My bucket list is long, but I got to tick off at least one thing: snorkeling in the Mediterranean. I’d made contact with Thomas of Athens Extreme Sports before our trip began and scheduled a snorkeling day in Palaiokastritsa on our last full day in Greece. Palaiokastritsa is a village in northwestern Corfu, Greece. Corfu has been suggested to be the mythical island of the Phaeacians and the bay of Palaiokastritsa to be the place where Odysseus disembarked and met Nausicaa for the first time. The monastery in Palaiokastritsa, which dates from 1225, houses a museum. Thanks, Wikipedia.
Palaiokastritsa just may be the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. There’s some mystical about it. The cliffs, the water, the caves. Speaking of caves….the big draw to my day of snorkeling was doing it in a cave.
Thomas met us at our resort and we drove across the island of Corfu…which took all of 20 minutes. Add another 10 for just finding parking at our destination….but I’ve learned that’s just the status quo here. It’s a conundrum: there is no parking but Greeks make their own parking places. At least, Thomas sure did. We learned that he’s originally from Athens, but his wife is from Corfu and that’s why he’s here. He’s a dad of two kids and enjoys family dinners with his wife and kids and in-laws who live just next door. (Btw, his MIL is having hip surgery, so he’s already exhausted from taking care of the kids.) Thomas loved to talk.
While it is beautiful, the water at Palaiokastritsa is only reached by hiking down pretty steep, almost sheer, cliffs. Thankfully, we had stairs that were built out the rocks to walk down the near 7 flights to our “launch” point. There was no sand, only rocks. It was tricky. And very slick. We met a Gen Z from TX who was traveling solo and also had this on his bucket list. Great guy. I’m sad I forgot his name. Amelia chose to sit this activity out and just enjoy the vibe of the place (we were near a pretty chill beach bar that was also built into the cliff). So, it was just Thomas, Tex and me clad in our wetsuits, flippers and masks. God bless that wetsuit because the water was the coldest I’ve ever felt. “It’s so refreshing.” Yeah, Thomas. Refreshing like a polar plunge.
The water was SO clear. Crazy. While I didn’t see vibrant plant life or creatures, I did see the amazing formations of the ocean floor. There were several plants and lots and lots of coral. (Looking at you Nemo.) We’d probably swam out a good mile when Thomas directed us to a small cave around the bend. Cool! A cave! Just like I wanted!
Have you ever gone down an enclosed waterslide? Sure you have. This cave was only slightly larger than that. Fun fact about Alyssa: I’m claustrophobic. But, I’m also determined, so I swam on in there as instructed. Listen, it was tight. So tight that Tex actually scraped his arm on the rocky cave wall (needing first aid back on shore). Me on the other hand….I could feel the queasiness rising up and the signs of vertigo. No no no…I can’t have a vertigo spell out here…not before I fly home. Vertigo is awful and there’s no quick snapping out of his. I had to get out of that cave.
In the open air, I was trying to recall mindfulness breathing and put my mind in the yoga studio at Full Circle Wellness. I was going to puke either in the water or in my snorkel. Thomas knew something was wrong. I could hear him shouting my name but I wasn’t really responsive I guess…my body had gone into panic mode. I’m going to die out here in the water. He told me to lay on my back and “Just relax. Just breathe and relax.” HOW CAN I RELAX I AM DYING I HAVE TO SWIM I HAVE TO GET BACK TO LAND RIGHT NOW. Panic attacks are real and they are scary. He handled it like the pro he is. My breath got under control but my body was still shaking. Thomas and Tex somehow got me back to the rocks where we’d started. I remember laying over a rock ledge in the water and just trying to breathe and muster strength to climb out of the water.
People, listen: electrolytes are your friend and if they’re not in your life, change that right now. My body was depleted. Thomas had some tablets he plopped into a cup of water and made me drink. Between yoga breathing, electrolytes and power of prayer, my body started to calm down. Thomas reminded me, “You were working too hard. This is an activity where we just need to relax and go slow.” I reminded him that I’m an American. Relaxing and going slow are hard concepts for us sometime. Tex agreed.
All in all (aside from my brush with death), it was a pretty nice outing at the cove. Afterwards, we piled back into the Peugeot minivan and headed for the Monastery of Paleokastritsa. Unforgettable experience. Breathtaking views from the cliff where the monastery is located.
We were returned to the resort in one piece. Everyone needs one traumatic experience on vacation, right?! 😅 Well, between hitchhiking in Sounion, zipping across the tarmac in a Fiat and nearly dying in an underwater cave…I think I’m good for a while.
Next post will be written stateside!
Alyventures 