It happened just as Georges predicted! – I don’t choose a direct route, but head slightly north, straight toward the waves. Just like I did in the Baltic Sea. But the interval between waves is now a little longer, three to four seconds, and they’re probably a little higher too … I have to slow down. And I realize that a frontal attack might not be the best choice here, but rather a slightly more indirect approach. I decide to give it a try. Different angles, different speeds. But whatever I do, the boat rocks, water splashes against my windshield and directly into my face.
I slow down even more. And look around – too far out to turn back. I’ll go through it, relax… And as I look around, I see how the water around me (thanks to the shifting sun?) changes color, from a dark, gloomy blue to a friendly, inviting, warm blue. And I feel as if I am being carried – not only by the ArgoFram, but also by the sea – I feel accepted!
There is no leisure to indulge in such esoteric musings. Right now, I simply want (and need) to take my time and head slowly towards the island of Karpathos and its harbor. I moor, relax with a stroll through the rows of houses, treat myself to an ice cream, return to the harbor, and set off for the second round of this game. Yes, it’s a game, not a fight. (Fighting was once.) Now I’m trying to go “with the water”…
In Ireapetra on Crete, I am nevertheless completely exhausted. At the harbor, I meet Michael – he helps me moor the boat. And gives me a brief introduction to life on the south coast of Crete, which is somewhat off the tourist trail but still well frequented along the pier. I thank him and have to “register,” officially. But as on the smaller islands and in the smaller towns, the authorities are here, somewhere, or maybe not, who knows. In any case, I am often unable to fulfill my registration requirements because the opening hours do not correspond to my arrival and departure times, if there are any opening hours posted at all … Anyway, after a few days, we forward my documents with omissions, notes, and comments that I don’t need to understand. They are never read by the subsequent officials. – I love this Greece. It wants to appear proper and super correct, only to repeatedly “slip up” in such a charming way.
I have to concentrate; despite all the good feelings, it was a difficult journey, a long journey – it’s already getting dark. So no feast today, ‘just’ a Greek salad and a large portion of gyros. And sleep! Fall asleep with the good feeling of finally having experienced being accepted and carried by the water today. I think: me and the sea, we could become friends.