DAY 12: Unplanned Adventures

What is the point of renting a car if you stick to the roads that public transport uses? We couldn't figure out the answer either, so we decided to test out the off road capabilities our Suzuki Splash, aka 'Baby Splash', along the way to Pylos. As head navigator, I used JJ's guidebook to get us to the end of a dirt road in the middle of the mountains, where the Polilymnio Waterfalls were located. Note: this diversion from the main road was originally a casual suggestion by JJ as we were already en route to Pylos. Casually dressed in jeans and boots, I had been told we would be doing a bit of walking today, and the guidebook said that the waterfalls were, at the largest, 20m, so I figured I'd be fine for a quick look at some waterfalls.

As we descended the mountain by foot, due to lack of parking at the base, the olive groves around us were stunning; the silvery trees were surrounded by luscious grasses and innumerable wildflowers. It is mind boggling the lengths to which the Greeks will go just to plant an olive grove, as these groves were all accessible by car (unlike some we have seen), but incredibly inconvenient. The first waterfall we came across was about 3 feet high and ended in a sky blue pool of water that followed a stream back to the main river. As we moved onward, the path led to a picnic table and a bridge that was missing a few planks and spanned yet another, much larger waterfall. Thinking that the picnic table must have signified the end of the waterfalls, I was a bit unimpressed and we followed the trail a bit longer.

Since I was not exactly dressed for hiking, JJ volunteered to go around the bend in the trail and see if it was worth going onward. A few minutes later, I realised that she wasn't coming back, so forwards I went—and I did not regret it! Around the bend awaited a series of waterfalls cascading down the mountain face, beginning at the top with the largest waterfall which fed Kadoula Lake. Kadoula Lake, by the way, is 'named after it's shape'—anyone know what a Kadoula looks like??? After taking copious amounts of pictures of this waterfall, JJ decided to tackle the next stretch of the path, if you can call it a path. We set down the waterbottle, expecting to return within minutes.

Half an hour later, standing atop the sheer mountainside we had just scaled, we realised that probably hadn't been a great idea. Oh well, in the event that we really needed water, there was plenty of crystal clear water all around us (suspiciously labelled 'drinking water' further along the path...doubtful). A few treacherous leaps and bounds further along the path, we reached what we thought was the end of the waterfalls, only to find an ambiguous sign about a 'difficult to reach' lake and waterfall. Difficult? Psh. I had climbed that mountain in shoes with no tread. How hard could it really be?

JJ led the way again, walking along the plank (that we assumed was soundly mounted to the rock on which it skirted) to the edge of the waterfall. The path then repeated its previous trend of becoming mere iron footholds in a vertical 'trail'; however, this time, one of the footholds was literally in the waterfall and the only hand grip was an iron bar protruding from the top of the waterfall. Risky? Yes. Potentially severely harmful? Yes. Avoidable? Not really. We had come this far, so we might as well go the whole way! Call us a bit reckless, but after making it up the side of the waterfall and trekking through what we later realised was private land, we came upon the final lake. It was a bit anticlimactic, but we savoured our accomplishments nonetheless. After looping back another kilometer through yet more mountaintop olive groves, we reached the car, changed into our beach clothes, and retrieved the water bottle. On the drive back to the main road, JJ managed to avoid eviscerating the car as well. Success? I think so.

Following a quick lunch on the pier in Pylos, we headed north on yet another unmapped, semi-unplanned adventure. Which also involved a dirt road. It's a really good thing the car rental company wasn't tracking us...

Near Pylos, there is a lagoon that harbors many famous stretches of beach and is enclosed by a peninsula that is topped by ruins of a Turkish castle, 'newer' than another castle in the same area. As we drove to the end of the peninsula, we passed a few signs about Paleokastro being closed 'due to extreme danger', which didn't even phase JJ, who informed me that we were not visiting that area. After parking at the base of a massive peak, we followed the path to find the newer of the castles in the Pylos area, passing yet another sign stating that the 'Old Castle' was closed due to extreme danger.

Clad once again in my boots (but making a more fashionable statement in shorts instead of jeans) and JJ in her shorts and tennishoes, we began the ascent to the castle. The views along the seafront hike were absolutely breathtaking, and endless wildflowers blanketed the area. The trail was not as challenging as the morning jaunt had been, but nevertheless, I was wishing I had worn different shoes. Upon reaching the summit, and thus the castle, we traipsed around to explore the ruins. I happened to find a few stinging nettles along the way, and managed to find them again. And again. And broke out in hives. A bit more relevant finding, however, was the sign that described the ruins...titled 'The Old Castle'. Well that's good to know, now that we had climbed along the western walls and ventured under the half-collapsed arches. What exactly constitutes extreme danger? I had a good guess, as I once again found stinging nettles on the way out of the site. Forget the collapsing ruins, they certainly closed the site (not very well, might I mention...) due to hazardous overgrowth!

After descending the path that deceptively led us to Paleokastro, we were determined to reach Nestor's Cave and Vodoikila Beach—both (questionably) located at the base of the castle-crested peak. We followed the signs, uncertain of whether or not we would reach what we were searching for, so we set a time to turn back in the event that the signs were deceptive. We processed through the clouds of 'retarded Mediterranean mosquitoes' (as JJ referred to them) along the inner edge of the lagoon, doubting our progress at multiple intervals. As we reached a series of sandy dunes with no beach in sight, our doubt increased. Carry on? Why not.

At every opportunity possible, we looked from the top of each dune for any sign of the presumably picture perfect beach, along with the supposedly blatantly obvious cave, described as a 'gaping hole in the mountainside' in the guidebook. A few dunes later, glimpses of turquoise spurred us onwards. A few minutes later, and our efforts were rewarded, as we headed towards Vodoikila Beach. Without much time to spare for lounging about on the sand, JJ bolted up a small path that led to the cliff edge that enclosed the beach area. Lo and behold, to the south of the cliff was Nestor's Cave! Not terribly keen on entering a random cave as dusk was coming, we decided to snap a few more pictures and head back to the car.

Evasive driving along Greek highways had taught JJ a few tricks, and we once again made our way to paved roads unscathed. The ribbon of highway between Pylos and Kalamata was cast in a golden hew for the drive back to the hotel, and after an amazing but exhausting day, we called it an early night.

Dirt roads!!!

Baby survived...

Sketchy bridge, on top of a waterfall

And I thought this was the last one...

Definitely uncertain about the potential outcomes of this one...

Pylos

Turkish Castle!

The view from Paleokastro

Checking out the sheer drop from the ramparts

Mosquito Bay

Vodoikila Beach

Nestor's Cave

Just the morning's casual rock climb, you know.