Ten days with Charlie and Andrew

We had two days in Marathokambos, on the outer quay, waiting for Andrew and Charlie. 

Kai took a series of brilliant photos for his school photography project, including one of an old man, his shadow and his reflection in a car.

We had booked a car in Marathokampos for Wednesday 19^th so as to pick up Andrew and Charlie from the airport. When we went to pick up the car, they had no trace of our booking. We had been a bit doubtful because when we booked it the man did not write anything down. His wife phoned him and balled him out, but they had no car available, neither did the other car hire place. With A2B quoting 86 pounds for a taxi from the airport we decided to sail along to Pythagorion, where we got a place on the quay without any trouble.

Next morning, Thursday August 20^th, Simon and Kai went to watch the plane coming in 

and Andrew and Charlie arrived half an hour later.

 We immediately set off for Agathonisi,though Charlie and Andrew soon fell asleep.

Arriving in Agathonisi, we first went alongside the ferry quay, but before the ferry came we went and free anchored off the beach.

Agathonisi had about 300 refugees, nearly all Syrian, with a hundred more arriving every day. They were sitting and lying in every spare bit of shade. 

The locals are getting desperate. There are no public toilets or litter bins, so the refugees relieve themselves where they can and litter is piling up. Tourists are being driven away – people leave as soon as they see all the refugees milling around the village. Voula was preparing a petition to be signed by all the islanders and Simon wrote a letter to the Guardian, which they published next day (http://gu.com/p/4byvn/sfb more pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/108151661939001544939/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCOKQwbWvhrmWkAE#6185088619324320946 ). The BBC emailed Simon next day for contact numbers in Agathonisi and their film appeared on the BBC news a few days later (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34101489 ).

With the winds forecast to increase we motor-sailed across to Arki the next day, Friday 21^st, where we anchored in the bay until a space appeared on the quay. We launched the kayak so that Andrew could paddle Charlie to the beach, where Alexandr was playing with his Polish gran. Alexandr was shy at first, but soon they were having swimming races and getting on well using sign language.

We stayed in Arki for two days, with strong winds encouraging everybody to stay, swimming and chilling. On Friday evening the German couple in the Swan 42, with their two daughters, tied up alongside us. Kai got Charlie and the German girls playing in the square and decided that he would like to stay longer, but Sunday night was festival night, with hordes of people expected and music all through the night, so we decided to move on so as to get a good night’s sleep.

We motor-sailed down to Lipsi on Sunday 23^rd, missing their festival which had been the previous night. On the way Andrew thought he saw a floating log, but when it popped its head up he realized it was a turtle. We got a good space on the quay in Lipsi and Kai went off to play with his friend Manolis. In the evening we went for dinner in Manolis’s dad’s tavern, To Pefko, and again had an excellent meal.

On Monday we took a taxi over to Platy Gialos, on the northeast of the island, to meet Manolis and Sheila. The bay was very sheltered, despite the strong wind and big seas, but the beach was packed and the water very warm and murky because it was so shallow. Sheila gave us a lift back to Lakki, via the scenic route. In the evening we had excellent take-away pizza. On Tuesday morning we took a taxi over to Katsadia beach, which was well sheltered but the sea was much clearer and cooler than at Gialos. Charlie really enjoyed swimming there.

We had a good lunch in the (expensive) tavern 

and got a taxi back to Lipsi town in the early afternoon, with another takeaway for dinner. Kai went off to say goodbye to Manolis and came back about 11. At 12.30 we were woken by shouting – it was Manolis who had brought back Kai’s jumper that Kai had left at Manolis’s house.

On Wednesday, August 26^th, we left Lipsi and motor-sailed down to Arkhangelos. As we were taking the sails down the local dolphins, an adult and child, swam around the boat, but as usual we could not get a good photo, though Kai shot a bit of video.

In Arkhangelos anchorage we managed to anchor in the prime spot, near the taverna. 

Andrew took Charlie to the beach in the kayak, and we all went for a light lunch at Dimitra’s taverna, 

being welcomed with the usual hugs and kisses. In the evening we had spaghetti Bolognese on board, in the saloon because it was too windy on deck.

On Thursday, August 27^th, we motored down to Xerokampos, Charlie having cold pizza for breakfast on the way.

In Xerokampos picked up a buoy. Sue and Steve arrived a while later and picked up the buoy behind us. Charlie got in to swimming off the boat, 

and Lin and Charlie swam across to Sue, hanging on to their mooring line. 

In the evening we went with Sue and Steve to Mama Veta’s tavern.

Charlie was cold, so wore Lin’s Russian sweatshirt.

On Friday, August 28^th, we motored up to Lakki, Charlie perching under the storm hood, which was Kai's favourite place when he was little.

We anchored first off Merikhia so that the boys could go to the War Museum in the wartime tunnels. 

Charlie panicked when he turned a corner in the tunnel and saw a video showing at the end, so they had to come out.

As we came in to Lakki a Greek navy gunboat was unloading its first load of refugees on the ferry quay. 

There have been several such loads arriving every day. Although the specially chartered ferry, Elefteria Venizelos, one of the largest ferries in the Mediterranean, picks up the refugees every few days, arriving that night,

we were told that there are now 800 waiting on the island. Medecins sans Frontiere has establish a tented camp in a large yard opposite the port police, so everything is now much more organized. At lunch at Poppy’s we met a Dutch couple who have stopped sailing to organize volunteers to support the refugees, giving them water, shoes for the children and helping them with registration. They said that the Syrians are always calm and polite, but there are some Iraqis who ‘have the character of Sadam Hussein’. They said that the Turkish authorities are positively encouraging the migration, directing refugees to the pick-up points. There were even three Algerians who had flown to Turkey because they had failed to get to Italy.

In the afternoon all except Simon took a taxi over to Crithoni Paradise to swim in the pool there, while Simon fixed his bikes. He had punctured the Brompton rear wheel when putting the tire back on so he repaired the puncture with his last patch, but it failed, so next morning he took it to the bike shop, where the man fitted a new tube and supplied a new puncture repair kit. He asked for only 7 euros, but Simon gave him ten.

That evening Elefteria Venizelos arrived to pick up the refugees and take them to Athens. Andrew took the boys to the play park before they came back for a late night.

On Saturday August 29^th the first group of refugees were lined up on the road across from the marina, while they dumped their rudimentary lifejackets in the rubbish bin, and were then led off for registration. 

Immediately after, the scavengers arrived, sifting through the lifejackets to take away the best ones. 

Hundreds more arrived through the day. In the morning we went by dinghy across to a little beach, 

where Simon trod on a sea urchin, fortunately without too much damage. Over lunch we met a couple of Americans from Boulder, Colorado, who had just flown in as volunteers to support the refugees, having seen the situation on the news and in the papers.

In the afternoon we picked up a car and all drove over to the pool at Crithoni paradise. Charlie had a great time jumping in 

and even swam a few strokes without his armbands.

 In the evening we went for a steak dinner at To Petrino. Kai went to the play park and on the way home met a Syrian family with five kids. He came back to collect his football to give to them, but we told him it was too late to go out again and he got a (relatively) early night.

On Sunday morning the boys got everything packed up ready to leave. Kai and Charlie went to Poppy’s for breakfast, where they charmed a couple of Americans from California. Kai told them the history of Leros, while Charlie told them about the War Museum, showing them the leaflet. Kai could not find his Syrian friends to give them the football so he gave it to a group of teenagers.

We drove up to Partheni to see Richard, who had arrived on Saturday. His boat was not in the yard, but we saw it on one of the buoys off the beach, so we called to him and he rowed ashore. We all went for a drink in the taverna before it was time for Andrew and the boys to check in and get the flight home. 

We gave Richard and Ron a lift back to the beach before driving back to Lakki and handing over the car.

After tea, Simon cleaned the carburetor and fuel system of the outboard, but when he tried it next morning it would not start at all.