What Tourists Don’t See (boat sinking)

These photos of our stormy winters past must be fairly rare, given that the only way they exist was if one had a camera in hand at the time, with film, that then somehow made it to a developing lab. These days I can only imagine how many snaps would flood cyper-space in seconds at the sight of boats sinking, donkeys being swept into the harbour, not to mention the piles of flotsam and mud washed down the ‘rivers’ of our cobbled streets.

A wonderful excuse to be marooned for hours  in our “local” Liako with the usual suspects, playing cards, tavli (backgammon), charades, or simply slightly inebriated silly-buggers until the waters subsided.

“River” residue

Mud, Snow, High Seas, no outdoor service

At first glance it looked as though Kamini was under threat of yet another prolonged major noisy construction. The appearance of a bulldozer, tons of rock, and cement bags deposited at the bottom of our hill looked ominous. What new dreadful invasion was this?

‘Catapillar’ in the trees

Turns out it is going to be an attractive and most necessary addition to our valley. The elegant stone channel that runs through the centre of the village is to be extended up the gorge to help prevent further erosion and flooding during the rainy season. Also, labor is not expected to take too long and shouldn’t interfere with the tranquility of our community as dynamite and deafening compressors are not predicted to be part of the industry.

Bulldozer to others

Anchors Aweigh

Sure, it doesn’t look like much now (my camera phone’s zoom isn’t too strong), a small, innocuous platform bobbing off Kamini. Imagine this same view in a couple of months’ time with a thirteen-ish-deck, multi-swimming-pooled, super cruise ship inserted into it.

Our new deep-sea heavy mooring platform, designed to anchor the largest of oceangoing luxury liners, was “planted” last month. It is hoped that the guests shuttled back and forth on its tenders will boost the island’s economy and bring all the benefits that such an increase in tourism promises.

As with all things of “progress” here, or anywhere for that matter, a flip-side debate has kept the island busy this winter—and not just about the pros and cons of said affected view.

What about the gulf and the pollution such large ships can bring to the beaches? The island struggles to cope with current busy-season ablutions. What will hundreds more visitors do to an already taxed infrastructure, etc, etc?

All of which is rather moot as the mega buoy is in place.

Of course, any big event on (or just off) the island comes with a typical Hydra rhubarb. A couple of days after the cranes and work ships had completed their deep-sea task, a large French cable-laying ship was seen in the same area. Much activity aboard led to the inevitable conclusion that the sea anchor industry had severed a communications cable to the mainland, much in the same way we have seen, say, waters pipes conflict with other underground systems when upgrades are being installed on land.

Last Christmas I gave you my giblets, and you swallowed them whole.
This Christmas I’d give you the same but you went away, so I’ll give them to someone special…
Your old sidekick: Jingle Belle, Jingle Belle, Jingle all the way.

Christmas Lunch Anticipation 2013

For anyone who lost any family member this year (including our  four-legged  mates), we remember with cheer those who brought happiness to our lives. NOEL Y’ALL
May 2015 be a healthy happy one, and hopefully a less cheesy Kamini Comet.