Crete Vacation

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Below is pics from Spinalonga. Spinalonga was a venitian island fortress which was then used as a leper colony in the 20th century. It can only be reached by taking a boat to the island.

Here is some info on Spinalonga.

The island of Spinalonga (official name: Kalidon) is located at the eastern section of Crete, near the town of Elounda. The name of the island, Spinalonga, is Venetian, meaning "long thorn", and has roots in the period of Venetian occupation. This location is also the setting for Victoria Hislop's bestselling novel The Island and Werner Herzog's experimental short film Last Words.

Origin of the name

According to Venetian documents, the name of the island originated in the Greek expression "STIN ELOUNDA" (meaning "to Elounda"). The Venetians could not understand the expression so they familiarized it using their own language, and called it SPINA (thorn) LONGA (long), an expression that was also maintained by the locals. The Venetians were inspired for this expression by the name of an island near Venice called by the same name and which is known today as the island of Giudecca.

History

The Venetian cartographer Vincenzo Coronelli reports that Spinalonga was not always an island, but was once linked with the adjacent peninsula of Kolokitha. He mentions that in 1526, the Venetians cut down a portion of the peninsula and thus created the island. Because of its position the island was fortified from its earliest years in order to protect the entranceway of the port of Ancient Olous.

Olous, and accordingly the wider region, were depopulated at the middle of the 7th century because of the raids of the Arab pirates in the Mediterranean. Olous remained deserted until the middle of the 15th century when the Venetians begun to construct salt-pans in the shallow and salty waters of the gulf. Consequently, the region acquired commercial value and systematically became inhabited. This fact, in combination with the Turkish threat to use gunpowder for warlike purposes, particularly after the occupation of Constantinople in 1453, and the continuous pirate raids, forced the Venetians to fortify the island.

In 1578 the Venetians charged the engineer Genese Bressani to plan the island's fortifications. He created blockhouses at the highest points of the northern and southern side of the island, as well as a fortification ring along the coast of the island that closed out any hostile disembarkation. In 1579, the General Previsor of Crete Luca Michiel put the foundation stone of the fortifications. There are two inscriptions that cite this event: one on the transom of the main gate of the castle and the other on the base of the rampart at the north side of the castle. In 1584, the Venetians, realising that the coastal fortifications were easy to conquer by the enemies attacking from the vicinal hills, decided to strengthen their defence by constructing new fortifications at the top of the hill. The Venetian fire would thus have bigger throw, rendering Spinalonga an impregnable sea fortress, one of the most important in the Mediterranean basin.

In addition, in 1579 the Venetians built a fortress on Spinalonga over the ruins of an acropolis. They kept control of the island until the Ottoman Empire took possession of it in 1715.

Following the Turkish occupation of Crete in 1669, only the fortresses of Gramvousa , Souda and Spinalonga remained in Venetian hands; they would remain so for almost half a century. Many Christians found refuge in these fortresses to escape persecution. In 1715, the Turks came to terms with the Venetians and occupied the island. At the end of the Turkish occupation the island was the refuge of many Ottoman families that feared the Christian reprisals. After the revolution of 1866 other Ottoman families came to the island from all the region of Mirabello. In 1881 the 1112 Ottomans formed their own community and Later, in 1903, the last Turks left the island.

The island was subsequently used as a leper colony, from 1903 to 1957. It is notable for being one of the last active leper colonies in Europe. The last inhabitant, a priest, left the island in 1962. This was to maintain the religious tradition of the Greek Orthodox church, in which a buried person has to be commemorated 40 days, 6 months, 1, 3 and 5 years after their death. Other leper colonies that have survived Spinalonga include Tichilesti in Eastern Romania, Fontilles in Spain and Talsi in Latvia. As of 2002, few lazarettos remain in Europe.[1])

There were two entrances to Spinalonga, one being the lepers' entrance, a tunnel known as Dante's Gate. This was so named because the patients did not know what was going to happen to them once they arrived. However, once on the island they received food, water, medical attention and social security payments. Previously, such amenities had been unavailable to Crete's leprosy patients, as they mostly lived in the area's caves, away from civilization.

Spinalonga Today

Today, the unoccupied island is one of the main tourist attractions in Crete. In addition to the abandoned leper colony and the fortress, Spinalonga is known for its small pebble beaches. The island can easily be accessed from Elounda and Agios Nikolaos. Tourist boats depart from both towns on a daily basis. There is no accommodation on Spinalonga, meaning all tours last only a few hours. Boat trips from Elounda take approximately fifteen minutes while trips departing Agios Nikolaos can take nearly one hour.

The book "Island of the Damned" by Victor Zorba - a local expert on the island - is still in print. It relates the true story of the leper colony and, because the author met with the last governor of the colony, contains many exclusive photos and stories of the German occupation.

The book "The Island" by Victoria Hislop is set in Spinalonga and shares the fictional story of a family's ties to the leper colony.

There is also a fascinating novel called "Yannis" written by Beryl Darby (who also wrote the offical guide book to the island "Spinalonga - A leper colony") which is an insightful story about the lepers who lived on the island. Although the novel is fictional it is based on stories retold by one of lepers who was last to leave the island when it eventually closed. The guide book "Spinalonga" has also been translated into many other languages. Following "Yannis" is also the next book in Beryl Darby's series "Anna". For more information go to wwww.beryldarby.co.uk

Spinalonga - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The next day we took a one hour boat ride to the Island of Chrissi. It is a very famous beach also know as the Golden Beach. I have never seen such clear blue water in my life, and I have been to some pretty famous beaches in the Caribbean. The water was so clear you could see the fish swimming around you from the surface. We also took a lot of underwater pics of the fish and sealife but again the pics are not developed yet.

Some info on Chrissi.

Chrissi (Golden) or Gaidhouronisi (Donkey Island) is an uninhabited island some twelve kilometers off the coast of the town of Ierapetra. It is five kilometers long and on average one kilometer wide. The island's average height above sea level is ten meters; Kefala, the highest point of the island, is 31 meters above sea level. The island is renowned for its white beaches, sand dunes and forest of pines and junipers. The western tip of the island has some remains of past settlement: a few Minoan ruins and a 13th century chapel dedicated to Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas). It was inhabited into Byzantine times. The main sources of wealth were fishing, salt export, and the export of porphyra (Tyrian purple), a scarlet dye made from shells. After the Byzantine period the island was abandoned, although later it was used as a hideout.

Nowadays the island is protected as an "area of intense natural beauty". Especially in summer, the island attracts many tourists. As camping is forbidden on the island, only day trips are possible. Ferries leave the quay at Ierapetra daily at 10 A.M. and return at 5 P.M. Visitors are not allowed to roam freely over the island, but only on designated paths and some beaches close to the eastern tip of the island. There is a small tavern at the ferry landing. 700 meters to the east of Chrissi lies the rocky islet of Mikronisi (Small Island).

Ierapetra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The next day was a rest and relaxation day at the beach (as if we needed another relaxation day after the Island of Chrissi...).

The day after that however we drove to the city of Chania and Rethymno.

Here is some info on Chania followed by pics, then info on Rethymno followed by pics.

Population: 55,838
Area: 12.564 km² (5 sq mi)
Density: 4,444 /km² (11,511 /sq mi

Chaniá (Greek: Χανιά, IPA: [xaˈɲa], also transliterated Hania and Khania, older form Chanea and Venetian: Canea, Ottoman Turkish: خانيه Hanya) is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania Prefecture. It lies along the north coast of the island, about 70 km west of Rethymno and 145 km west of Heraklion.

The official population of the municipal area is 55,838 but around 70,000 people live in the greater area of Chania. With 4,248.1 inhabitants/km², the municipality is the most densely populated outside the Athens and Thessaloniki metropolitan areas.

Geography

The city of Chania lies at the east end of the Gulf of Chania, a wide embayment between the Akrotiri peninsula in the east and the Spatha peninsula (also called Rodopos) in the west. Kastelli Hill is a prominent landform within the city, which hill was a center of the ancient city of Kydonia. It covers a significant part of the small Plain of Chania and borders with the hilly suburbs of Profitis Ilias, Agios Mattheos and Kounoupidiana towards the east, with the villages of Vamvakopoulo, Nerokourou, Mournies and Perivolia towards the south and with the coastal areas of Chryssi Akti and Agioi Apostoloi towards the west.

Climate

The city enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, with sunny dry summers and mild rainy winters. During the period between April and October, clear-sky weather is almost an everyday feature. The atmosphere is always warm, but fierce heat waves (temperatures above 38°C) are not very common, since the prevailing Etesian winds ("Meltemia") blow from northern directions and pleasantly moderate the conditions. Intervals of sunny days are frequent during the windy and rainy winter as well. Snow and frost are rare near the coast, with very few exceptions, like the snowstorm on 13 February 2004, when 10-30 cm of snow accumulated in the urban area, causing general chaos. However, such cold days can be followed by much warmer and sunny weather. Even minor early heat waves can occur in March or April, during a Saharan dust event, whose main feature is the strong and hot katabatic southerly wind, which is a type of Sirokos (σιρόκος) and is called "Livas" (i.e. the wind from Libya) by the Greeks. Such events happen only a couple of times a year, and their duration is never more than 1 or 2 days.

Chart to the left is based on data recorded during 1958-1997. Absolute maximum temperature ever recorded was 42,5°C, while absolute minimum ever recorded was 0°C. However, the record minimum was broken on 13 February 2004 when the temperature reached -1°C at midday.

Early history

Chania is the site of the Minoan settlement the Greeks called Cydonia, Greek for quince. Some notable archaeological evidence for the existence of this Minoan city below some parts of today's Chania was found by excavations[3] in the district of Kasteli in the Old Town. This area appears to have been inhabited since the Neolithic era. The city reemerged after the end of the Minoan period as an important city-state in Classical Greece, one whose domain extended from Hania Bay to the feet of the White Mountains. The first major wave of settlers from mainland Greece was by the Dorian Greeks who came around 1100 BC. Cydonia was constantly at war with other Cretan city-states such as Aptera, Falasarna and Polyrrinia and was important enough for the Cydonians to be mentioned in Homer's Odyssey (iii.330). In 69 BC the Roman Consul Metellus defeated the Cretans and conquered Cydonia to which he granted the privileges of an independent city-state. Cydonia reserved the right to mint its own coins until the third century AD.

Byzantine Era

The early Christian period under Byzantine rule (First Byzantine Period, 395 - 824 AD) and the rule of the Arabs, who called the settlement Chania, are not well documented. During the former, Christianity spread in the island but during the latter, the Christian population was persecuted and moved to the mountains. The Byzantine Empire retook the city in 961 AD (Second Byzantine Period, until 1204 AD). They began to strongly fortify the city in order to prevent another Arab invasion, using materials from the ancient buildings of the area. By this time Chania was the seat of a bishop.

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Chania in World War II

Another important period for the city of Chania was the invasion and occupation by German forces during World War II. The British force that faced the German paratroopers during the Battle Of Crete in 1941, had artillery elements over the hill of Dexameni in the south of the city. These elements bombed the German forces in the Maleme airfield undetected, until they ran out of ammunition.George II of Greece also, stayed in a villa near the village of Perivolia, outside Chania before he escaped to Egypt. Part of the city was bombed, progress in several aspects of life was halted and a significant proportion of the area's human potential was either executed or imprisoned due to participation in the resistance against the German rule. The Jewish community of Chania was also eliminated during the German occupation. Most of them were transported off the island by the Nazi occupiers in 1944. Tragically a British torpedo sank the ship "Tanais" carrying most of the Jewish prisoners, killing the island's pre-war community.

Modern Era

Fortunately, Chania and Crete in general escaped the disastrous consequences of the Greek Civil War of the postwar years. The city of Chania was slowly regaining its normal pace of development during the 1950s, trying to overcome the difficulties that the war had left as an aftermath. During the 1970s Crete became a major tourist destination for Greek and international tourists, something that gave a significant boost to the city's economy and affected the everyday life and the overall culture of the locals. The capital of Crete was moved to Heraklion in 1971.

Chania - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia







































Later that day we traveled to Rethymno. It was late in the day and the only reason we went was because of a Venitian Fortress that we wanted to see.

Some info on Rethymno.

Rethymno (Greek: Ρέθυμνο, pronounced [ˈreθimno], also Rethimno, Rethymnon, Réthymnon, and Rhíthymnos), a city of approximately 40,000 people, is the capital of Rethymno Prefecture in the island of Crete. It was built in antiquity (ancient Rhithymna and Arsinoe), even though it has never been a competitive Minoan center. It was, however, strong enough to mint its own coins and maintain a mild urban growth. One of these coins is today depicted as the crest of the town with two dolphins in a circle.

History
Rethymno started growing again when the Venetian conquerors of the island wanted to have an intermediate commercial station between Heraklion and Chania acquiring its own bishop and nobility. Today's old town (palia poli) is almost entirely built by Venetians. It is one of the best preserved old towns in Crete.

The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Byzantine and Hellenic-Roman remains, small Venetian harbor and narrow streets. The Venetian Loggia today houses the information office of the ministry of culture. The Wine Festival is held there annually at the beginning of July. Another festival is held on 7-8th of November, in memory of the destruction of Arkadi Monastery.

It has a Venetian castle called the Fortetza which is the one of the biggest and best standing castles in Crete. Other monuments include the Neratze mosque (St. Katherine's Catholic Church), the Great Gate (megali porta, Porta Guerra), the Piazza Rimondi (Rimmondi square), the Venetian Loggia etc. Today its main income is tourism, with large facilities that have been built the past 20 years and Agriculture especially, for its olive oil and Mediterranean products. It is also the base of the Philosophical School and the University Library of the University of Crete and the School of Social and Political Sciences having 8,000 students every year on its University Campus at "Galos" and where the Academic Institute of Mediterranean Studies is situated.

The next day we drove into the inland part of Crete and visited the Lasithi Plateau. There we hiked up a small mountain and then visited two caves including the Diktaian Cave which was the birthplace of the Greek God Zeus. We also stopped in a little town in the region and sampled traditional Cretan drinks such as Raki and sampled some wine as well. We ended up buying a bottle of local Raki and bringing it back to Germany with us.

Here is some info on the Lasithi Plateau.

Oropedio Lasithiou (also Lasithi Plateau) (Greek: Οροπέδιο Λασιθίου) is a large (11km in the E-W direction and 6 km in the N-S, approx. 25 km²), scenic plain located in the Lasithi prefecture in eastern Crete, Greece. It is approximately 70 km from Heraklion and lies at an average altitude of 840 m, which makes it one of the few permanently inhabited areas of such altitude around the Mediterranean.Winters can be very harsh and snow on the plain and surrounding mountains often persists until mid spring.

History

The fertile soil of the plateau, due to alluvial run-off from melting snow, has attracted inhabitants since Neolithic times (6000 BC). Minoans and Dorians followed and the plateau has been continuously inhabited since then, except a period that started in 1293 and lasted for over two centuries during the Venetian occupation of Crete. During that time and due to frequent rebellions and strong resistance, villages were demolished, cultivation prohibited and natives were forced to leave and forbidden to return under a penalty of death. Later, in the early 15th century, Venetian rulers allowed refugees from the Greek mainland (eastern Peloponnese) to settle in the plain and cultivate the land again. To ensure good crops, Venetians ordered the construction of a large system of drain ditches (linies, Greek: λίνιες) that are still in use. The ditches transfer the water to Honos (Greek: Χώνος), a sinkhole in the West edge of the plateau. Lasithi plateau is famous for its white-sailed windmills that have been used for centuries to irrigate the land. Despite their vast number (some 10,000) in the past, most of them have been abandoned nowadays in favour of modern diesel and electrical pumps. Today, Oropedio Lasithiou is a municipality with a population of 3,152 (2001), with the seat of the municipality being the town of Tzermiado.

Archaeological sites

There are several caves of archaeological interest in the surrounding countryside, of which Diktaion Andron (Greek: Δικταίον Άντρον, also Diktaean / Diktaian Cave) near the village of Psychro (Greek: Ψυχρό) is the birthplace of Zeus according to Greek Mythology. Zeus is also said to have used Diktaion Andron as his hiding place after abducting Europa.

Oropedio Lasithiou - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

























Here is a cool cat with 2 different colored eyes that we found.



The small mountain we climbed up was Mt. Karfi and it has a hight of 1452m/4,764ft. Not very big, but for people that are not that experienced in mountain climbing it was a lot of fun.

















And this is Diktaian Cave where according to Greek mythology the God Zeus was born. The pictures did not come out very well because they do not let you use flash in the cave.

The next day we drove out to Kato Kakros, The Deaths Gorge, Vai Beach, and the Toplou Monastary. Unfortunatly due to lack of time we did not visit the ruins at kato Kakros.

Here is some info on Kato Kakros followed by some pics.

Zakros (Greek: Ζάκρος) is a site on the eastern coast of the island of Crete (in modern-day Greece) containing ruins from the Minoan civilization. The site is often known to archaeologists as Zakro or Kato Zakro. It is believed to have been one of the four main administrative centers of the Minoans, and its protected harbor and strategic location made it an important commercial hub for trade to the east.

Geography
Zakros is sometimes divided into Epano Zakros (Upper Zakros), the portion higher up on the hillside, and Kato Zakros (Lower Zakros), the part near the sea. A ravine known as the "Ravine of the Dead" runs through both the upper and lower parts of the ancient site, named after the numerous burials that have been found in the caves along its walls.

Epano Zakros is 38 km (24 mi) from Sitia. The road passes through Palekastro where it doubles back towards the south. A comparatively large village, Zakros includes in its community the following smaller villages: Kato Zakros, Adravasti, Azokeramos, Kellaria, Klisidi and the small hamlets of Ayios Georgios, Sfaka, Kanava and Skalia. The asphalt road ends at Kato Zakros.

Archaeology
Zakro was first excavated by D.G. Howarth of the British School of Archaeology at Athens and 12 houses were unearthed before the site was abandoned. In 1961, Nikolaos Platon resumed the excavation and discovered the Palace of Zakro. This site has yieled several clay tablets with Linear A inscriptions. An ancient labyrinth has been discovered at this site similar to the Minoan sites of Knossos and Phaistos.

Zakros - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia









Below are some pics of Deaths Gorge. Deaths Gorge is located at Kato Kakros. It recieved its name because all through the Canyon there are caves and the caves were used by the Minoans to bury their dead. The caves in the Gorge were literally tombs and the whole area is an ancient burial ground.











A mountain goat on the side of a cliff in the gorge.











The Beach of Vai is a beautiful beach that has been used in many famous comercials including Bounty and Bacardi comercials.

Here is some info on the beach of Vai.

The palm beach of Vai is one of the largest attractions of the Mediterranean island of Crete. It features the largest natural palm forest in Europe, made up of palm tree Phoenix Theophrastii.

For tourism Vai was discovered at the end of the 1970s by the last Hippies who fled the hot-spots Matala and Preveli. At the beginning of the 1980s Vai was full of backpacker tourists from the whole world, leading to a mixture of chaotic campground and garbage dump. Vai was enclosed and declared as a protected area. The unique forest recovered, the beach became clean.

The palm beach, which belongs to the Monastery Toplou, is the touristic center of East Crete, with thousands of visitors each year. Vai lies close to Palekastro and Sitia.

Vai (Crete - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)



















The Monestary Toplou is a small little monestary near the Beach of Vai. It is a little bit famous because of its help in the resistance in fighting the Germans during WW2. Unfortunatly you can not take pictures inside the monestary. That is a real shame because there are texts and hand written books inside that date back to the 14th century as well as a very large collection of original Greek Orthodox Icons and small collection of artifacts from WW2 as well.

Here are a few pics from outside of the monestary.

The next day we drove out to Preveli Beach, Preveli Monestary and Matala.

Here is some info on Preveli Beach and some pics.

Preveli beach and lagoon (Greek Λίμνη του Πρέβελη), sometimes known locally as "Palm Beach", is located below the monastery, at the mouth of the Kourtaliótiko gorge. Behind the beach is an extensive glade of palm trees. The beach is regularly served by tourist boats from the nearby resort of Plakias.

Preveli - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia























Preveli Monestary

Preveli Monestary is very famous for its role in WW2. With fierce fighting going on the Australian, New Zealand and British troops were falling back. They sought among the Crete people who were very happy to help them. One of the places that helped the allied troops was Preveli Monestary. The troops were hidden from the German's until they were able to be rescued by submarine from the Beach of Preveli. There is a town in western Australia now named Prevelly in honor of the people in Crete who helped them.

Later after the allies had left Crete, Agathangelos Lagouvardos the Orthodox Monk from the monestary led a resistance group against the Germans. Unfortunatly again you are not allowed to take pics in the Monestary buildings.

Here are some pics:











A monument to the resistance and allied soldiers who fought on Crete.





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Great set of pics mate!

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Later that evening after having dinner in the town of Sitia, we drove to Matala. Matala is famous for its Hippy Caves. Hippies from all over the world travled to Matala and lived in the caves. After that it was back home for dinner and cocktails.

Here is some info on Matala and some pics.

Matala (Greek Μάταλα) is a village located 75km south-west of Heraklion, Crete. Matala is part of the municipality of Tympaki, and Heraklion Prefecture.

The artificial caves in the cliff of the Matala bay were created in the Neolithic Age. Matala was the port of Phaistos during the Minoan period. In the year 220 BC. Matala was occupied by the Gortynians and during the Roman period Matala became the port of Gortys. In the 1st and 2nd century the caves were used as tombs. One of the caves is called "Brutospeliana" because according to the legend it was frequented by the Roman general Brutus.

Matala was then a fishing village. In the 1960s the caves were occupied by hippies which were later driven out. Now Matala is a small village living mainly from tourism.

Canadian folk singer Joni Mitchell's experiences with the Matala hippies were immortalised in her 1971 song Carey.

Matala, Crete - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The next couple of days were spent relaxing at the beach near our hotel. After a few days of relaxing we hit the famous Samaria Gorge. It is the longest Gorge/Canyon in Europe and a beautiful hike. The temp on this day was the hottest we had at 111F/44C.

Unfortunatly my camerea battery died halfway through the hike, so I only have a few pics. Once my friends who went with us give me copies of their pics, I can post some more.

Here is some info on the Samaria Gorge followed by what pics I have.

The Samariá Gorge is a national park on the island of Crete, and a major tourist attraction of the island.

The gorge is in the prefecture of Chania in southwest Crete. It was created by a small river running between the White Mountains (Lefká Óri) and Mt. Volakias. There are a number of other gorges in the White Mountains. While some say that the gorge is 18 km long, this distance refers to the distance between the settlement of Omalos on the northern side of the plateau and the village of Agia Roumeli. In fact, the gorge is 16km long, starting at an altitude of 1,250m at the northern entrance, and ending at the shores of the Libyan Sea in Agia Roumeli. The walk through Samaria National Park is 13 km long, but you have to walk another three km to Agia Roumeli from the park exit, making the hike 16 km. The most famous part of the gorge is the stretch known as the Iron Gates, where the sides of the gorge close in to a width of only four meters and soar up to a height of 500 m.

The gorge became a national park in 1962, particularly as a refuge for the rare kri-kri (Cretan goat), which is largely restricted to the park and an island just off the shore of Agia Marina. There are several other endemic species in the gorge and surrounding area, as well as many other species of flowers and birds.

The village of Samariá lies just inside the gorge. It was finally abandoned by the last remaining inhabitants in 1962 to make way for the park. The village and the gorge take their names from the village's ancient church, Óssia María ["Saint Mary"].

A "must" for visitors to Crete is to complete the walk down the gorge from the Omalos plateau to Agia Roumeli on the Libyan Sea, at which point tourists sail to the nearby village of Hora Sfakion and catch a coach back to Chania. The walk takes 4-7 hours and can be strenuous, especially at the height of summer.

The gorge became a national park in 1962, particularly as a refuge for the rare kri-kri (Cretan goat), which is largely restricted to the park and an island just off the shore of Agia Marina. There are several other endemic species in the gorge and surrounding area, as well as many other species of flowers and birds.

Samariá Gorge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia







This pic of the sweat running through my shirt was taken after only 3 km of hiking. Damn it was a hot day!

















This is a Kri-Kri, it is a wild goat that is only found on the Island of Crete. It is endangered and runs the risk of becoming extinct soon. The population was as low as 200 in 1960 but has risen to aprox. 2000 now.

The next couple of days were lazy hang out on the beach all day days. Pretty nice after hiking the Samaria Gorge.

Of course on our last night in Crete we had to enjoy some more of the great cocktails at the beach bars.

Here are some pics including some of some animals as well that I took at the hotel.













All in all it was a great 14 days! Propably the best vacation I have been on.

Okay Ladies and Gentlemen that is it for now. As soon as my underwater pics are developed and I get the pics that my friends took, I can post some more.

Until then, I hope you enjoy this thread and the pictures. Hopefully you might have learned something you did not know about this great island.

I hope I did not bore you all to death.

Very cool Chris!!!! My in laws spent time there and they love the place!

Great pics Chris, looks like you had a great time.

Thanks guys.

The pics start on page 5 I believe. I hope you all check them all out.

Awsome pictures you got there Chirs, Love the history aspect's youve added in detail. Looks like you and the wife had a great time and welcome back.

Great job!!!!

Thank you SO much, Chris...those are AWESOME picts. Beautiful. ONE more for the list of places we have to go see.

I LOVE FLAMMABLE DRINKS!!

great series of pics and commentary Chris, interesting stuff!

Great shots Chris looks like i found my next vacation spot

Awesome stuff Chris, the best write up for a trip/vacation this site has ever seen... U outdid urself brother...