Our third day also began bright and early with another 8am bus ride down to Limassol. There, we visited the Bernard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) Maritime Training Centre, where new seafarers are immersed in the ways of the ship and learn how to control ships in nearly any situation. The students live in the Training Centre for the duration of the program they are attending. We then toured the Training Centre’s facilities, which included the bridge (of the ship) simulator and engine room simulator. In the bridge simulator, we were able to see real students in an active simulation exercise, navigating a virtual ship through one of the busiest channels of the world in Singapore. Additionally, our tour guide—who is a captain of a ship—explained that they also include exercises for the students where the bridge and engine room departments need to communicate with each other in cases of docking or emergency.

Since the goal of the BSM Maritime Training Centre is to prepare their students for life at sea, including avoiding collisions with other ships, communication between ships and within ships was a key factor that the captain stressed during the tour. With well prepared new seafarers, there could be less collisions or emergencies that are detrimental to the supply chain. For example, when the Ever Given ship got stuck in the Suez Canal for six days, it created a backlog of hundreds of ships, and cost the global economy hundreds of millions of dollars per hour.

After the company visit, we traveled to Stou Kir Yianni Tavern in picturesque Omodos village in the Troodos mountains for lunch. The food, presentation, and atmosphere of the restaurant were all amazing. The highlight of the meal was the chicken kebab and pork dish, which was brought out on a wooden dish and presented beautifully. After lunch, we had time to explore the village and monastery. Although a little touristy, visiting the village gave me a good sense of a typical Cypriot village.

After lunch, we traveled deep into the Troodos mountains to visit Troodos Square, near Mount Olympus. The drive up had amazing views as we reached a final elevation of 1725 meters, or roughly 5,600 feet. There, my friends and I explored the nature trail, giving us a good sense of the beauty of the Troodos mountains. Overall, it was a fun day in the mountains.