It's a Dog and Cat World Thursday 2 October 2014

We sat out some strong winds in Datça, but enjoyed the town, the dogs and cats and the Saturday Market. We duly checked out of Turkey there - this time using an Agent as there seemed no other way. We were amused when he asked us to follow him and stand on the police steps, so that someone could peer at us to confirm we were the same people as in our passports.

And back to Greece, to the island of Symi, and instant difference. Picture postcard pastel-coloured houses, churches, monasteries, laid back atmosphere, stray cats (sneaky ones, scrounging ones, mums teaching their kittens ratting). And Greek chaos. We wanted to officially check into Greece as this was the closest Port of Entry. The Police were not coming round that day. Nor was anyone collecting harbour dues. We think they were otherwise occupied dealing with some Syrian refugees that a fellow British yacht had rescued in the night the previous week. The skipper of the boat the Syrians had paid passage on chucked them overboard when he saw a patrol boat in the distance. People smuggling is bigger business than gun-runnning. Thankfully, all were rescued and many of their belongings were also recovered by the British yachtsman and other divers. Despite it being a beautiful place, we had a terrible, sleepless night and left early the next morning. Swell had worked its way into the harbour, boats were rocking and clanging and bucking against each other, lots of squeaking fenders, creaking booms and we were unhappy about our anchor holding. Can't have it all.

We went on to Tilos, a craggy barren island with a sweet little port and a surprising expat community. It is good hiking country, with groups arriving by ferry for guided walks. Now although not "stamped in" to Greece, we have a last port of call that is not Turkey. Our Dekpa (cruising log) is still operational, so we are not going to fret about it. (And as we failed to "check out" to a non-EU country in the first place, does it matter?)

We are now making our way north, a beat to windward to Nisyros on Wednesday. This island is a dormant volcano - its centre is a set of 5 craters with a deserted village on one rim. We took a bus in the afternoon to the main port and town - according to the timetable there was a return to our harbour at 6pm. The bus, to our astonishment, was free. We got off the other end and asked the driver if this is where we caught the return bus. He was off to join his mates at the local café and claimed he was done for the day and didn't think there would be another. Oh Oh. But the timetable says…. So we went for a wander around Mandraki, returning to the Ferry port and bus station in good time and waited. At about 6pm a decrepit canary yellow van (VW like, rather than a bus) rolled up with bits hanging off it, holes in the seats and a couple of people we recognised in it from a neighbouring boat. R asked the young driver if he was the bus going back to Pali Limani and he nodded and told us to hop in. How I love Greek buses!

Today, (Thursday) we are meeting up here with friends Colin & Shirley on Silent Wings, who have spent the summer in the Dodecanese and are coming from Kos. It's either a shared hire car or yet another series of buses for an excursion to the crater and tour of the island. Volcanic eruptions to follow.