Our next stop, after a connecting flight through Athens, was the island of Chios. Chios is not nearly the toursit destination that Santorini is, which has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that it is unspoiled and authentic. The primary disadvantage is that it was difficult to find a nice place to stay. We started in a seedy hotel (that was the nicest that our travel agent could find) in a little resort area called Karfas, just south of Chios town. We had a view of Turkey across the strait, but we didn't have air conditioning, modern plumbing, or peace. In contrast to Santorini, Chios had some beautiful (and generally empty) beaches. The water was clear and still, so it was like swimming in a vast pool. Still there was very little sand on most beaches.

Chios, the main town on the island, is wrapped around a large natural harbor. The harbor appeared to be home primarily to fishing boats and ferries to and from Turkey, of which Chios was a part until the middle of the nineteenth century.

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Greece 1996

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