Is it dangerous

Is it dangerous?...................
Well, yes it is..... And no, it isn't. Feeling safe and being safe are two entirely different ideas. Feeling safe indicates an apparent absence of the things you may be afraid of. Being safe is very different and very difficult to achieve as nothing is risk free. A better question, put to me by a young visitor a few years back may well be "Is it dangerous?" The answer is easy - "It certainly is.. But...." I am not sure that we were ever able to fully reassure Jason. He hasn't been back since! We hope that he will return one day. Two of our oldest friends, Both in their 80s, came here a couple of years ago and enjoyed themselves immensely, going solo almost from day one. No hand-holding needed. Until one day a taxi driver misunderstood their pronunciation of the name of our village and headed for one with a similar sounding name. When they made him understand he tried to make it up by stopping at a tourist attraction on the way back - no charge - but they unfortunately misunderstood and became convinced that he was going to murder (yes, murder) them. That must have been unpleasant for all parties but ended happily! A young couple walking past our house last year were accosted by a snake which appeared from a hole in a nearby wall.... No problem!

Jason - a very appropriate question...

Win & Wilf Rumsey trying their hand at Almond bashing after their taxi driver 'abducted' them

Sticks and stones...
Scorpions are my no means uncommon and some of our bees are almost as big as wall nuts. Everyone seems to know that scorpion stings are very painful, but I haven't ever met anyone who has been stung. Bees are more interested in Pollen than people. Mosquito's are common and they can bite and leave you itching for days, though Malaria is not a threat here. Use a good repellent. The Samaria Gorge claims a good tally of injured limbs every year and it is by no means unusual to meet plaster casts at the airport. About ten years ago a flash flood in the gorge killed either three or four Englishmen when they failed to get out in time. The roads are dangerous and some accidents horrendous. Visitors have been mugged; rapes have occurred and yes, people murdered. Alcohol is very cheap; the Lager Lout syndrome not totally unknown at the Eastern end of the island but is declining rapidly as air fares rise. Drugs, carrying the additional threat of immediate jail if you are caught with any narcotics, are regular news features. One visitor died while swimming at Kastelli a couple of years ago and last year a woman was killed at another resort when a jet-ski struck her while she was swimming. Crete is front line Europe and to the South and East surrounded by possible and sometimes threatened hostility. Instability on the Northern borders of Greece in FYROM and Albania for example a real threat to peace. And then there are the earthquakes....

So is it dangerous?

Of course it's dangerous, but very probably a lot less dangerous than it is crossing the road in the UK.

And. no it isn't... I haven't heard of any people enjoying a simple holiday come to any harm other than a large hangover; too much sun and simple over-eating. No wars. No Terrorists kidnapping aunty Gladys. No white slaving. There has been an earthquake or two but you would be lucky to experience one. Damage to property and people here on Crete almost an unknown.

The Main Dangers...
No, the main danger here on Crete is that of 'overdoing' the enjoyment. If it begins with 'S' then follow the rules and you will have much enjoyment. If it begins with 'T' 'R' 'P' and looks like water in a small glass, it is either Tsikouthia; Tsipouro; or Rakis! Freely dispensed almost everywhere you can eat and drink with gay abandon. This is real Cretan firewater. If you drink it then definitely don't drive.