March 2014

Spring on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, with the wildflowers blooming

Driving on the "wrong" side of the road is one of the few drawbacks of visiting Cyprus. I had my initiation last night, driving our rental car home from the airport in the dark, in an unfamiliar palace, and with a GPS that was speaking Russian to us. Today was Jenny's day, and she did great. We left Limassol on a beautiful, sunny morning and drove West towards Pafos. We navigated just fine, though "Natasha" babbled at us from time to time and provided no enlightenment. Jenny swore she had changed the language to English, and it wasn't until later that afternoon that I figured out that language and "voice" were two separate controls! Goodbye Natasha, and hello "Jason" (yes, Jason M, that was his assigned name!).

Cypriot military helicopter practices sea rescues along the island's gorgeous coastline

Rocks of Aphrodite - a limestone formation just off the coast

Our first stop was the Rocks of Aphrodite, a formation of limestone stacks off the coast. As we swung onto the coastal road, we noticed a military rescue helicopter practicing land and sea rescues. We weren't the only car pulled over to snap photos of it. We pulled off the road at a few spots to take photos of Aphrodite's Rocks, then continued on.

Byzantine church from the 9th century in the town of Paphos

Our next stop was a gorgeous 9th century Byzantine church. It's five domes are in a cross shape and were a beautiful oasis of peace in the town's hectic traffic. Inside, frescoes on the wall depicted Saints' lives and Biblical scenes. It was a lovely church, and I didn't even even resent that I couldn't take photos of the frescoes. Then it was on towards the west coast town of Paphos. This is a favorite retirement spot for Brits, and you could tell the town did a good job of catering to foreigners. Cafes line every street, and everywhere you go, someone is willing to sign you up for a boat cruise, snorkeling, car rental - you name it! It helps that the archeological ruins there are a UNESCO world heritage site. Our first stop was the Crusader castle guarding the harbor. From its rooftop, we got our bearings for our exploration of Paphos.

Paphos' tiny harbor crammed with boats

Paphos' highlight is the archeological park with a half dozen Roman era homes with stunning mosaics preserved. The homes and buildings themselves were often a jumble of toppled walls and columns, but the colorful mosaics with tiny stones depicting various scenes from Graeco-Roman mythology, were in excellent condition and brightly-colored. The best mosaics are under wooden or other rooftop coverings to protect them from the elements. Thankfully, there were no photo Nazis, and you were free to take pictures of them to your heart's content....which I did (big surprise!).

Paphos is know for its ancient ruins from the Roman era, like these columns

Stunning mosaic floor from a Roman domus (house)

Overview of the Paphos archeological area

We spent several hours there, wandering the ruins of the homes, as well as exploring the Roman theater, another Crusader fortress, and simply enjoying the bright flowers adding splashes of red and yellow to the sandy colored stones underneath the vivid blue sky.

Paphos' Ancient, Greek-style theater

After a late lunch, we journeyed on. Our next stop was the Tombs of the Kings. These rocky tombs in various states of disrepair were built during the Hellenistic age. That was when much of the Mediterranean and Asia was ruled by descendants of Alexander the Great. it was cool to wander the rolling, scrub-covered hills, listening to birds and the gentle rush of the ocean surf below us, while exploring the rocky tombs.

A tomb from the time of the Macedonian & Greek successors to Alexander the Great

The exterior of one of Cyprus' many Ancient tombs

Next,, we took in the lovely view from a hilltop village, and then drove up and over the hillsides to the northwest coast of Cyprus. We zipped along what was supposed to be a very scenic stretch, but found restaurants, hotels, and vacation homes squatted on all the best viewpoints. We stopped to hike through a botanical garden to the Baths of Aphrodite. Cyprus is supposed to be the birthplace of the Greek goddess of love, so a number of sites are sacred to her on the island. Frankly, it was a bit of a disappointment. It was nothing more than a tiny, wooded pool underneath a trickle of a waterfall.

View towards the coast from one of Cyprus' lovely, hilltop villages

Our drive back to Limassol and our hotel started out as a bit of an adventure. "Jason" steered us off the main road onto what turned into a dirt road that Jenny swore was someone's driveway. His help was problematic, at best. Add that to the GPS' non-intuitive interface, and the fact that every place in Cyprus has 4-5 English spellings of its name, and you have a navigational aid that often doesn't. We are a bit worried about how it will do in the Troodos Mountains, when we go to check out a bunch medieval monasteries. We'll pray for the best, though, and hope that our "wrong" driving stays limited to the side of the road...!

Even the birds admire Cyprus' amazing ancient ruins

Most people seem to know vaguely that Cyprus is somewhere in the Mediterranean, so I thought I'd include this map. I have been wanting to visit the island for years. History's greatest civilizations washed over its shores, nearly all of them leaving behind relics that can be visited today. As some of you know, the island is divided into a southern Greek half and a northern Turkish one. Technically two separate countries, and even featuring a UN peacekeeping force, war has long since disappeared here. In 2003, the Turkish side opened its border to Greek Cypriots and there was a spontaneous to reconnect with their northern Turkish brethren. The Cypriots on both sides were, by their actions, telling their governments they didn't like being divided. The wealthier Greek Cypriots began to take weekend trips up to northern Cyprus, where they were warmly welcomed. Ever since then, there really hasn't been a need for a UN force. Doubtless, it is the easiest and most sought after posting in the United Nations! Sure, hard liners on both sides of the border can probably be found. Heck, there are anti-government separatists in America!

So, all this really means is I'll be visiting TWO countries on this short, Spring break trip. And for the curious, that will bring my total to 81 nations. For me, though, it means a chance to immerse myself again in Greek, Roman, Crusader, and Turkish history. Jenny and I will spend 5 days on this beautiful, warm island. The posts that follow will hopefully show why this island has been in my dreams for decades, but now will be part of my waking experiences.