Crete

My body and brain are having physical reactions to the heat in Greece (high 90's to 100's everyday) - there are tiny bumps all over my back which I thought were bedbug bites or hives, but I'm told are probably just my skin's reaction to the heat. My brain is so fried that I can't put together in words my thoughts, the one thing I'm usually fairly good at.

We arrived here from Spain, possibly one of the laziest countries in the world - stores open around 11 am (mas o menos), then close again for siesta between 4-6, people eat long lazy dinners that start at 10 pm. But then we arrived in Crete, which manages to outshine Spain in sheer laziness. Many of the stores are closed between 1 pm - 6 pm for siesta (5 hours??), people start eating dinner around 11 pm and stay lounging at the dinner table for 3-4 hours, for round after round of ouzo or raki or beer. So... when in Crete, do as the Cretans do. We sleep in until noon, head out to grab lunch so housekeeping can clean our room, eat a leisurely lunch, take a stroll around the gorgeous port town of Chania, head back to our room for siesta, then head back out around 7 or 8 pm for sunset, dinner, people-watching and strolling, which are basically Chania's main draws. Yesterday we hiked 18 km through the Samaria Gorge, a beautiful but treacherous trek (especially in 90+ weather) and this morning every muscle in the lower half of my body ached, including my lower back and stomach muscles.

Chania is gorgeous, especially at dusk, but there isn't particularly a lot to do here, especially when it's so hot that when you step outside you can feel your flip flops melting. We have two more days in Crete, then head over to Santorini, which I think is one of the most beautiful places on planet earth. I just hope there's some Asian food there.