Ilhara Valley

The first day of walking was in the Ilhara Valley - a long narrow gorge with small 9th-10th century hidden churches carved out of the soft rock and covered in frescoes.  Parts of the gorge are shady so there was still snow and ice to walk on in some places:

As we walked, we started to get to know each other as a group.  Most people are English so I am back in my home culture, which always makes me notice the cultural differences between English (rather than British) people and Pakeha New Zealanders.  We also have a friendly Irish woman - that's familiar territory! And a Canadian woman living in the UK who is also good company.  Amazingly, I am also on the same tour as Loraine Wilson who wrote the best walking guide to Crete:  http://www.cicerone.co.uk/product/detail.cfm/book/525/title/the-high-mountains-of-crete

Loraine has been a tour guide herself for many years so she was keeping  a watchful eye on our local tour guide Firat.  Luckily Firat was up to the job and turned out to be a charming, energetic and skilled tour guide, not daunted at making those of us with weak knees at heights get down the tricky bits, nor at keeping up with the late night drinkers, yet remaining cheerful every morning.

Lunch was at a little restaurant by the river:

We finished off the day at our first group of Fairy chimneys, the spectacularly eroded rocks of this region: