Today was our first day heading over to the Turkish side of Cyprus. Something interesting about Cyprus is the fact that it is a divided country meaning that we had to show our passports at the “Green Line” — the line that divides the country in two. After showing our passports, we did a walking tour around Famagusta which included us heading towards the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque. We learned how this mosque was actually constructed for the purpose of being a Catholic church, however following the Ottoman Empires’ invasion, was converted. This bit of history goes back to what we learned about yesterday. It was amazing to be able to see what Dr. Solomou was actually talking about and being able to see the effects of the invasions on Cyprus.
After completing the tour we had a bit of free time to explore the Turkish side. I ended up going into a store where I bought a few souvenirs for friends and family where I met a very kind Turkish man. We then traveled to Varosi, a town once populated by tourists, now completely empty due to the fact that following the Turkish invasion and people were forced to leave. Seeing this ghost town was surreal as it happened not long ago at all.
After our time in Varosi concluded, we headed towards Protaras to go swimming in Fig Tree Bay. The beach was beautiful and unlike anything I have ever seen before. One thing that differed from the US, at least the beaches that I have been to was the fact that you have to rent a chair and umbrella. Another thing that differed was that there was an island a few hundred feet off of the shoreline. My worst decision of the day was no doubt suggesting to climb onto the island to take a picture. As someone who has never been out of the US, I expected this island to be a nice sandy one with nothing to worry about. I was completely wrong. The terrain of this island was jagged and rocky, in fact, after scaling to the top of the island, it took me about 30 minutes to get back down. At the end of the day I may have gotten a few cuts and bruises, however the picture made the adventure worth the trouble.
As a group, we were on our own to explore and find a place for dinner. I along with a group of peers decided to hit a local restaurant we found nearby. The restaurant had live music along with being in somewhat of an alleyway/hallway that was always bustling with people. On top of this, cats flocked to our table hoping to get a bite of food. One of the cultural things we experienced and took full advantage of was the fact you are not rushed out of a restaurant. The group and I ended up staying there for 3 hours, fully enjoying our meals and talking about more exciting things to come. This moment in particular was definitely my favorite as I was able to get to know my group members better.