community of values

Today I'm taking care of cash. Paying with the phone usually works. The short way from Sweatwater Beach to Sfakion is quickly done. The one steep section is quite spectacular. First, I look for Geoges' brother to pay off my debt. He's not so enthusiastic because he has to pay taxes now. But they will surely find a way to deal with it. At the ATM, I don't get any money, even though the devices here have NFC terminals. So I make my way to the next larger city, Chania. The bus driver took me because he only takes cash and the function for bus tickets was not working at the counter. Today is Saturday and the banks are closed. So I booked myself into the hostel for two days, went shopping, etc.

There are several banks and ATMs here. One bank was even open. The employee told me that the NFC terminals at Eurobank would work. And they did, only DKB rejects double security (unlocking the phone and PIN). After a phone call with the emergency number of DKB, it was completely out. The snob from the bank in my community of values also blocked my mobile payment function (regulations). If I hadn't had a second card activated on my phone, I would have ended up begging in the pedestrian zone (I had informed him about it beforehand!). Well, then there's only Western Union left. It's expensive, but our banking system doesn't have a solution for a lost debit card. Tonight I cooked spaghetti, made a Greek salad, and emptied a bottle of wine with the two Americans Miles and Sophia.

On Sunday, I was out in Chania. This is where I got stranded on my first Crete vacation in '85. Today it was pretty crowded, a cruise ship had dropped off its 3,000 numbered passengers. Somehow, some places lose their charm because of that.