European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 05, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                T Crete travellers tips getting there military hops Fly into Iraklion Airport a couple of limes a week from bases in Europe. Iraklion air station is due to close next june so the number of flights into Iraklion could increase Over the next few months As equipment and. Supplies Are hauled from the base. As an option take a commercial flight into Athens Greece and then take a luxury boat trip to Iraklion. The Cost for a first class room on a ship is about $40 one Way. Getting around the Best Way to get around on the Island is to rent a car. Prices Are about the same anywhere on the Island so you won t pay much More if you rent a car at the Airport. A Basic car similar in size to a Ford fiesta will Cost about $45 a Day. If you want a four wheel drive All terrain vehicle it will Cost about $10 More a Day but one really in t needed unless you plan on driving on the Sandy beaches. Most car rental places will provide maps so you can be on your Way. There really is Only one main Road on the Island. The Road called the new Road even though it was built about 25 years ago connects the Eastern Side with the Western and runs along the North coastline. Be prepared to drive defensively cretans Are aggressive Drivers. They make three lanes out of two. And then there s that solid White line in the Middle of the Road opposite the broken line on your Side. In the states that Means Don t pass. But cretans will pass anyway and appear to head straight for you. To get to Many of the tourist Sites you will need to drive up and Down winding Mountain roads some with 90-degree turns. But if you re driving too slow for the average cretan and chances Are you Are hell pass you on that Blind 90-degree turn. On most highways the paved portion snorkelling equipment can be rented from the Marina on Iraklion air station. Linda and senior master sgt. Mark Snyder Faviano a taty snorkel on the Crystal Clear reef of do just North of the air station. Along the Edge of the Road serves As a breakdown Lane. In Crete that s a driving Lane for anyone who can t pass on the left. Often you la get passed on both sides at once even when your turn signal is on. Finding your Way around is a Challenge too. Towns archaeological Sites and larger villages have signs in English but you la have to decipher Creek signs in Remote districts. And Don t look for route signs they Don t appear to exist. And Road maps Are not always reliable especially in the South. Accommodations prices Are steady. A single room that opens onto the Beach at a decent hotel costs about $45 a night you can find one for about $22, but the Quality of the room declines. It Cost a Little More for a hotel on the Beach but it s Worth it. Some hotels include traditional breakfasts and dinners in the Price. Eating the base snack bar outside of Iraklion air station offers Good local food for about $5 per person. Sometimes the Hole in the Wall mom and pop establishments in the Little towns in route to tourist spots offer the Best food at the Best prices. The cretans enjoy grilled meat generally Lamb and pork but there also is plenty of fish available. Shopping hours stores Are open daily until around 9 . Towns like Herson Issos and Mallia just begin to come alive at that time and most stores there stay open to Midnight. Local craftsmen produce attractive copies of minoan jewelry in Gold and Silver. Bookmakers in Iraklion and mania will custom make a pair of cretan leather knee boots. Water sports water sports enthusiasts will find windsurfers available at just about every popular Beach. Paragliding and Jet skis also Are available. Prices Reif keep costing about $30 for a 20-minute ride. The Marina on Iraklion air station offers Jet skis and Power and sail boat rentals for Between $5 and $10 per 20 minutes compared to $15 to $20 per 20 minutes off base. You can rent a boat for a Day and sail out to neighbouring islands to spend a quiet Day alone. Diving information some of the most Beautiful places in the Mediterranean to dive Are near Crete and officials have recently approved five new areas for diving. If you re interested in learning How to dive there Are two certified diving instructors at the Marina on Iraklion air station just East of the capital. One can be certified in As Little As four Days broken up Over two weekends. Classes also Are designed so students can see Sites on Crete during the Day and attend scuba classes at night. Call Randy or Phylista Dudzinski at 003-081-761-281 commercial or Dan 668-3208 or 3798, or write psc102, Box 208 Apo a 09846. The Marina also has a full line of diving equipment available As Well As transportation to diving locations. Dudzinski also provides repair services for boats and diving equipment. Craig Martin Trace centuries of history with paths through Gorton by Craig Martin staff writer one of the most fascinating ruins to see on Crete is the ruins of Gorton with remnants of Many Creek and roman buildings from different centuries. Italian archaeologists have dug at these ruins since the 1880s and have displayed a detailed plan and Survey at several Points along the Footpath around the site. Visitors \%1 be Able to find their Way to several temples a Small theater and the Public Baths with this Aid. The main dirt Road slices a path through the ruins. Looming Over the ruins is a Temple the first of the ruins seen upon entering Gorton. The Temple is an Early design from the sixth Century and portions of it have been restored. Prayer rooms Are on both sides. Follow the path to the Odeon a Small Amphitheater. Music recitals took place Here in the first Century. In the Brick Wall behind the Deion is a set of Stone blocks inscribed with the famous Law code of Gorton. The code dates Back to the sixth Century . And is believed to the earliest Legal code in Europe. In its 600 lines Are detailed Laws concerning marriage divorce inheritance assault rape adoption and slavery. Another path climbs to the acropolis which offers an excellent View of the Plain. Corbyn was made the capital of Crete by the romans in a a. 67. The City was destroyed by Arab raiders in the seventh Century and was never rebuilt. The ruins of the Odeon a Small Amphitheater where music recitals took place. August 5, 1993 stripes Magazine