Crete Day 8: May 11 - Matala

The day in Chania started with terrible muscle soreness from our hike through the Samaria Gorge the day before. But we had already expected that. Now it was time to grit our teeth, pack up, and head to Matala!

On the road again

The hippie town in Crete was our next destination. With a 2.5 hour drive, it was the longest distance we had to cover. The drive took us through the Massara Plain, along winding serpentine roads. Once again, the view was worth it!

Everything went smoothly!

Upon arriving in Matala, we set our sights on the 'Xenophon Studios' accommodation. According to the travel guide, it was supposed to be nice and affordable. Luckily, there were plenty of parking spaces along the roadside, so we could park directly in front of the accommodation. There we met the German-speaking owner, who showed us a room which we then occupied. And just like that, we had found our accommodation for the next night. It went really smoothly!

Unexpected roommates

She left us her phone number, as she had to leave now to pick up her daughter, and we started unpacking diligently. Then, the first shock: a dead cockroach on the floor! We hadn't even noticed it at first. The cockroach was dead, but where there's one, there are usually more. And unfortunately, that turned out to be true. In the bathroom, we encountered the next one - this time a live one. It was clear: we would not stay in this room. We draw the line at pests! Luckily, we had the owner's number, which we immediately contacted. After waiting for another hour until she returned, we were immediately given a new room. This time without any roommates!

Matala - The Hippie Town

Now that it was settled, we could finally make our way to the town. There, we strolled around a bit. Matala is really easy to navigate and can be visited in one day. We got ourselves a coffee frappé, which was very inviting in the warm weather today. However, that would later prove to be my downfall. The coffee in Crete is a bit stronger than our coffee at home...

The Coffee of Death

While relaxing on the beach, the effects of the coffee started to show. I felt dizzy, nauseous, trembling, and my heart was racing. It didn't take long for us to conclude that I was experiencing a caffeine shock. It sounds funny, but in that moment, it was anything but funny for me :D So, after lying down with my legs elevated for a while and drinking liters of water, I slowly started to feel better. But let me tell you: I had never been so awake in my life! :D

Evening

The visit to Matala didn't take long, so we headed back to the accommodation for some rest. There, we freshened up a bit, and in the evening, we went back to the town. We strolled through the beautiful streets, enjoyed the view of the sea, had something to eat, and then watched the amazing sunset!

I didn't really sleep that night, I was still too awake. Nevertheless, the next day we continued on to Ierapetra.