After leaving Emily in Santorini, I hopped on a ferry with my new Canadian friends to Crete. (Sidenote: i have met more Canadians on this trip than any other time in my life, and they are so far the NICEST people I have ever come across). I had not originally planned to come to Crete, because I was overwhelmed by the size of the island and the number of things to do. But everyone else told me to go, so I went. Turns out I was right - sort of. It’s huge! And really hard to see even a good sampling of places in a short 3 day visit. As a result, my FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) complex has been in high gear ever since I arrived.
To make matters worse, I am finally really alone again. After meeting friends (old and new) everywhere I went, I naievely believed Crete would be the same. But when I got to my hotel - in the burbs of Heraklion - I knew I was in trouble. Not only was it not a hostel - where you meet people by nature of sharing rooms and every other space - it was full of old people and families. Lovely old people and families from around the world, but old people and families nonetheless. And it goes without saying that Old People and Families on holiday are not out looking to befriend 20-something American travelers or share stories and tips from the road. They just want to lay by the pool or beach and maybe explore the city with their companions. Major strike out for me. Then again, I planned this trip solo and am fiercely independent, so maybe I’d just been spoiled up til now.
Anyway, just like at home I knew I had to get out of the burbs ASAP so I jumped on a bus to explore downtown Heraklion.
Disclaimer: if you really want any accurate facts about any of the places I describe, you should look it up in Wikipedia. All I know is what I remeber from my guidebooks and the few signs I came across in English.
That said, Heraklion is the capital of Crete (although this is somewhat new - it used to be Chania) and it has a long history. It used to be a port town back in the day to service the palace of Knossos, which I beleive was under Minoan rule. (Again, I’m no history buff here). It was later taken over by the Venetians, and you can see the remains of this all around the city - the Venetians walled the city, and pieces are still visible. There is also some cool architecture, including the armory at the old port (picture below). To me, this scene looked like a Mediterranean Maine, with working fishing boats and fisherman all over the place. Not a touristy waterfront; it felt mostly utilitarian, like the port city that it is. But sometimes that’s nice too - seeing the other sides to a city and country beyond the perfectly sculptured pedestrian and tourist areas.
After wandering for what felt like an eternity completely lost - and a little scared - I had a few of the sweet moments of turning a corner and suddenly feeling a piece click into place in my brain, completing the puzzle and finally feeling oriented to my surroundings. I think this has been one of the best parts of traveling. Nothing can be taken for granted: the ability to ask directions, find a bus, figure out where the hell you are - it is all a new challenge, every day.
I was right that Crete is big and overwhelming. But as I anxiously study my guide book, trying to make the most of the short time I have here, I see that I was also wrong - Crete is lovely and I’m glad I came. I just wish I had 2 weeks and a car.
