t regret it), and she will walk a longer way.
All because of a duplicated receipt
I’ve always been a big fan of Muji. I really do love their stuff. I have a row of their acrylic storage boxes and plastic boxes to put my jewellery, makeup, and other barang. So, it only seemed right that I got my hands on a Muji card to clock in points.
But all because of this plastic card, a loyal fan is about to turn into a not so happy fanatic.
Not too long ago, Muji changed their membership card policy. So, there goes all my nicely accumulated receipts (because now you need to accumulate $100 in a month and not $300 in a year). But, being an understanding Singaporean, policies need to be followed. And anyway, they did state it bold and clear on the posters.
So, being a loyal fan, I have been trying my best to accumulate a $100 within a month. And sure enough, with all the pretty transparent eye candies that Muji has to offer, I did.
But little did I know, because of a line that says “duplicate copy” on one of my receipts, the company may not give me the plastic card. Sure, I totally understand that they have their reservations that I may mis-use the original receipt. But dear Muji, you were the one who issued me my original receipts in half, because you ran out of paper.
Honestly, what is so wrong in issuing that plastic card to someone who has a duplicated copy receipt (which by no means is something I asked), who can’t even mis-use the original receipt, because your sales assistant crumpled them both and threw it away (and didn’t tell me I need the originals to apply for the card). And since it is not exactly a discount card but an accumulating bonus card - which means I need to spend before you award me - what is wrong with just giving me that plastic card?
Is it better to make a consumer happy by giving her the card and making her spend, or to make a loyal-consumer-turned-boycott upset because you rejected her application?
Goodness, I hope the managers approving my application did ace their marketing 101 course.
The lesson of the day? Make sure the shop you are shopping at issues you an original receipt. Who cares if you kick up a big fuss there and then.
Greece: Mykonos
Welcome to the island of partying! If you love nightlife, this is one of the Greecian island you have to visit.
When my friends and I were googling to see which Greecian islands to visit, Mykonos’ name kept coming up. Not only does this tiny island have natural attraction of its own, it has been made popular by the numerous happening parties that it hosts.
Due to time constraints, my friends and I did not have the opportunity to go to one of the most famous partying beach strips - Super Paradise. We did, however, bobbed in the waters near our apartment. 18 days without seeing the seas and 14 days burning in the hot Egyptian sun, dipping into this beach waters was already paradise to us. Look how happy I was wearing my odd attire of a swim suit and a sun dress
What I loved most about this island, had got to be snooping around the main town - it was like alice in wonderland - winding streets, similar doors, never ending roads. With every turn, I would just swoon at the attas (or snobbish) shops and their delicious window display. If you want a rouge gauge on how high-class this island is - just imagine that a normal looking piece of dress costs EU$150 (then equiv
alent to SGD$300).
A major highlight to my friends (and secretly myself) was that this island was full of pretty people! It was just unbelievable. Even the Mykonos’s bougainvillea looked so pretty - unlike their white-washed counterparts back home.
To wrap up your touristy day, you need to visit the windmills of Mykonos. Snap away as the sun sets.
Do also enjoy a seafood dinner at any of the restaurants, for their catch is always fresh. I recommend the seafood platter.
Happy Birthday Daddy!
Today is my daddy’s birthday.
To celebrate his birthday, we went to eat at Nadamen at Shangri-La. It was so awesome! Even though it is a bit tad high class, the ambiance was not at all stuffy, and the service staff were so helpful and friendly.
Look at the sumptuous lunch that we had!
From the menu, I chose the beef teppanyakki lunch set. It costs $55. Really worth it. I heart the scallop and cod fish. The vegetables were a little bit too salty for my liking, but the rest of the menu was great! I heart the vanilla ice-cream too. To round off the sweet deal, the good people of Shangri-La gave my dad a complimentary cake.
Happy birthday daddy!
PS: Shangri-La is currently having “flash your age” promotion. On your birthday you are entitled to discounted meals (according to your age - if you are 60 years old, your discount is 60% - how fantastic is that). Call 67373644 to make reservations. You have to be quick because there is a quota daily.
NB: One of the pictures above was taken from hungrygowhere.com
Christian Lacriox Showcase
Today’s entry will be in honour of Christian Lacriox, French couture fashion designer extraordinaire.
The National Museum of Singapore has been showcasing Lacriox’s costume designs for the opera, theatre, dance, and music since March this year. It will close tomorrow.
Be wowed by the gorgeous collection of couture gowns and suits. Lacriox is a true visionary. I was so annoyed at myself for forgetting to bring a proper camera and thus was only able to snap poor shots of the display using my camera phone.
Here are some drool-worthy gowns that he created. (His gowns are stunning even though I snapped the pictures using a lousy camera phone.)
And his sketches.
My pictures don’t do justice to his showcase! You have to visit the showcase. It is g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s.
Greece: Crete
I must admit my trip to Greece was greatly influenced by my Greek mythology classes in Canada. So from Athens, to Delphi, to Mycenae, I had to go to Crete - the birth place of the almighty Zeus.
From mainland Greece, we took an over night ferry to Crete. It was a true nightmare looking for ferry tickets online. It was even harder to connect all the ferries in accordance to our travel plans. Plus, you are at the mercy of the Greecian sea.
Do opt for a room to bunk in. You will want to be refreshed for your travels. If you are travelling with friends, it will not be a problem if you find that you are booked in separate rooms, for the service staff are helpful in changing rooms for you at the concierge.
There are two places that you can dork at: Chania (Hania) or Heraklion (Iraklion).
In my opinion, if you are pressed for time, skip Heraklion all together. Spend your time in Rethymnon and Chania. Besides Knossos palace (which is another archaelogical site), the port fortress, and the city centre (which is really small), there is nothing much left to do in Heraklion. It is a good place to do your laundry though, because the price is inexpensive.
On the bright side, if you want to experience eating the Greecian way, you will be happy to know that you can get quite a good selection of food in Heraklion.
Personally, I prefer Chania to Heraklion by a mile. Even their streets look so much prettier and more vibrant. (The right most picture shows colourful Greecian worry beads. They are prayers beads which main purpose is just to relieve stress).
One part of Chania that I really love is the coast near the main town. Here, you can spend a lazy afternoon relaxing, passing the time by peering at the fish and sea creatures swimming in the clear sea water (the crab is camouflaged), or sipping a nice cup of tea. 
Night was spent in the suburbs at Maleme. It’s just a lovely place if you want to get hitched in secret and yet still enjoy the warm sunset. Even the flowers are happy.
PS: It is easy to get around Crete. There is a local bus that runs from Heraklion, through Rethymnon, to Chania, and back. Just check out the daily timings at the bus interchange. You should purchase your tickets in advance.
Greece: Delphi and Mycenae
My greek mythology professor once told me, “Delphi was the centre of the earth to the ancient Greeks”. It really is.
Hidden in the mountains, Delphi was a mystical place to the ancient Greeks. It was a place where the ancient Greeks hosted their annual sporting events and a place where they honoured and worshipped their Gods.
As I gazed out of the bus, I was decently surprised by the remarkable scenery - lush forests, beautiful bright blue sky, wisps of white clouds, and cute little streams. I thought I went to heaven on earth.
The first thing that you have to do when you arrive at Delphi, is to make your ascend up the hill. There is no time to waste. Do not wear heels, for it is not an easy climb.
If you are a Greek history fan, you will be excited to know that on this very hill, dozens of treasuries (really) and statues once stood on this sprawling ground. This was the place where the Greeks would tithe their winnings to Apollo. Here lies the Theatre of Delphi as well.
The best part of the climb, had to be seeing the stadium. It was huge! We were not able to squeeze in time to visit the ancient olympic site, so this was the only alternative. Here, ancient Greeks once competed in track and field events, racing, archery, and other sporting events.
You may want to visit the Stoa of the Athenians, the Tholos (a popular site with tourists), or the Castalian Spring which are located away from the main Delphi site.
Another interesting place to visit on mainland Greece is Mycenae. If you have some time to spare, or you would like to embark on a totally different experience (an alternative to going to the olympic stadium), this is a great choice.
Mycenae was one of the major places where Greeks inhabited during the early civilisation. This tiny settlement was once rich and powerful.
When you arrive, you must rush to take a picture with the Lion gate. The well preserved triangular stone is a key stone in holding up the entire fortress.
This has got to be my proudest photograph taken on the mainland Greece. According to my mythology professor, it is almost impossible to take a good picture of the Lion’s gate without having someone else in the picture (okay, that tiny person at the back doesn’t count).
Upon further exploration, you will see two grave circles. One was for the rich and the other was for common folks.
As usual, the climb up is not easy. But, you need to ascend to the top to be able to appreciate the magnificent scenery that surrounds this place.
My friends and I had lots of fun taking picture at this site. 
Here I am at the top of the hill, where the palace once stood.
And I was not kidding when I said that the view is pretty. (Can you imagine this place during Spring? Wow).
NB: As both places are located far from each other, it will make sense to dedicate a day each to visiting the individual places.