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The end of the road near Omalos in the White Mountains.
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The last store before the Samaria Gorge.
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Warnings in many languages
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The start of the Gorge walk
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The White Mountains
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The mountains are rugged
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The track heads downhill
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It is steep and rough, despite the cobblestones.
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Looking up into the White Mountains.
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Lookout point.
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Warning - Great Danger Walk Quickly.
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Wire netting covers the track in case of rock falls
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Passing some of the fallen rocks
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Arriving at the first watering hole
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Emergency evacuation service - not local taxi service
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The path goes ever downwards
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The 2 Kilometre peg...
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...and on the reverse it reminds you there are 11 km still to go...
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The next rest area
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A welcome break.
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The people who stop here have time on their hands...
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The river did not do this.
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Its a long way to walk just to read a book!
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Finally we reach the river bed..
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and can look up to the White Mountains.
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Another rest stop.
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Cypresses are unique to this gorge.
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and some of them are very old.
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This plant looks a bit odd....
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It is one of the carrion flowers that smells of rotting flesk...!
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I don't think the river put these stones in here.
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A Cypress growing out of the rock.
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This sign means the same in any language.
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We were warned about the local goats...
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but did not expect to see one.
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The river starts to widen out.
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The bridge across to Samaria Village and lunch!
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Looking upstream from the bridge.
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Looking downstream
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The lunch stop at Samaria
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Remains of the houses at Samaria
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Fire is a major risk in summer. One of many small "fire stations" on the walk.
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The track is now much flatter.
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Example of the limestone.
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Approaching the narrow part of the gorge and the "Gates of Iron".
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10 km mark - 3 to go to the end of the gorge.
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Another hardy Cypress.
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Crossing a large rock avalance area
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The last rest area
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A small bird resting here as well.
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Another pack horse at work.
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Entering the Gates of Samaria.
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Lookin back upstream.
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And out the other side
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Walking through the oleander bushes.
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Crossing the river on bridges...
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and on stepping stones.
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Past the last of the oleander bushes..
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And out through the checkpoint..
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Where we found a waiting beer... or two..
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at the small cafe.
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You mean to say there is more walking yet???.
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Some people took the bus.
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But most people walked the last 3 km through the small village.
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down the valley.
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through more oleanders
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until the coast was in sight.
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The final destination.
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The south coast of Crete.
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A ferry lay in wait - but it was not our one.
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Tetrapods protecting the beach
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It was blowing a gale on the coast
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but a few hardy people braved the waves.
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Part of Agia Romeli
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Souvenir shops...
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and trattoria.
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Late in the afternoon and the crowds assembled.
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Our ferry arrived...
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And pulled into the jetty.
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The crowd rushed aboard
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only to find that many of them were on the wrong ferry.
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Those left behind.
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Then we were clear of the jetty.
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Samaria Gorge from the ferry.
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Most were tired and footsore.
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We travelled east towards Sfakia in the last of the sunshine.
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We called in to the small village of Loutro.
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and on to Sfakia in the distance.
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Approaching Sfakia.
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Disembarking.
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Climbing the last hill .
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to the waiting buses.
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