Meteora's monasteries may get all the attention, but if you look a bit closer at the landscape
you'll notice that it is dotted with caves - caves where men once dwelled!
This is something that piqued our curiosity, so we devoted a whole morning to cave-hopping
around the area.
So we have another fun day planned in Meteora.
Today we're going around and visiting caves.
And now there is a lot of different caves.
Earlier in the morning we visited some that were used kind of like to keep farm animals,
sheep and goats because they were very accessible and at a lower level.
And right now we're visiting caves that were used by hermits and that means monks who wanted
to be secluded and just live a very quiet simple life on their own.
So these monks in Meteora were extreme adventurers in my opinion.
They wanted the caves that were really high up and could not be reached by others so that
they could be in isolation on their own.
So in order to reach these caves they would have literally had to scale using their hands
the first time.
And then use ropes and ladders to reach them later on.
The monks eventually built monasteries, but don't let that fool you into thinking they
were any easier to access.
Reaching the top involved a lot of bravado and a whole lot of upper body strength.
Next up we're going to be climbing the Holy Spirit Rock which is right behind us.
This isn't going to be rock climbing.
Apparently there is a trail around the other side so let's go follow our guide because
he is already leaving without us.
In the afternoon we set our sights on the Holy Ghost Tower which sits in the middle
of the valley.
It was a good challenge and we were rewarded with some pretty breathtaking views from the
top, but my favourite part was walking down the other side and coming face to face with
a cave that once acted as a jail for monks!
We've been climbing up The Holy ghost tower and right now we've reached a little chapel
inside a cave.
So let's go have a look.
360 views from the top.
This is our reward for climbing Holy Spirit Tower.
Fresh pomegranate!
Mmmm.
And it is delicious.
So refreshing.
So right now we are standing at the mouth of what I'm calling the naught monks cave.
This was basically like a jail so if a monk was misbehaving he would be sent here and
they had fourteen different ledgers which were basically like prison cells where the
monks would be placed in isolation.
So let's go inside and have a look.
Team Greece!
Woo!
Well hello from Greece!
Sam and I are currently visiting Meteora which means suspended in the sky.
This is a place that is really well known for its monasteries built atop these rocks.
And the landscape is usually out of this world but as you can see we are dealing with a bit
of fog and rain today.
So it is going to be a bit tricky.
Um, we were planning to do a bit of hiking actually but I think that is not going to
work out so we're going to settle for some monasteries and caves instead.
So let's get ready and go.
Since the weather wasn't really cooperating we ended up hopping in a van and driving out
to some different look out points around Meteora.
Everywhere we turned we were greeted with sweeping views of the towns below, impressive
monasteries seeming to defy gravity, and imposing rock towers that looked out of this world.
The rain did eventually clear up and that's when we went back to our original plan for
a hike around Meteora.
Okay guys, so we are finally hitting the trails.
It's going to be a 10 kilometer hike.
So far we've already been seeing ruined monasteries and the landscapes are amazing.
So let's continue.
We have to catch up with our group.
Behind me are some massive boulders which are really popular for rock climbing.
We're not really into that so we're just doing a hike today.
But if you're into rock climbing you've got to try it over here.
The hike was a really easy one and perfect for most fitness levels.
Our guide lead us down dirt trails and we learned that there is a network of over 35
kilometers of foot paths in this area.
Along the way he pointed out strange rock formations, various mushrooms growing in the
forest, and the best part was hearing the tales behind each of the ruins we visited.
This is the place where you can taste the echo.
Listen!
Echo!
Woo!
It's raining outside, we've got an abandoned monastery in the background and we're going
to do our best echoes.
Echo!
And you?
Echo!
That was weak.
One more time.
Echo!
So we've been visiting a lot of different ruined or abandoned monasteries and this is
one of them.
Now there is a pretty interesting story behind this one.
Apparently, monks used to live here and one day they were out who knows doing some gardening
or whatever when a group of people came over and they just took over their home.
They started squatting and they took control of the monastery for over 80 years.
So the poor monks had to find somewhere else to live.
Now today this one has been renovated but you can't actually visit it.
So we're just admiring it from a distance.
Pretty spectacular I'd say.
The rain clouds have returned and it is pouring right now.
That is the end of our 10 kilometer hike.
We're going to go have some lunch, dry up and maybe head out again in the afternoon.
by bus.
So we'll check out some monasteries later.
Okay, so it is still raining but we are going to go visit the biggest monastery here in
Meteora.
It's called the Grand Meteoron.
Low and behold.
It's just over there.
We've got our umbrellas.
Let's go visit it.
What's scary?
If you look over here you'll notice that this is the old entrance and they used to climb
up by latter.
That's scary.
And lucky for us today you can reach the top by climbing the stairs.
Three hundred stairs to the top.
But back in the day you would have had to use a rope and basically hoist yourself up
or had someone pull you up because you know they were quite secluded and they wanted to
keep it that way.
So if you wanted to make it here you had to earn it.
What I'm going to do over here is light a candle and make a wish.
So come and check it out.
It better be a good wish.
Choose wisely.
And, of course I can't tell you what it is.
Any tips on visiting here?
Yes!
I actually do have a tip.
So prior to coming to Meteora I would have thought okay let's hop on a bus, we'll reach
the monastery.
Visit the monastery and that will be it.
But if you do it that way you're missing out on so much more because the landscapes here
are incredible.
So I would recommend doing a hike.
Kind of like what we did this morning because then you really get to admire the monastery,
see them from a distance.
You get to visit caves and also visit the abandoned ruins of former monasteries that
are kind of hidden and you wouldn't normally be able to spot if you were on the main road.
So something to consider.
You can get a bit of exercise and really enjoy the landscapes.
It wasn't until our final morning in Meteora that the rain clouds finally cleared and we
had blue skies over the valley.
Though I have to say, we still loved it even in the rain, and that's the sign of a good
visit!