Today felt like we managed to fit three days activities into one day, with long bus rides that were able to go by quickly. We started with an early breakfast then we boarded the bus for a two hour drive to Famagusta, the main town on the Turkish side of the border. After talking to the other people on the trip, I think we were all really excited to visit the northern side of Cyprus after hearing so much about it from the Greek Cypriots. As we approached, I was fascinated by how thorough the checkpoint for entry was, not only did they check our passports (but no stamp as it is not an officially recognized independent nation), but we also had a Turkish Cypriot board our bus as an escort that had to stay with us during our journey. I wasn’t expecting such stringent measures but I respect how dedicated they are to their quest for respect on the island. After an interesting bus ride through the town where we came face-to-face with opposing traffic (our large tour bus versus an army of smart cars), and some fantastic commentary by our tour guide, Demetra, we arrived in the walled Medieval city of Famagusta. I was immediately entranced by its beauty and wished we had more time to explore, but the hour we spent there will definitely stick out as a highlight of the trip.

After Famagusta, we ventured just outside the city to the ghost town of Verosa, which was just opened up to the public last year after being controlled by the military. This town was a vibrant tourist hub that everyone was forced to leave during the 1974 Turkish invasion, and it has been left virtually untouched for the past fifty years. It was sad to see how what must have been such successful businesses left behind to be looted through and abandoned, and it felt unreal that such decay could happen in a relatively short period of time. While walking through this town had an overarching melancholy feel, it was made better by the stray dog that decided to hang with our group, we were all sad he couldn’t come back to Limassol with us.

After proceeding back across the boarder, we had a short bus ride before arriving in Protaras for some time at the beach. We ate a quick lunch then all headed out to see the clear waters that Cyprus boasts. It’s easy to see why this country ranks as the cleanest beaches in the Mediterranean, for the water was the clearest I’ve ever seen. Despite being cold, we all had fun swimming out to the rock before heading back to share the few sun beds we rented. While we definitely got some strange looks from the locals who are definitely not accustomed to seeing a big group of American teens blasting music at the beach, it was a good bonding moment for the group and we were all excited to have some vacation time. Once we got back to Limassol I took the best shower of my life since I felt coated in salt from the ocean, then headed out with a group to find somewhere for dinner. We knew we wanted to avoid the marina and look for something less touristy and ended up getting a bit lost on the streets. This ended up paying off because the seemingly hole-in-the-wall restaurant we found ended up being an amazing place we’re all dying to go back to. Not only was the atmosphere beautiful, but the food and service were amazing. Our night ended with some gelato and a walk on the promenade which was definitely needed after a large meal. Oh, we also found time to let out our inner child with a quick stint on the playground. Overall, this day was not only the best day of the trip so far, but probably will stick out as one of the best days I’ve ever had.