Easter Island - Ahu Tongariki

 

I made my way down the hill where I came upon Ahu Vinapu, a ceremonial platform with incredibly precise stonemasonry that once used to carry Moai statues. The Moai were knocked down between the 18th-19th centuries during the warring periods between clans. Six of them are visible, face down on the ground. Nearby is a buried Moai from which only the head protrudes.

Travelling along the southern coastline of the island, my next stop was Akahanga, an ancient village where Hotu Matu’a is said to have been buried. Here, the ahu, a 59ft (18m) long platform with 13 toppled statues has been left unrestored to illustrate the decline of Rapa Nui culture. 

The ahu were sacred platforms dedicated to ancestor worship. On top were the famous Moai statues, each with its own name. When a king died, a statue was erected in his name. 

The largest platform is at Ahu Tongariki, about 5mi (8km) east of Akahanga. At 330ft (100m) in length the ahu holds 15 Moai of varying heights and sizes. The tallest is 28ft (8.6m) and weighs 86 tonnes. Originally all the statues had a pukao (ceremonial hats) but only one remains with it on. 

The statues have a minimalist, consistent form. Column-shaped, they have an elongated head, long ears, long nose and protruding lips. The eyes are sunken and hollow but at one time the eyes were filled with coral and black obsidian or red scoria as the pupils. The body is squatting with arms in various positions and without legs. 

The Moai are made of tuff quarried from the nearby Rano Raraku, a volcanic crater. Most of the carving occurred at the quarries by chipping away at the rock until most of the sculpture emerged. It was then smoothed with pumice and prepared for transportation. Evidence indicates that ropes and wooden sleds on rollers pulled by a large group of islanders were used to transport the statues to their ahu. A stone ramp with levers was then built to help push the Moai into position. Once upright the carvers would complete the back of the statue, and the ramp and levers were removed. 

A significant amount of finished and unfinished statues remains in the main quarry, with hundreds more scattered on the grounds, buried up to their necks. For a long time and many still think that the heads were all there was to the statues. However, following an extensive study, archaeologists excavated two statues revealing their hidden bodies. The statues with only the heads visible are a result of the island’s natural erosion. A build up of rocks and sediment over centuries buried the statues, preserving their torsos and the etched petroglyphs on their back. 

With nearly 1,000 statues discovered, the task of carving, transporting and placing them all over the island would have been a monumental and physically wearing task.

Easter Island - Orongo

 

Leaving Ranga Roa, I had a gentle uphill hike for about 3.5mi (5.6km) to Orongo. The terrain is mostly grassland with spots of woodland on either side of the trail leading to the edge of Rano Kau, a dormant volcano with a massive crater lake. Skirting around the crater’s edge, I arrive at the ceremonial village of Orongo.

The village is located on the edge of the crater wall with a gentle grassy slope on one side and a 980ft (300m) sheer cliff drop into the ocean on the other. The village consists of 50+ restored stone houses that were originally built around 1400 AD and later centred around the Tangata Manu (Birdman Cult) ceremony. Each house is oval in shape with a grassy rooftop and an internal height of between 3-6.5ft (1-2m), making it impossible to stand up in most of them. The doorway is extremely low, requiring a person to crawl in order to enter the building. Internal wall paintings depict images of bird-headed men, some carrying eggs, that relate to the Birdman Cult. 

In the centre of the village, one of the buildings once housed Hoa Hakananai’a, an 8ft (2.5m) tall basalt Moai. A rare piece, as it is one of only 14 made of basalt, the statue was extracted in 1868 by the crew of an English battleship (HMS Topaze) and transported back to England. It weighs approximately 4.2 tonnes and took about 500 people to get it on the ship. Today, it can be viewed in the British Museum.
  
Sometime around 1760 AD, a new ritual began in Orongo. Each year, chief male members of prominent families would gather at the village and select a hopu manu (a servant or male of lesser status) to compete in collecting the first Sooty Tern egg from the rocky islet of Motu Nui. The patron of the winning competitor would then be declared Tangata Manu and go into seclusion for a year where he would be considered sacred, spending time eating, sleeping and showered with gifts of food. His clan would also have sole rights to the wild birds’ eggs and fledglings on Moto Nui during this period.

However, the competition was incredibly treacherous. The competitor would first descend 300m down the sheer cliff face to the shore. If he made it intact then, with the help of a narrow float made of reed, he would swim for a kilometre (4,000ft) through strong currents frequented by sharks to Moto Nui, the furthest of three islets. Here, he would wait for days and sometimes weeks for the arrival of the Sooty Terns. During this waiting period, contestants would often pit against each other, stealing food and taking refuge in the numerous caves on the islet.  

The contestant to obtain the first egg would then shout his patron’s name, place the sacred egg in a reed basket tied to his head, swim back to Rapa Nui, climb back up the cliff face and present it to his patron. As you might imagine many contestants met with tragedy either by falling from the cliff face, drowning or shark attack. This tradition lasted for 118 years, when it was suppressed by the missionaries. 

I marvel at the bravery of these men who undertook such a perilous journey, in order to bestow honour upon their patron.

Easter Island - Hanga Roa

The island of Rapa Nui, commonly known as Easter Island, is one of the most isolated places in the world, located 2,180mi (3,500km) west of continental Chile in the South Pacific Ocean. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, Easter Island is famous for its collection of monolithic statues, known as Moai and the unusual Birdman Cult. 

The island’s beginning is a little sketchy with most of what is known obtained either from oral recordings or archaeological excavations. Settled by Polynesians, radiocarbon dating suggests arrival around 1200 AD, however, some scholars posit that colonisation may have occurred as early as 700 AD.

Oral history tells the story of Hotu Matu’a, a tribal chief from somewhere near the Marquesas Islands (about 2,000mi / 3,200km northeast of Easter Island), who had a dream about an island called Te Pito ‘o te Kāinga, meaning “the centre of the earth”. Gathering a scouting crew, Hotu sent them on a voyage to search for the island, eventually finding Rapa Nui. After a short rest they returned to tell the chief the news, who then left in a double-hulled canoe and landed at Anakena beach.

Over time the islanders split into two major clans who were often in conflict with one another, competing in who could build the bigger Moai and when that didn’t help resolve their issues, they would turn to war and toppling each other’s statues.

The first European contact was in 1722 when Dutch explorer, Jacob Roggeveen landed on the island on Easter Sunday, which is how the island got its name.  He was followed by the Spaniards in 1770, Captain Cook in 1774 and the French in 1786. 

With the exception of a few passing ships, the next round of visitors were Peruvian slave-traders who in 1862 carried off 1,500 islanders, about half the population. Only a dozen of the islanders returned to Rapa Nui bringing smallpox with them, which decimated the remainder of the population including the bearers of the island’s culture, history and rongorongo script experts. 

Christian missionaries arrived in 1864 with the aim to stamp out the islanders’ culture by banning how they dressed, their tattoos and their body paint, essentially destroying their history, leaving little record of their past. By 1878 only 111 native people existed on the island. Annexation to Chile in 1888 all but sealed the islanders’ fate and their Rapa Nui culture had vanished.

The local natives continued to live under severe controls until the mid-20th century when the tourist trade and commercial interests from around the world began to turn things around for the population. Extensive archaeological studies on the island have been ongoing for over a century with special interest in the Moai statues. 

This journey begins in Hanga Roa, the capital of Easter Island. I will be travelling west to Orongo where the story of the birdman cult will unfold; then south to Ahu Tongariki with its 15 standing statues; swinging northwest to Anakena, the landing place of legendary tribal chief Hotu Matu’a; and finally, heading west through the centre of the island back to Hanga Roa. 

Time to head to Orongo.

Berlin Wall - Hermsdorf

 

The Berlin Wall was up for 28 years, beginning with a barbed wire barrier. When it came down in 1989, it consisted of concrete blocks, mesh fencing, signal fencing, anti-vehicle trenches, barbed wire, bunkers, observation towers, spikes, electrified fences and the ‘death strip’. 

Of the 5,000 people that escaped, 140 of them died trying. Reports of fatal shootings were often intentionally misreported to families with falsified death certificates issued. Families who knew what happened were threatened into silence and kept under surveillance by the Stasi (secret police). The truth for many families would only be revealed in the 1990s when the East German archives were opened for prosecution. 

As quickly as the wall went up in 1961, dividing the city and separating families, it came down just as fast in 1989. Less than a year later Germany was unified. Today it is a prosperous and free country with a vibrant and cosmopolitan capital city.

I leave you with a few more short stories of bravery, ingenuity and victory:

• Fuelled by love, Heinz Meixner, a West Berlin resident in love with his East Berlin girlfriend, hired a convertible and removed its windshield and deflated the tyres to lower the car. He then drove to Checkpoint Charlie with his girlfriend and her mom hiding in the back. When his car was being checked, Heinz hit the gas pedal and drove the car beneath the steel barrier to safety in the West.

• Banned from performing due to his anti-communist beliefs, trapeze artist, Horst Klein, climbed above the border patrol guards onto disused power cables and carefully walked his way to freedom.

• Ingo Bethke and his friend silently paddled their way across the river using an air mattress as a raft. In another location, Ingo’s brother, Holger, together with a friend, shot an arrow with a line tied to it from an attic to the West. Another Bethke brother, already in the West, tied the line around a chimney and the pair ziplined across using woollen jumpers.

• Crashing through the Wall at full-throttle was Harry Deterling's only intent. A train engineer, he hatched a plan to use a steam locomotive to smash through the crossing into the West. Bearing down on the crossing at 50mph (80kph), he disconnected the brake lines, so the locomotive couldn’t be stopped. The train came to a halt in a West Berlin neighbourhood where Harry, his wife, their four children and 26 other people safely disembarked.

I feel honoured to have walked this path and aim to always remember the hardships and losses endured, the courage needed, the heroic attempts and the sacrifices made for the sake of freedom.

Berlin Wall - Bernauer Straße

A couple of miles (3km) northeast of Brandenburg Gate is the historical Bernauer Straße (Street). When the city was divided, the wall ran along this street. Since the street belonged to France, all the windows, doors and rooftops on the southside were progressively bricked up by the East German border guards and later the buildings were demolished.

It was here that the first casualty of the Wall occurred. Ida Siekmann was a 59 year old widowed nurse. Attempting to flee, she threw a quilt and some possessions into the street and jumped from her 3rd floor (4th by North American standards) window. She was gravely injured, and died on her way to the hospital. 

In 1964, a group of 34 West Berlin students began digging a tunnel beneath the street. Six months later they completed the 475ft (145m) tunnel and reached East Berlin. Over a few days, 57 people escaped, before the tunnel was discovered. It had one casualty, a border soldier who was accidentally shot by a comrade.

It is also on this street that 19 year old Hans Conrad Schumann, a border patroller, took a leap of faith and jumped over the newly installed barbed wire. In an interview, Hans recalled watching a young woman handing a bouquet of flowers to her mother over the barbed wire and apologising for not being able to cross over. Realising that he didn’t want to keep his fellow citizens imprisoned, he dropped his submachine gun and jumped. The West Berlin police were alerted and quickly arrived in a van to whisk him away to safety. His jump was captured by a photographer and the image entitled “Jump to Freedom” became a symbol of freedom. A large photo can be seen on the side of a building on Bernauer Straße and a short distance away is a sculpture attached to the side of a building.

The demolished buildings on the southside of the street were never replaced. In its place now is a memorial park commemorating the victims of the Wall and the history of the city’s division. It is a wide-open green space, filled with information boards and relics of the Wall.

 

Berlin Wall - Brandenburg Gate

Within a mile of each other are two very important historical features that played crucial parts in Berlin’s history: Checkpoint Charlie and Brandenburg Gate.

Checkpoint Charlie was a major border crossing between East and West Berlin and the only crossing accessible to foreigners and Allied forces. A mere wooden shack, the checkpoint was in complete contrast to East Berlin’s side that featured guard towers, barriers and a shed to check vehicles for hidden escapees. The simple shack was meant to illustrate that the Berlin Wall was not a legal international border and that the checkpoints were meant to be temporary.

In October 1961, a US diplomat crossing into East Berlin was requested to have his documents examined by East Germans. He refused on the grounds that as per the US-USSR agreement, only Soviets were authorised to check documents. The diplomat was denied entry. Repeated efforts to restrict access to American personnel followed, culminating with a tank stand-off between the two superpowers at Checkpoint Charlie. Over a 24 hour period, the American and Soviet tanks (about 10 each side), barely 100m apart, faced-off, trained their guns on each other and were ready to fire. Concerns that the first shot fired could set off World War III, swift diplomatic negotiations ensued. Reaching an agreement, tensions were diffused and the tanks withdrew peacefully.

One of the most distressing moments that captured the plight of East Berliners worldwide was the fatal shooting of Peter Fechter. He was 18 years old when, together with a friend, he attempted to flee over the Wall, near Checkpoint Charlie. Having reached the wall, his friend made it across but Peter was shot in the pelvis by border guards. Lying injured, help was not forthcoming. The West side couldn’t help because he was on Soviet territory. The East didn’t want to help for fear of being shot at by the West. Peter, caught in the middle, was left at the Wall and bled out. An hour later he was carried away by border guards. 

Brandenburg Gate was built in the 18th century, as a representation of peace and as such was initially named the Peace Gate. In 1806, Napoleon used it for a triumphal procession and promptly took the quadriga atop the Gate as a trophy. The quadriga was returned by the Prussians a decade later. In the early 20th century, the Gate became a party symbol for the newly ascended Nazi regime and by the end of WWII, it suffered significant damage following the heavy air raids on Berlin. After the war the Allies restored it.

When the Berlin Wall was built, the Brandenburg Gate found itself amid the ‘death strip’. With the concrete wall running behind and a boom gate barrier in front, the Gate was closed off from the public. Viewing points from a fair distance were only available in East Berlin.

When the Wall fell, Brandenburg Gate became a symbol of peace and unity, reminiscent of its original purpose.

 

A Cow in the Garden - Irish Proverb

 

Berlin Wall - East Side Gallery

 

The Berlin Wall Trail was completed in 2006 and runs along the original borders. Storyboards of events are set along the route giving an insight into the division that occurred in Germany and the rise and fall of the Wall.

As I journey on the trail, I am touched by the courage shown by the men and women who fought for their freedom. Of those who have fallen, nearly half of the deaths took place in the first five years of the Wall’s existence and nearly 60% of them were in their early 20s. The escapees during these early years were from a generation who experienced freedom and open borders. Many of them used to commute to West Berlin for work and to visit their families.

With tightened border controls and enhanced fortifications, by the late 1960s, the number of escapees dropped significantly.   People were so driven to find a better life that all manners of escape were undertaken. Some braved the ‘death strip’, attempting to climb the walls, others swam or dived the Spree River. Cars, trucks and trains were used to ram through borders or attempt to smuggle people across. Even more daring escapes were in a hot air balloon, tightrope walking and zip lining.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a section of the concrete wall was preserved and turned into an open-air gallery. At 4,300ft (1,300m) long, it is the longest outdoor gallery in the world. In 1990, a group of artists from 21 countries were invited to paint the wall with 106 works of art. The original artworks were an expression of the changing political times and joy over the fall of the Wall. A year later the gallery was designated a historical monument. 

Time and vandalism damaged the Wall until 2009 when it was completely restored and the original artists were invited to return and repaint their works in more resistant colours. The other side of the wall was repainted white, restoring it to its pre-1989 condition when the colour, casting shadows of potential escapees, was supposed to alert border guards on watch. 

Today, the gallery is one of the most visited landmarks in Berlin, drawing 800,000+ visitors per year.

Berlin Wall - Waltersdorfer Chaussee

 

The thriving city of Berlin is home to 3.8 million people. It is the capital city of Germany, the largest city in the country and one of the most populated in Europe. A tourist destination, Berlin is rich with culture, diverse architecture, vibrant nightlife, a plethora of festivities and a very high quality of life.

Yet not so long-ago, Berlin was a decimated city, a result of heavy bombing during WWII. When Germany lost the war in 1945, the country was divided by the Allies into four sectors. The Allies consisted of the United States, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union (USSR). East Germany was occupied by the USSR and West Germany was split between the other three. Berlin, as the capital city, was located in East Germany and it too was carved up into East and West Berlin. 

Movement within the capital and around other parts of the country was easily accessible. For years, people were able to travel across borders for education, work, visiting family and so on without worry of being stopped. 

Whilst West Germany was rebuilding quickly, improving the residents’ quality of life, East Germany was lagging behind and the Soviets became increasingly concerned when large numbers of its population were defecting to the west, particularly professionals, thereby causing a ‘brain drain’. To stem the tide, the Soviets closed their borders to West Germany but the border in Berlin remained open. The East Berliners swiftly took advantage of this opportunity to escape and by 1961 more than 300,000 had left within the first six months of the year.

Border crossing came to an end in August 1961 when the Soviets laid more than 6,000mi (9,600km) of barbed wire around West Berlin’s 96mi (156km) perimeter. The first generation of concrete walls was built within the same year, with subsequent fortifications following over the next 14 years. A secondary wall was built about 100m from the first one with the gap between them becoming what was known as the ‘death strip’.

Overnight, families, friends and neighbours were separated. East Berliners whose homes crossed the boundary between East and West found themselves with their back door nailed shut and bricked over. Many were relocated as buildings were razed to make way for the ‘death strip’.   Waltersdorfer Chausse, where my journey begins, was a border crossing for West Berliners/Germans and foreigners heading to Schönefeld Airport in East Germany. The airport was the site of a daring escape by a couple, who hijacked a domestic flight shortly after take-off and tried to force the crew to fly to West Germany. The plan failed. When the couple realised they were landing back at the airport they killed themselves. In their words “All we want is to live our own lives the way we would like… Should our plan fail, [we] are going to depart this life… Death is then the best solution.” 

Stories of bold escapes and failed attempts will unfold as I head north along the Berlin Wall Trail.

Marathon to Athens - Athens

Leaving Pallini the route commenced a steep ascent from the suburbs of Gerakas to Stavros Junction, followed by a steep descent into Agia Paraskevi Square. The route continued through the districts of Chalandri and Cholargos alternating between flat and downhill sections, beneath Calatrava Bridge, past the massive “The Runner” sculpture and finished in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.

The Panathenaic Stadium was originally built as a racecourse in the 6thC BC. Two centuries later a stadium made out of limestone was built on this site for the Panathenaic Games which differed from the Ancient Olympic Games. Whilst they both took place every four years, the Panathenaic Games gave prizes such as amphorae, large ceramic vessels filled with high quality olive-oil or drachmas (money) as a reward, whereas the Olympic Games awarded a garland of olive leaves. The Panathenaic Games lasted longer, dedicated a full day to poetry recitals, had a torch race and only allowed Athenians to take part unlike the Olympics where any male from Greece could take part. As prestigious as the Panathenaic Games were to the Athenians they were not as important as the Olympic Games.

The stadium was reconstructed in 144AD in marble quarried from Mount Penteliko near Pallini. It is the only marble stadium in the world today. By 4thC AD the festivals and games were banned and the stadium was abandoned. Falling into ruin, the marble was reused in other buildings. With the centuries passing the remains of the stadium was covered by vegetation until it was discovered during archaeological excavations in the 1800s. 

Wanting to revive the ancient Olympic Games as a modern event, the stadium was rebuilt once again, in the same marble, just in time for the inaugural 1896 Modern Olympics. An estimated 80,000 spectators attended the event. It took another 108 years before the games returned to the Panathenaic Stadium when Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics. The stadium hosted the archery event and was the finishing point for the marathon race event. 

Walking through the stadium I could imagine the ancient games with chariot races, athletics and even musical events taking place as the spectators roared and cheered from the stands. On either side of the track’s bend are two identical double-headed statues with Apollo on one side and Hermes on the other. Both Apollo and Hermes are members of the 12 Olympians, the most important gods in Greek mythology. 

At the entrance to the stadium to the far right is a statue of Georgios Averoff, the benefactor who sponsored the 1896 reconstruction, as tribute for his generosity. Opposite the stadium is a copy of Konstantinos (Kostas) Dimitriadis’ bronze statue of a discus thrower. What makes this statue important is that Kostas, a distinguished sculptor of Belgian-Greek heritage, competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics not as an athlete but as an artist. Art competitions were part of the Olympic events until 1948. During the competition Kostas presented the discus thrower statue in the Sculpturing category and won the Gold medal. The original statue is in Randall’s Island Park, New York City.

The original distance at the 1896 Olympics was set at 40km (24.85mi) based on the alleged distance Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens. The distance remained that way for both the 1900 and 1904 Olympics. However, in 1908 at the London Olympics the marathon distance was extended to 26.2mi (42.195km) starting at Windsor Castle and finishing in front of the Royal Box in the White City Stadium (a stadium that was specifically built for the 1908 games and has since been demolished). The extended distance was standardised in 1921 and since the 1924 Olympics onwards it has been the official marathon distance. 

Fast forward to the 21st century and at least 800 marathons are held annually around the world. Although the majority of runners are recreational athletes there are many prestigious events that require a marathoner to meet a particular qualifying time in order to participate. The most prestigious is the Boston Marathon which is also the oldest marathon race in the world that started in 1897 the year after the very first modern Olympics.

It’s been wonderful to travel in the steps of marathon athletes and legendary Pheidippides but now I’m ready to hang up my shoes or at the very least take a load off my feet and have a final feast of Greek cuisine.

Ouzo is Greece’s national drink. With its aniseed flavour, this clear alcoholic beverage turns cloudy if mixed with ice or water. It is often served as an aperitif to open up the appetite. Sipping slowly, I prepared my tastebuds for an entrée of grilled Halloumi cheese. This brined cheese that’s similar in texture to mozzarella, imparts a deep salty flavour that mellows when grilled. It was drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette and accompanied by half chopped cherry tomatoes topped with oregano leaves and cracked pepper. For the main dish I chose a serving of Stifado, a slow-cooked beef stew in tomato sauce, with caramelized shallots atop potato puree. Finished off with a strong brew of Greek coffee as I reminisced about my journey.

 

Marathon to Athens - Pallini

I continued southbound through the town of Nea Makri, known for its coastline and beaches and the village of Mati, a popular tourist destination with ferry access to explore nearby islands. 

The route takes a southwest direction to Pikermi. The town has a paleontological site where 40 mammal species from the late Miocene era, about 8 million years ago, were discovered. The site was initially discovered by accident by Scottish historian, George Finley, in 1836 whilst he was looking for the remains of a temple. Three years later during excavations, a Bavarian soldier came across calcite crystals thinking they were diamonds. He handed the specimens over to zoologist Andreas Wagner in Munich who disproved the specimens as diamonds but instead recognised it as the maxilla (upper jaw) of a primate which was classified as the first primate specimen to ever be discovered. Fieldwork followed with many more discoveries until the early 1900s when it stopped for about 50 years. In the 1970s activity resumed for the next decade before stopping again for another 28 years. Activity began again when new sites were discovered in the Pikermi Valley. Since 2009, annual excavations have unearthed more than 2,000 specimens including mammals such as the hipparions, the three-toed horses that roamed the earth during the Miocene period.

Heading west, I arrived at the suburban town of Pallini. It is located in a plain between the mountains of Penteliko to the north and Hymettus to the south. The mountain elevations are between 3,300-3,600ft (1,000-1,100m). 

Hymettus was an excavation site in the early 20th century where three structures were found. The larger one was identified as an altar. Several shards with inscriptions dedicated to Zeus were also found. It was hypothesized that the structure was a sanctuary of Zeus Ombrios (meaning Showery Zeus) where agricultural people would make offerings in favour of rain, especially during severe droughts. The first writings about the existence of the altar was by Pausanias, a 2nd century geographer who wrote about ancient Greece. His writings were supported by the excavation site where besides the inscribed shards, complete potteries and vessels that were used as offerings were also discovered in a hollowed area near the altar. It seemed that periodically the offerings were gathered from the altar to make space for new offerings and dumped into a nearby hole. These discoveries have given archaeologists a wealth of information who were able to deduce that the sanctuary was used for several centuries with the 7thC BC being the busiest period. 

Mount Penteliko is fully surrounded by houses and two-thirds covered by forestry. What Penteliko is widely known for is its high-quality marble which was used for several structures in Athens, ie the Acropolis and Panathenaic Stadium. After a while the marble was exported to Rome for many of their ancient structures and sculptures. Today the ancient marble quarry is protected by law and only used for the restoration of the Acropolis. 

The marathon course began an uphill climb from Nea Makri at around the 13th  mile (21km), then continued uphill through Pikermi and Pallini. Building up an appetite with all the uphill work into Pallini I settled in at a tavern for a mini feast. Starting with a mixed olives appetiser and bread for dipping in olive oil, I moved onto a small fish, grilled whole, drizzled with lemon and oil dressing accompanied by a tomato salad with onions, green peppers, feta and olives and a side dish of herbed roasted potatoes cut into wedges. I finished with a slice of Karythopita, a spiced walnut cake.

 

Marathon to Athens - Soros

As I ambled along Marathonomáchon road, which translates as Marathon battle, I imagined the event that took place here 2,500 years ago. At the junction I turned right to reach the carpark for the Marathon Archaeological Site and to the left of its entrance was a bronze statue of Miltiades, the Greek commander who brought victory at the Battle of Marathon. On the grounds of the archaeological site was the tumulus (burial mound) of the Marathon warriors, also known as ‘Soros’, who died on the battlefield. 

Let’s roll back the time to 490BC and imagine the Persian fleet of 600 warships advancing across the Aegean Sea. Under the leadership of two commanders Datis and Artaphernes (who was the nephew of Darius, King of Persia) the ships sailed into Eritrea and completely decimated it before making their way into the Bay of Marathon and onto its shores. According to modern historians the Persian army consisted of approximately 25,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry far outnumbering the Athenian army of 9,000 and the 1,000 Plataeans who aided them.

The Persians disembarked on the beach of Schinias next to the Great Marsh, whilst the Athenians took up defensive positions across the marsh blocking the exits. The Athenians’ intent was to hold off any advancement from the Persians while they waited for the Spartans to arrive (they arrived after the battle finished). Without their own cavalry the Athenians were at a great risk against the large numbers of Persian cavalry. However, due to reasons unknown the Persian cavalry was absent on the day the Athenians at the behest of their commander, Miltiades attacked. 

Taking up a phalanx formation (a tightly packed rectangular formation), each Athenian was armed with a thrusting spear between 4.9-8.2ft (1.5-2.5m) in length, a wooden shield covered in bronze and a short sword approximately 24in (60cm) long. The commander, Militiades, extended the phalanx formation to the length of the Persian one weakening its centre by reducing its depth but maintaining full strength on the flanks. 

Advancing at a steady pace to close the one mile (1.6km) gap between the two armies, the Athenians accelerated their pace when the Persian’s arrows rained upon them. Charging at full speed into the Persian army the flanks of the Persians crumbled and the archers with no armour or shields had no other means of protecting themselves. With no hand-to-hand combat experience the Persian flanks retreated and escaped back to their ships. 

The centre of the Athenian formation fared less well. Being weaker at the centre they were up against the elite Persian units. Having to cross scrub vegetation their advancement was slowed down, exposing them to Persian archers for much longer than the Athenians in the flanks. The Persians successfully broke through the centre and for a brief period they thought they had won the battle.

However, the Athenians on the flanks abandoned their charge and turned to attack the Persians in the centre. The Persians gave up the fight and before they could be surrounded, they fled back to their ships. The Athenians gave chase and continued attacking on the beach as the Persians attempted to re-embark their ships.

The Athenians captured seven Persian ships and killed approximately 6,400 Persians whilst they sustained a loss of 192 Athenians and 11 Plataeans. 

It was at this point that Pheidippides was deployed to run his marathon to Athens and declare victory at Marathon prior to collapsing from exhaustion and dying. To be fair to the legend himself he did run to Sparta return prior to this and wouldn’t have had much time for recovery.

The tumulus 32ft (10m) high mound was built at the end of the battle where the cremated remains of the 192 fallen Athenians were buried. Black-figure vases were dedicated to the fallen at the tumulus by their families which today are housed in the town’s archaeological museum two miles (3.4km) east of the tumulus. Near the museum is the smaller tumulus of the 11 fallen Plataeans. 

The journey here was a circular route around the tumulus then back on Marathonomáchon to the main road.  Turning left back onto the main road, I continued on a straight and flat section for the next 2mi (3.25km).

Famished, I pulled into a restaurant. Greek cuisine is scrumptious, filled with deep and tantalizing flavours from dips such as tzatziki (yoghurt, cucumber and garlic) and taramasalata (fish roe dip) to moussaka (layered aubergine with mince lamb topped with a bit of bechamel sauce and cheese). However, my all-time favourite is the Spanakopita, made of crispy layers of filo pastry filled with spinach and feta cheese and a nice side salad of chilled green bean salad with tomatoes and dill. I paired it with a glass of retsina, a Greek wine that “derives part of its flavour from exposure to tree resins, most generally pine resin” and is complementary to the strong flavour of feta cheese.

Marathon to Athens - Marathon

 

The town of Marathon is synonymous with the road race referred to as marathon. Each year a Marathon to Athens road race takes place beginning here. Starting in Marathon it follows a southwest route parallel to the coast of Petalioi Gulf with a slight detour around the “Tumulus of the Marathon Warriors” before taking a west and then northwest direction into Athens ending in the Panathenaic Stadium. This is the route that I will be following on this journey completing the full marathon distance of 26.2mi (42.195km).

Marathon is a town in Attica, Greece largely known for its historic victory in 490BC when greatly outnumbered Athenians crushed the Persian army. This is also where the legend of Pheidippides’ run to Athens was also born. The story told is that Pheidippides was a hemerodrome, an Athenian day-courier who would run from location to location to deliver messages. He was sent from Athens to Sparta to request help, having to run a 300mi (480km) round-trip. Upon his return he ran from Athens to Marathon 24.85mi (40km) and came back to announce the victory in Marathon before collapsing from exhaustion and dying.

No one knows with certainty how much of Pheidippides’ story is real or if it was muddled with other events and subsequently interpreted a little differently when the story was transcribed. No matter though, it seemed to be enough of a reason to commemorate Pheidippides with a marathon distance race at the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. Since Greece was the birthplace of the Ancient Olympic Games it seemed appropriate that it should be host to the first modern Olympics. 

The original Olympic Games were held in Olympia in Ancient Greece from around 776BC to 393AD. They were held in honour of Zeus, a mythological god in the ancient Greek religion and the ruler of the gods on Mount Olympus. The very first foot race was a 192m sprint called Stadion and it was the only event held at the Olympics for the first 13 games. The foot race expanded to double the length known as Diaulos at the 14th games. The Dolichos (long race) was added in the 15th games that equalled approximately 3mi (4.8km) in length, although it is debated since there are different accounts of the number of laps or lengths required. At most, the race may have been up to 5.6mi (9km) long. 

The route begins outside the Marathon Stadium. Whilst large and barren I could imagine this on race day filled with professional athletes and amateur runners vying for their position at the start line. Runners would be abuzz with excitement and nerves, checking their sport watches for GPS connection, straightening their gear, ensuring their race bib is firmly attached, stretching, warming-up and mentally readying themselves for a gruelling 26mi (42km) race day. 

Starting my journey, the route sloped away from the Start Area for the next 200m and entered the main road. Travelling alongside farmland the road gently ambles itself downhill for the next 2.6mi (4km) where I turn left to make my way towards Soros, the tumulus where the ancient Athenians were buried. 

It may be a bit too soon for a meal but if I find somewhere to pick up some sweets, I’ll be sure to be looking for the delectable and syrupy baklava. It is a super sweet dessert made up of filo pastry, tightly packed ground nuts mixed with butter and sugar that have been soaked in honey syrup. I’m sure to have some sticky fingers and perhaps a little syrup dripping down my hand but for the indulgence it’ll be worth it.

Peace Ferry

 As I flowed through the remaining rapids, I sensed the end was near. I absorbed whatever stories were left to tell and here’s one final one about Lava Cliff Rapids (not to be confused with Lava Falls Rapids from earlier). In the early 1900s, the Lava Cliff Rapids were considered the most formidable in the Grand Canyon, illustrated by their tumultuous and forceful currents and frothing waves. When the Kolb brothers ran the Colorado in 1911-12, they opted to portage to bypass the rapids. So did Julius Stone’s expedition in 1909 and Otis Marston in 1923. However, in 1937 as part of a scientific expedition, Frank Dodge, the lead boatman, braved the rapid in a homemade wooden boat and succeeded in conquering it. 

Today you wouldn’t know the rapids were ever there. They disappeared in the 1930s when Lake Mead’s water levels rose. 

Rounding the bend at Dry Canyon, about half a mile further (800m) was a short canyon on the left where at the top I could just make out the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a U- shaped cantilever bridge with a glass floor that juts out from the canyon wall. Suspended in the air, the view through the glass floor is a 500-800ft (150-240m) vertical drop into the canyon below. 

Three miles (5km) before Pearce Ferry, the walls of the Grand Canyon came to a sudden end and the wonders of the canyon finished. Leaving the desert canyon behind the Colorado River continued on for the remainder of its journey spilling into the Gulf of California.

I finished my Grand Canyon adventure at Pearce Ferry, the furthest take-out point on any Grand Canyon river expedition. 

When I first began this journey at Lees Ferry, I didn’t know what to expect beyond steep canyon walls and hundreds of rapids. The Grand Canyon is much more than a spectacular geologic formation. It is filled with stories of ancient people who occupied it and pioneers who explored it. It is full of brave explorers who tackled it, scientists who wanted to understand it, photographers who wanted to capture its essence and travellers who wanted the thrill of the experience. Stories abound since its early sighting, be they stories of triumph, disaster or mysteries and now I can add my story to it too.

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The team at The Conqueror Challenges
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