Today we left southern Cyprus and went to the illegally occupied Turkish north. When Turkey invaded the island following the attempted coup d’état, a ceasefire was called, and where the Turkish advance stopped, the UN drew a buffer line. We crossed that line, requiring our passports to go to the biggest city in the north, Famagusta. Upon arrival in the area, we first toured the abandoned town of Varosi. This was once the most prominent tourist destination on the island but now lies abandoned. During the invasion, the majority Greek population of the town was displaced, giving control to the Turks. Under official orders, the Turks looted and pillaged the city, taking cars, furniture, and even doors onto their navy ships to be sold in open-air bazaars in mainland Turkey. After the tour of the abandoned section, we headed to the old city of Famagusta. Also invaded by the Turks, all Greek culture from the town was stripped, down to changing the road signs. This town felt significantly more like the middle east than any area I have previously been to in Cyprus.

We went to Konnos Bay to spend time at the beach, following our time in the occupied north. Much like Paphos, this bay is another significant tourist spot on the island. The water was crystal blue with small fishes swimming around. After this short beach stop, we headed to a set of sea caves along the coast. These caves naturally occurred on the side of a cliff overlooking the sea. In addition, near the sea caves, a naturally occurring land bridge connected two sections of the cliff. Although one could not stand on the bridge, it was still cool to see.