Crete Island - Levka Ori (White Mountanis)

At the beginning of 90’, when the former communist government (here, in the Czech Republic) fell and borders were suddenly free and open, I visited Greece twice. Firstly, I spent more than 2 weeks on the western prong of Chalkidiki Peninsula (called Kassandra), and next year I was in Tolo, near the town of Nauplio on the Peloponéssos Peninsula. Both trips with a travel agency, what meant all was paid – transport, accommodation, partly a meal, also a guide etc., but because that was also at the time when activities of various new travel agencies were just starting here (in Czech), often without any experience and – of course – often with an effort to make so much money how possible, no surprise all was of corresponding quality, and therefore after return we spent too much time to get back money paid for services which were not realized. Despite above mentioned problems also the Greece itself, in general, was not what would satisfy or fulfill me wholly because there was still one place which attracted me much more – and it was the island where substantial part of the myth of Theseus took place - the Crete Island.

All these reasons led me to conviction the best would be to arrange a holiday on my own and, if possible, the best would be on Crete Island. And also all these reasons above mentioned got together in the time when a celebration of my rounded birthday got near. Because more people from my party are born in the same year we thought about how to celebrate it in the best way. As we are people who like to do some sport, or better - physical activities, in general, I suggested to organize a long trip to Crete on our own: to buy a flight ticket, pack a backpack, take it on shoulders and set off. This opinion met with great enthusiasm, and therefore, I spent lot of time to find all relevant information and I even created a thin book-guide with all these important details… but how the time was running, possible parties found next and next reasons why not set off and in the end I remained sole who wanted really to start.