hellbent hikers homers home

day 9........We began the morning leaving the beautiful town of Delphi and slowly making the way north to Kalambaka. Again the landscape changed to fertile plains nestled between mountain ranges. Kalambaka looked fairly modern as we circled the town looking for the road that would lead us to this magical place called Meteora.After a slow steady climb and some crazy sharp curves our mouths opened as we caught the first glimpse of a monastery atop a huge needle shaped mountain. As if it were stuck on the side of a pinnacle of rock with some "super like" glue, this monastery looked as if it never moved an inch in 600 hundred years.The main road brought us to the monastery of the Great Meteoron. This one is the oldest and largest of the six monasteries in the area and the year marked the 600th anniversary of continual habitation.After parking and weaving through the gauntlet of souvenir vendors,we climbed the staircase to this mystical place perched on top of a narrow spear of rock. You are greeted at the entrance by a monk making sure you are properly dressed before entering this holiest of holy places. If you happen to be wearing a tank top and shorts you will be given a long skirt and shawl. A self guided tour along with the Meteora Itinerary helped us through the things we were seeing. At one point in the tour we were faced with a wooden door in front of us with only a small round hole in the middle of it. Having no idea of what was in the darkened room I inserted my camera through the hole and snapped a pic.What was illuminated was completely beyond belief. It was a room filled with the human skulls of monks . Hundreds of them all lined up beside each other on old wooden shelves! This ossuary was not in the itinerary book nor was it easily found, we just happened to come across the door off to the side. A walk through the central dome gave us a chance to view the ancient frescoes depicting Christian persecution by the Romans................          The monks live in isolation to avoid temptation. Angie says the monk at the little gift shop must be loaded! She saw him with a wad of 50's that he was stashing in a safe. Religion is profitable and tax free. No temptation up here? All six monasteries have their own unique position on the various rock outcrops. The Monasteries of Meteora are absolutely a "must see" when in Greece.The road to Ioannina was back to back hairpin curves. Up and down with no straight sections kept the excitement in the two and a half hour trip from Meteora.I'm writing this while sipping hot chocolate that angie made. Were at our campsite {Limnopoula Camping} on the edge of Lake Pamvotis,just chillin and reflecting on the days amazing adventures.An incredible day filled with magical,mystical mountaintop monasteries. A day that will be etched in our memories forever!