After perhaps the longest day of my life (the sun was out the entire time we were traveling) we have finally landed Cyprus! My constant desire to walk the warm streets of Cyprus gripped me for the entirety of the last flight, making it impossible to sleep. I found that the bus ride from the airport to the hotel was a much better place to catch some rest. Here’s a tip; take the back seats of the bus when you get on and pray no one comes to sit next to you. You can sprawl out across five unused seats and pass out for a nice relaxing 45 minute bus ride.
One thing that surprised me as we were flying over Cyprus before landing was the amount of darker patches of land. For some reason I had the impression of a tropical island with lots of vineyards, but the land was not quite that. Not sure if that is the typical nature of the island, or just has to do with the time of year, but it was not as green as I expected. Despite this, we were pleasantly greeted by a strong 65 degree temperature coming off the bus. After a few announcements, and a debriefing on how to use some ancient technology known as a flip phone, we were on out way to enjoying a relaxing evening exploring Limassol.
Our first stop was the boat dock. We were immediately immersed in the culture of Cyprus with kids playing soccer in large pedestrian areas and an abundance of cute, stray cats roaming the streets. The streets are narrow and busy, giving me the impression somewhat of Venice, Italy, if the canals were replaced with roads. The busy streets had a few vendors as well, selling jewelry, but nothing too eye catching yet.
The main attraction for our first night was the amazing meal some of us shared at Il Castello. With the immense appetite we accumulate after nearly a day of traveling, my meal of lamb chops and Pita with Tzatziki tasted better than I ever could have imagined. Although the service was not the typical, high paced dining environment we are accustomed to in America, this time waiting for our food gave us all a great opportunity to discuss our grueling travel experience, and our hopes for the rest of this trip. An additional cultural revelation we experienced while dining was having the stray cats come up to us as we ate! Although the local seemed dismissive of the animals, shooing them away from their tables, we were happy to let the small felines stroll at our feet during the meal.
For now, the beginning of this experience has already exceeded my expectations. I am looking forward to catching an early sunrise view tomorrow morning, and visiting the local college to learn more about Cyprus’s history.