I was super excited for day 4, because ever since we got here I have been super excited to go to the beach. I have been looking at pictures of the Cyprus beaches as my motivation all semester and today was finally the day. 

We got on the bus and little did I know it would be one of the most interesting, and honestly scary, bus rides I have ever taken. It started off pretty normal, driving to the Turkish side. When we arrived at the border, you could immediately feel and tell the difference between the two sides. Firstly, you needed an escort to go to the Turkish side which is not the case in the greek side. Next, there is a large military presence which I always find a little unnerving, even though there is no reason to be, but that again was something far different than on the Greek side. Finally, you could tell in the architecture and in the buildings that they were kept up a little differently and it was drastically different than anything I have seen in the Greek side. 

When we finally arrived in Famagusta, we had a little trouble parking. While driving, we started driving on a one way road. With oncoming traffic and the driver waving his hands it definitely became a stressful situation very fast. Once the driver reversed and finally parked, we began our walking tour of the city. 

The first thing we saw was the cathedral that was converted to the mosque. It was super cool to see ancient ruins in a city and how it just all coexists together. Going into the mosque, it was beautiful to see the stained glass windows and the old interior. It was also beautiful to go up to the top of the ruins and be able to see not only the view of the city but the view of the ocean. After getting some great views and pictures, we headed to the ghost town.

This ghost town was probably one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had. Knowing that this place had only been abandoned for around 50 years was something you don’t really see anywhere else. You would think it would have been abandoned for hundreds of years, but there were still old products, shelves, and signs crowding the buildings. It was also crazy to see the juxtaposition of the tourists enjoying the beach with the town where people were driven out. It was a contrast of past and present. 

Finally, we had arrived at my most anticipated destination: the beach! The water was beautiful and so clear. As soon as we could we all jumped in the water and immediately swam to the big island. This proved to be a great mistake, as we all came out with scrapes, bruises, and cuts. It also took us about an hour to get there and back, which should have only taken max 15 minutes. We ended our beach trip with just laying out and talking and started our trek back to Limassol. 

After a dinner at a very delicious restaurant and some tiramisu gelato, my night had come to an end, and our great beach day was over.