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| It's Déjà Vu all over again: Ioannina Bus Station |
We would get there, we had to get there: the mysterious region of Zagori. There were reports of a bus, a small bus, that serviced the isolated villages of this mountainous corner of Northwest Greece. So we left Igoumenitsa behind, ready to give this thing a try. The bus from Igoumenitsa climbed back into the mountains, leaving the waters of the Aegean far below. We were retracing our route to Ioannina, hoping to find a local bus to the north.
Zagori, that was our destination, an isolated region with a name more Slavic than Greek. The name means 'The Place Behind the Mountain.' It is 1,050 square kilometers of steep mountains, gorges, and scattered villages of grey stone. Bordered by the Aoos and Varda rivers the mountainous and inaccessible character of this place has contributed to its colorful history. Its is peopled by loggers, ranchers, merchants, blacksmiths, and musicians. Due to the rugged terrain, and the skilled negotiation skills of its peoples, Zagori remained largely autonomous during the long Turkish occupation.
The region prospered during the 17th and early 18th centuries. The local folks built a network of paved roads, steep paths, and stone bridges that stand to this day. Goods from Zagori traveled across Eastern Europe. Caravans carrying trade goods reached far-flung destinations: Romania, Russia, Istanbul, and as far as Amsterdam. Money from trade flowed back into Zagori, helping to build schools, churches, bridges, and stairs. Many, many stairs, as we would discover.
The 19th Century brought hard times for the Zagori people. The Ottomans revoked the region's autonomy in the early 1800's. The 19th Century brought war to the region, with World Wars One and Two, followed by the Greek Civil War. More than forty of the isolated villages suffered the consequences, including Nazi reprisals during World War Two.
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| Zagori |
Our destination was the village of Monodendri, the gateway to Vikos Gorge. Vikos Gorge is one of the deepest, or narrowest, gorges in the world. It depends on which source you wish to read. Vikos Gorge is in the Guinness Book of Records, and draws many adventurous hikers, including the likes of yours truly.
We arrived at the Ioannina bus station, made our way to the counter, and, Hurrah! we were able to buy tickets to Monodendri. Yes, yes, see the boy over there (vague wave) on that side. I went in search of 'the boy over there.' Instead of the shrug-shrug, I found the most helpful bus driver in Greece. This guy looked at my ticket, looked at me, scratched his head, then leapt from the bus and proceeded to ask every bus driver in line just where in the hell Monodendri was and how did these foreigners get there. A local woman, overhearing the exchanges, informed the driver which bus we wanted, took us in tow to make sure we didn't get lost, then put us on the correct bus. It turns out this same bus would stop at her home village.
The bus left Ioannina, stopping here and there to pick up the local Zagori school kids, the only reason for the bus's existence. Full of chattering students, we angled along the steep mountains north of Ioannina. Leaving the main road at Metamorfossi, the road became a lane, and the bus was climbing in earnest. The remains of villages passed by, beehives of stacked stone blocks. There were signs for the National Park we had just entered. We were on our way!
Students piled out as we stopped in isolated stone villages that looked unchanged by the centuries. Then, at a lonely crossroads, the bus stopped. The helpful local folks took us off the bus, pointed to another bus, and motioned us on. Monodendri? Nodding heads, smiles, waving hands. Okay, it was our turn to shrug-shrug. We boarded the other bus and were soon creeping up hairpin switchbacks on a one-lane road. Hell yes, this was the real adventure, right here: The Road to Monodendri.
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| Monodendri Street (Really!) |
And then we were there, easing along a narrow lane sandwiched between grey buildings of cut stone. The bus driver waved us off, laughing. The village of Monodendri is tiny, perched on a steep ridge offering an amazing vista of the rugged terrain below. We found our hotel, an unbelievably charming three-storey pile of stone dating to the late 1700's. We were greeted by the host family, escorted to our amazing room, and settled in.
It was too late in the day for a full-fledged hike, but the tangled lanes and rock paths were too much to resist. We had to a least see Vikos Gorge, sample some of the crazy steep rock lanes, pathways, and stairs. We hiked out of the grey stone hive, and onto the rough, cobbled goat paths that pass for roads.
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| A Branch of Vikos Gorge |
One hour's hike from Monodendri, a semi-ruined monastery offers an amazing view into the depths of Vikos Gorge. How lucky could we be? A travel day and a hiking day rolled into one! Perched under soaring rock cliffs, we let the late-afternoon wander away. We were content to watch the changing light, the hunting birds riding the thermals, and the lengthening shadows .
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| The head of Vikos Gorge |
I am here to tell you, Sisters and Brothers, with that view, and a comfortable rock seat, a well-earned cigar never tasted so good. We had done it, found the mystery spot, found the perfect old hotel, the perfect village. This place, this region of Zagori, it would prove to be the lynch-pin of the entire journey.
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| The Gloaming of the Day comes Early |
The Gloaming of the day brought pangs of hunger. We left our cliff-side aerie, climbing the rough, stone paths back to Monodendri.
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| Rock Spires |
We spent the evening sampling the local grilled chicken and pork. The ever-present stray cats were there, of course, vying for a tidbit from the table. When the cat combat grew too fierce, our host intervened. Rather than chasing the felines away, he tossed a burned hunks of meat in opposite directions, separating the combatants and being charitable at the same time.
The nights are cool and crisp here, reminding the traveler of the elevation he or she has gained. We watched the stars, listed to the chorus of village dogs, until the chill finally drove us to our bed. Tomorrow we would hike Vikos Gorge!
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