Στην απεραντοσύνη του Λιβυκού.
Chrissi Island
Into the vastness of Libyan Sea.
“Sand,
cedar trees and all day out in the open” this was the answer to a
question about how people pass their time on “The Island”. The island in
question being Donkey Island or more recently Chrissi Island. A small
desert island, a short boat trip away, from the south coast of
Ierapetra, in the Libyan Sea. “The Island” is a protected area of
intense natural beauty and its attraction is plain to see, with white
sandy beaches, shell beaches, natural cedar groves and sparklingly clear
turquoise water. Another attraction is that it is a “desert island”
devoid of inhabitants, buildings, electricity or even fresh water. In
times gone by people could put up a tent and spend a few days camping
wild, swimming, sunbathing, fishing, snorkeling and just relaxing.
Nowadays, however, wild camping is strictly prohibited.
This is
difficult for the “locals” of Ierapetra to accept. They grew up on the
Island, experienced it in its simple and natural state before the
introduction of parasols and sunbeds. And long before the boats started
bringing thousands of tourists daily, eager to enjoy the experience of
spending time on a desert island. Indeed it is the locals’ great love
for and closeness to Chrissi Island which caused them to shorten its
name to the familiar term “The Island”.
This love
for “The Island” and this feeling that it belongs to them, not in the
sense of ownership, but in a noble and generous kind of co-ownership
sense, cannot be stopped simply because new rules are being applied. It
is not possible to stop feeling that it is theirs, because it has
always been there close to Ierapetra, they have always visited it and
they have always loved it. The Ierapetritans are the ones who respect
and take care of “The Island” when the authorities are not available.
But what
exactly is Chrissi Island? The following description, as seen through
the eyes of a local, says it all: to walk barefoot in the silky, soft,
white sand, to take a breather under the shade of gnarled and wizened,
centuries old cedar trees, to plunge into the calm, clear turquoise sea
then dry off on the shell beach of the north coast, to welcome any
little breeze that you can catch to help ward off sunstroke. But when
Aeolus, the Greek God of winds makes his presence strongly felt, to
desperately search for shelter of any kind.
To indulge
in a clay bath in Vagges. To watch the sun setting, behind the mountains
of Crete. To get lost in Chatzivolaka forest in the darkness of night
and actually love being lost. To see the Golden Beach painted silver
when the moon is full. To eat and drink like royalty, by candlelight. To
experience the full extent of the friendliness and hospitality of the
locals and discover something else, beautiful and interestingly
different, with every new visit.
Donkey
Island (the local name of Chrissi) is however, not for everyone. Despite
the fact that it is renowned as being an exotic paradise, a natural
wonder, a place once seen never forgotten, there are those who hate it.
Namely, people who cannot stand the sun and the intense heat, the
stinging of the sand on their skin as the wind blows it fiercely from
time to time. Usually these people are not aware of what Donkey Island
is nor of what to expect when they get there.
Chrissi
Island is nothing more than a little dot on the map of Greece, almost
lost in the vastness of the Libyan Sea. It is situated in the
southeastern most corner of the country, eight nautical miles off the
south coast of Ierapetra. In the past commonly known as Donkey Island,
it is probable that the more attractive and modern day name of Chrissi
Island (Golden Island) was given, to make it more attractive to
tourists. Certainly it is a prettier and more appropriate name, given
the stunning beauty and outstanding colours on the island.
When the
weather is good the tiny oblong strip of land that is Chrissi Island, is
just about visible from the coast of Ierapetra. You just have to know
what you are looking for and where to look. It has been standing there
for 350,000 years, a direct result of the underwater eruption of the
volcano which gave birth to it and at the same time petrified many of
the forty nine different species of shells which used to live in the sea
around the island.
The
beautiful white sandy beaches on the “Island” were once completely
covered in tiny little, pale, glimmering shells, which gave it an
appearance of being almost pink. These however, are now becoming scarce.
This is mainly due to the continuous, thoughtless and forbidden, habit
of the daily visitors, of taking some away with them as souvenirs. The
twelve species which have survived, form the largest part of the sandy,
exotic, Belegrina Beach, which is located on the north coast.
The “Island”
is famous for its rare, and wholly natural, cedar forest, which
occupies an area of 350 hectares and covers the most popular eastern
part of the island that altogether, is only a mere 5.5km in length. The
landscape closely resembles that of Lebanon and is truly a wondrous
sight to behold.
Some of the
trees surpass a height of ten metres and are over two hundred years old!
Their trunks are strangely gnarled and twisted and the branches create
the most atmospheric and artistic shapes and designs, perfect for
unusual photos. Their strong, old roots protrude intertwined, from the
soft, silky sand creating impressively beautiful sand dunes.
The main
obstacle while on the island, is the lack of drinking water. There are
only two sources of water in this unexpectedly windy and arid place,
neither of which provide water that is drinkable. Therefore visitors
must either have the foresight to carry their own water with them,
enough for the length of their stay, or visit the only tavern on the
island, where they will be charged quite excessively for bottled water.
The two wells which have been drilled, now only provide muddy water. One
can be found in the cedar forest and the other is about half an hour’s
walk away, towards Chatzivolaka, next to the quaint little 13th century church of Saint Nichols, the patron saint of sailors. Note that the Name Day of Saint Nicholas is the 6th
of December and every year on that day a huge festival takes place in
the little church. Sailboats of all size and description bring
worshippers from Ierapetra and surrounding areas to take part in the
celebrations.....
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