Radioactive Ikaria

September 15 - Today we got on the 5:00 ferry to Evdilos, Ikaria.  This island lies about 10 nautical miles west of Samos, further out into the Aegean.  It is incredibly green for a Greek island, and ridiculously steep.  My old boss would say it was steeper than a cow's face.  From the south side, one can see Mt. Kerkis on Samos, the Fournos Archipelago, and Patmos.  The locals claim the name comes from Icarus, the lad who strapped on the waxed wings, got too close to the sun and plunged to his death.  But that's hogwash.  We all know the name was derived from the ancient Phoenician word for fish.

Ikaria is best known for an unusual concentration of octogenarians and oldsters.  Most credit the longevity to a laid-back lifestyle combined with a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil and red wine.  Personally, I think it's due to the hot springs on the southern side of the island which were so radioactive they had to shut the place down.  But who really knows .........

Speaking of thermal springs, Denita and I bused it over to the town of Therma.  There is a natural cave there with five or six thermal vents.  We swam to the back and snuggled up to the pleasantly warm - in one case scalding - water.  Ah, the joys of retirement.  We read that the water was slightly radioactive, with 90 percent of the stuff being absorbed through the lungs.   I can't say I noticed any ill effects, but I did wonder about the fish with three eyes ........

We then moseyed next door to the spa.  It consisted of a cave, with several jacuzzis in the front, and a tiny corner at the back that had been walled off.  We entered the sauna portion and sat down on a short wooden bench.  The heat was stifling.  We later found out the water dripping off the low ceiling was 44 degrees Celsius.  After several hours I casually asked Denita had long we had been in there.  Two minutes.  I couldn't breath, but when I did, I noticed my breath was cooler than the air.  By sheer willpower, and because I did not want to look like a wimp, we lasted 15 minutes and 10 seconds.  The Finns and Swedes claim this stuff is good for you, but they also believe that Lutefisk is edible.  Smile.

From the interior of the cave viewing out.

Hey, how did those get in there?

The thermal cave

The town of Therma

The port town of Evdilos, on the north side of Ikaria