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| Levitha |
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| Wolfgang's Inuksuk |
Except for a few cruisers, the tiny island of Levitha is almost unknown. It's located in the Agean Sea between Kos and Paros and is part of the Dodecanese Islands. It is a very peaceful, sheltered anchorage with several buoys laid at the eastern end for visitors to tie up. The entire island is owned by one family who operate the legendary tavern from their farmhouse which is entirely powered only by wind and solar energy. A 15 minute walk will take you to a restaurant like no other. We were served a most delicious dinner with a choice of either lamb, goat or fish.
Luckily the skipper remembered to bring a flashlight for the return trip to our dinghy because the extreme darkness was unexpected.
We would have gladly stayed a few more days in this exquisite anchorage, but we were anxious to meet up with Vivamare, so we made our next stop in Kos Marina.
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| KOS MARINA |
The island of Kos is one of the largest in the Dodecanese group and is a favorite among cruisers looking for some action. I wish I could say I took a spin in this little toy, but they are a very popular rental car along with bikes. Tourism is the primary industry with many crowded beaches, hotels and restaurants. For lunch we loved the pita gyros with a large beer for 10 euro in total.
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| FAVORITE LUNCH |
After spending 3 adventuresome days on Kos we were were ready for our reunion with Vivamare. We stayed in touch via cell phone and lastly VHF radio so we headed towards Symi, into Panormitis Bay where they were anchored. As we entered this little hidden gem we were greeted by turquoise water, wooded hillsides and the island's main attraction, the 15th century Panormitis Monatersy
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| PANORMITIS BAY AND MONESTARY |
Arriving around 4:30 we were hot from the day's sun and excited to see Vivamare so we anchored quickly and jumped into the water and swam over for a champagne welcome. The air temperature was above 30 degrees and the water wasn't much cooler. Vivamare had visitors onboard... Karo and Chris, a lovely younger couple from Munich. For dinner we headed to the local taverna for a selection of Greek appetizers and several litres of wine and beer.
During the summer months tour boats arrive in this bay daily with visitors from all over the country. Even today free food and shelter are offered to all pilgrims.
For the next two months our two ships, Vivamare and Simple Abundance travel together and the next day we motored to the town of Symi. Symi is both the name of the island and the name of the main harbour.
Symi is quite mountainous and is highlighted by it's beautiful Ventician-like harbour. The pastel painted houses have been beautifully maintained and surround the port with many cafes, restaurants and shops hugging the waterfront.
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| SYMI HARBOUR |
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| SYMI HARBOUR |
Symi has a long history of sponge diving and ship building but like most Greek islands todays main industry is tourism.
Many ferries bring day trippers back and forth from nearby Rhodes and the bigger ferries unload trucks and cars which supply the island commercially. At times the harbour looks very chaotic, but an experienced cruiser knows that it's best to arrive in a port early afternoon for a good spot.
Leaving Symi harbour we head east, changing our flags from Greek to Turkish in order to be maritime legal. Arriving in Bozburun, Turkey a small seaside town, where our boat and all crew members must be checked in. This process is a little bit more complicated in Turkey than elsewhere, but we were aware that entering Turkey would require an AGENT, an official who will take your passport to the customs office, apply for a Transit Log and Blue Card...explanation later. This allows a yacht to travel freely in Turkish waters and may be inspected by any harbour official at any time. This process took 5 hours; waiting in 35 degree heat, but we had the pleasure of listening to the Muezzin's call to prayer. (Turkey is a Muslum country.) He is a very important person for the community because people depend on him for an accurate prayer schedule. The mosque in the picture below had loudspeakers mounted on the top and the Muezzin uses a microphone allowing the call to prayer to be heard at great distances.
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BOZBURUN, TURKEY
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After paying our 85 euros per boat, we were anxious to leave so we could cool off and enjoy a stress-free evening with a few cocktails. We had received a tip from a fellow cruiser about the "octopus" restaurant with free mooring, water, electricity, and showers. Sounded too good to be true, but we lucked out, the place was awesome. Before arriving I was a little worried about space availability because it was already early evening. My concern quickly dissolved when I saw people on the dock waving us in. Within five minutes after arrival we were all swimming and very excited because this place looked fabulous.
Dinner was a delight...first a large plate of appetizers chosen from the extensive selection (not a menu) already prepared. The kitchen offered all kinds of seafood and various meat casseroles. Specialties of the house include grilled, fried or stuffed calamari and octopus (fresh from the region). The choice was very difficult. We enjoyed a great evening with outstanding food and great friends. Definitely worth a second visit?
Although I was in favour of staying several days longer, the consensus rules, so the next morning we untied our lines and headed towards an anchorage at Loryma.
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