Its Friday the 13th and I'm staying in, no shopping, no climbing. Which is ok because its cloudy, cool and very wet today. Themi and Yanni have gone to the 'big' store to buy supplies to sell in the 'little' store, their store in Masouri.
Raining in Masouri
In Masouri, things are beginning to happen. Its like spring. Its waking, slowly rising from winters dark slumber and getting ready for the arrival of springtime visitors.
Climbers!
KAC gets a face lift with fresh white paint.
Barbayannis restaurant gets a lick of paint.
Nothing remains open here in Masouri between November and mid March, but now bar owners, restaurant owners, shop owners, they're all back preparing the business, painting, making changes, re-stocking, cleaning and sweeping... And there are some changes! A few new stores are opening, a new restaurant or two, former colleagues going separate ways and others jumping on the band wagon, trying to milk the climbing season for all its worth.
Prego.
Kalymnian people are some of the most welcoming, most genuine people we are likely to come across as we climb around the world, its a genuine, real warmth, a natural openness and regard for visitors, coupled with honest gratitude for the benefits that climbing has bought this little tiny lump of rock in the Aegean. Nowhere that I know of is so geared towards the climber. Everyone I've spoken to is preparing for the climbers coming. Not tourists. The climbers. The island has realised its potential thanks to those that saw it in the late 90's, and now thrives on its reputation as a climbing paradise.
Yet this season, from Elena village mini market just north of Masouri in Armeos, to the Plaza hotel there will be 2 more mini markets opening. The climber and tourist will be spoiled for choice. The question is, how can so many survive in such a short space? How do the owners of the new ones think they are going to make enough to survive without crippling the existing ones? Crippling each other. Where is the common sense here? The money available is already tight spread around those that exist, adding two more of the same is crazy!
Cleaning the pie and cake stand.... Yum!
Its strange to see rampant competition among the local people, but the problem is they're all trying to copy the same ideas without thinking of something new or something different to enable everyone along the strip to make a living in these trying times. Roughly they will sell the same things and all that will happen is the profits will be cut to try and compete.
In the peak times of late March, through April to early May, then October and a week or two either side, is there enough trade to sustain 3 climbing shops (4 really but 2 are the same owner) and 8 mini markets? 2 new mini markets are opening between the junction by Fatty's bar and Aegealis 7c restaurant, that means 3 now in the space of one long route!!!
Stocking the shelves.
The bars restaurants and cafe's have been around a while and seem to do ok on the whole. For the past 2 years during the festival and a few days either side, I know that the scooter rental places have been sold out, and at least one more is opening this year, but so many mini markets? Really!!!
Peaks and troughs. They have to make enough in the good times to survive the bad times. When they close through the winter they make nothing. Think about this when you're trying to hammer the apartment owner down another euro for your room. The season needs to earn them enough money to last the full year. So when do things reach the limit here? When does such a small island register full?
Negotiating with suppliers.
Its a difficult balance. As a climber I love this place and call it home. I've been shown a warm welcome here, found love here, have friends here and plan on staying here. But, I can see now how difficult life can be here, how much politics goes on just beneath the surface of this beautiful island. I've sat at the dinner table and witnessed first hand the worry and anxiety that national and local politics brings to the average family just trying to make a living.
At the end of the day its a small place and the climber mostly comes for 2 weeks a year then leaves. What do we leave behind? We leave our euros yes, we leave our national reputations (yes, each of our stereo types are painfully obvious on occasions!), we also leave behind the problems here, if we even notice them or stop to think about them at all.
The whole family get involved in re-stocking and preparation.
In Masouri, things are beginning to happen. Its like spring. Its waking, slowly rising from winters dark slumber and getting ready for the arrival of springtime visitors.
Climbers!
Nothing remains open here in Masouri between November and mid March, but now bar owners, restaurant owners, shop owners, they're all back preparing the business, painting, making changes, re-stocking, cleaning and sweeping... And there are some changes! A few new stores are opening, a new restaurant or two, former colleagues going separate ways and others jumping on the band wagon, trying to milk the climbing season for all its worth.
Kalymnian people are some of the most welcoming, most genuine people we are likely to come across as we climb around the world, its a genuine, real warmth, a natural openness and regard for visitors, coupled with honest gratitude for the benefits that climbing has bought this little tiny lump of rock in the Aegean. Nowhere that I know of is so geared towards the climber. Everyone I've spoken to is preparing for the climbers coming. Not tourists. The climbers. The island has realised its potential thanks to those that saw it in the late 90's, and now thrives on its reputation as a climbing paradise.
Yet this season, from Elena village mini market just north of Masouri in Armeos, to the Plaza hotel there will be 2 more mini markets opening. The climber and tourist will be spoiled for choice. The question is, how can so many survive in such a short space? How do the owners of the new ones think they are going to make enough to survive without crippling the existing ones? Crippling each other. Where is the common sense here? The money available is already tight spread around those that exist, adding two more of the same is crazy!
Its strange to see rampant competition among the local people, but the problem is they're all trying to copy the same ideas without thinking of something new or something different to enable everyone along the strip to make a living in these trying times. Roughly they will sell the same things and all that will happen is the profits will be cut to try and compete.
In the peak times of late March, through April to early May, then October and a week or two either side, is there enough trade to sustain 3 climbing shops (4 really but 2 are the same owner) and 8 mini markets? 2 new mini markets are opening between the junction by Fatty's bar and Aegealis 7c restaurant, that means 3 now in the space of one long route!!!
The bars restaurants and cafe's have been around a while and seem to do ok on the whole. For the past 2 years during the festival and a few days either side, I know that the scooter rental places have been sold out, and at least one more is opening this year, but so many mini markets? Really!!!
Peaks and troughs. They have to make enough in the good times to survive the bad times. When they close through the winter they make nothing. Think about this when you're trying to hammer the apartment owner down another euro for your room. The season needs to earn them enough money to last the full year. So when do things reach the limit here? When does such a small island register full?
Its a difficult balance. As a climber I love this place and call it home. I've been shown a warm welcome here, found love here, have friends here and plan on staying here. But, I can see now how difficult life can be here, how much politics goes on just beneath the surface of this beautiful island. I've sat at the dinner table and witnessed first hand the worry and anxiety that national and local politics brings to the average family just trying to make a living.
At the end of the day its a small place and the climber mostly comes for 2 weeks a year then leaves. What do we leave behind? We leave our euros yes, we leave our national reputations (yes, each of our stereo types are painfully obvious on occasions!), we also leave behind the problems here, if we even notice them or stop to think about them at all.
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