On Tuesday, we spent the day in Famagusta. Famagusta was invaded by Turkey in 1974 and is still under Turkish control. Because of this, it is not recognized as its own country by the rest of the world. In order to enter the territory, we needed to show our passports. The first thing we did was walk through the Varosi area, which used to be a thriving tourist area that was abandoned during the invasion and has not been touched since. The buildings were falling apart with overgrown plants everywhere. Recently, one main road in the area has been repaved in order to encourage people to come visit; this is the road that we walked down. We then stopped at the Old City of Famagusta, which is surrounded by stone walls. In Medieval Famagusta, many churches were built, including the former Cathedral of Saint Nicholas. This church has distinctly French gothic architecture, and it has been converted into a mosque called the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque. There is also the Othello Tower, which inspired Shakespeare to write his famous play, Othello. We ate lunch in the city, I got the chance to try some Turkish baked goods, which were all delicious. Unfortunately, I also discovered that I am mildly allergic to pistachios.

After leaving the Old City, we traveled to Fig Tree Beach and had the chance to swim in the sea. The water was beautiful and clear, and the sand was soft. I wish we had the opportunity to spend more time there, but we had to leave in order to visit the sea caves. The sea caves were an impressive feat of nature that I feel lucky to have seen. The water in the surrounding area was a vibrant blue. Unfortunately, this was our last day with Dimitra as our tour guide. Throughout our time in Cyprus, her guidance and information has enriched my experience of each location.