The young lady sighs as she looks at a burned beach umbrella that is lying in the sand.
"It was a really horrible and terrifying experience for the tourists, but it was worse for us because we live here. All of it has been burned. " .
The wildfires that have ravaged the Greek island of Rhodes caught Edisa, a 19-year-old who lives in Lindos with her parents on the island's southeast coast, in their path.
The family, who all work in the area's numerous hotels, was compelled to leave their house over the weekend along with thousands of vacationers.
They were hiding from the sweltering heat on Glystra beach when we came across them. As Edisa spoke, a small yellow bird, one of the family's pets that they had brought to safety, twittered noisily from its cage.
Tourists recently enjoyed the sun and splashed around in the area's sparkling blue water. All that is now left are the burning ruins of what once appeared to be a café and the burned-out shell of a nearby tourist attraction.
Edisa had just learned that their house had been spared damage, but fires are still raging nearby and much of the neighborhood has been severely damaged. She worries about her potential here.
After all this, she predicts that tourists won't want to return because it will take many years to repair the damage.
A tanned man wearing reflective sunglasses arrived to see the wreck of his water sports rental business as strong winds carried the smell of smoke across the beach.
Takis Mitropoulos was pessimistic but resigned.
"We lost the contract. However, we are healthy and believe we can make it right again. We can fix anything if we are in good health. ".
But after that, he hurried off to answer a phone call. Once more, the fire was growing. Everyone in this area is on high alert and prepared for when the wind changes to blow in their direction.
Kyriakos Sarikas, manager at one of Lindos' most opulent hotels, explained that everything was having a terrible effect on the neighborhood.
We crossed the large, cool lobby, our steps echoing. Over the weekend, every visitor was ejected. But many local workers have also been forced to leave their homes, he continued. The authorities announced the evacuation of several other villages as we were still speaking.
He claims, "It's like a biblical catastrophe.".
He is horrified by the burnt-out landscapes in the area, even though the hotel itself was unharmed and it was still too early to determine the extent of the damage because the fires were still raging.
"We must have a strategy for ending this crisis and restoring the entire region. The nature outside is the most important thing, as all of this is a result of the environmental crisis we are currently facing. The hotel is a hotel; you can rebuild it or repaint it. ".
Fire trucks were gathered by the roadside as we headed back north, and thick smoke obscured the forested hillsides to the west. A group of evacuees from the Malona village gathered to watch firefighters battle to prevent the flames from destroying their homes and means of support, one holding a pair of binoculars.
