For our excursion today, we returned to the port city of Limassol. Starting at the Port of Limassol, the largest port in Cyprus, we got a taste of the shipping and maritime industry. Straddle carriers whizzed past, picking up shipping containers, moving them from piles to trucks, and waiting to take them to their next destination. While there, I learned about how the industry functions and, most notably, about its central information database. All of Cyprus’s shipping and logistics locations contribute information to one central database. Shippers submit the contents of their containers electronically, and then customs and ports can track each specific container. With this system, containers can be cleared by customs in as little as 15 mins, significantly faster than 48 hours as needed with the previous system. Moreover, customers can track the condition of their container online through this database so that they no longer have to call as to where their container may be.
Following the tour of the Port of Limassol, we headed to the old city port and maritime district. Arriving here was surreal. The water was a crystal blue outlined by a set of sea rocks to preserve the shore from erosion. While in the maritime district, we went to Limassol Castle. Legend has it that King Richard the Lionheart got married at the castle nearly 800 years ago. But now, it stands as a landmark harking back to the middle ages. This has been the best day yet, and I can not wait for what is next.
