Im actually writing this entry from Kusadasi, Turkey. However, before I write about what the yacht is doing now, I want to take some time to explain what I was doing for the two weeks of silence on my BLOGGING. No, the internet was not broken. Some of you may have thought so, but I hope you weren't worried about me.
Rhodes is my favorite island in Greece, Turkey, and Italy. I would have said that Sicily was my favorite island in the Mediterranean, but it was crossed off for lack of consistent wind(Messina Straight does have wind but too much traffic and current). I have chosen Rhodes for its history and heritage, ease and friendliness towards travelers, consistent winds and beautiful beaches, and wide explorabillity factor.
Upon arriving Rhodes after dropping guests off in Mykonos, the crew was given a long weekend off. I spent most of Friday sleeping, catching up on rest after an active guest trip full of long hours. Saturday I went with four other crew members down the West coast of the island in search of a kiteboarding beach. I had done some research online and knew that there were some kiting centers and schools on the island's Western coast. Rhodes has good roads by Greek island standards and the navigation is pretty simple. First stop was at a kite center to look at conditions and ask about some equipment spares. Our real focus was on a giant sandbar that connected a rocky island to Rhodes at the Southern tip.
The main road took us through towns and villages, by the airport and many beaches, and up some mountains into a forest. Dozens of signs along the roadside denoted monasteries and ruins. The road became twisty, at times with a sheer cliff on one side. Views out to sea and inland to tall mountains and pasture lands were entertaining, and the sharper the curves got the more I wanted to tour the island on a motorcycle. The beach resorts and restaurant strips of the northern part of the island faded into olive orchards and other tree crops. The sandy beaches could have been there, but they were not visible looking out off the cliffs. A mountain town named Monolithe was unique, and honey bees are a spread throughout this area of the island. Coming down the other side of the mountain revealed a broad dune covered in some scrubby bushes and criss crossed with atv trails. Our turn came up for Prasonisi, and the van made the right that would take us across this dune and up over the hill to our destination.
Coming around the curve and down the hill was a sight, dozens of kites were in the sky, and even more windsurfers were out on the water. I say sand bar, but picture a wide and long beach with ocean on both sides. A rocky island at the end of the beach, with more roads for ATVing. We drove out on the sand, checking out the spot. Many motorhomes were parked there on the sand, as were lots of cars. It was a busy spot on a busy day, but our stomaches were growling so we turned around and headed to the restaurant at the entrance to the beach. Service was slow, typical of Greece, and I was losing interest in the cheeseburger I had ordered. I just wanted to go kiting, and it seemed the wind was dropping.
Finally lunch was over and my kite was rigged up. The wind was still light, even on the wave side of the beach were it should be heavier. I got my first session on my surf board without any foot straps, a good choice for light wind. When the wind picked up slightly I switched it out for my twin tip board. After a great day at the beach we piled back into the van and drove home with the sliding doors open. For the ride home we went up the East coast for a different view and to save some time. The East coast is much more populated, and there are a few very nice bays complete with hotels. Also on this coast are some great anchorage options, weather depending.
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