Today was full of adventures. We visited the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to visit the nearly abandoned city of Famagusta. We met with Dmetri and headed off.
As we got close to the buffer zone, our passports were collected and our escort was collected for our entry into the north. As we entered, we rode into Famagusta and encountered a quick road block with multiple cars going both directions down a narrow road. Our bus driver was amazing, he got us out of the situation in about 5 minutes with the help of our escort directing traffic down the road.
Our first stop was to the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque. This Mosque was once a cathedral that was later turned into a mosque once the turks took control of the north. Due to the culture of the religion, the girls had to cover their legs before entering. Along the perimeter of. the church and town, was the Venetian walls that barricaded the city from invaders years ago. We were giving some brief free time to walk around after walking through the mosque. During this time, I went to walk around the area in a few of the shops and check out some local pastries. I tried some baclava and Turkish delight. They were very tasty
Our next stop was to the abandoned city in Famagusta named Varosi, which once was a very populous town, turned empty. It was an oddly satisfying yet creepy sight to see as the town was full of buildings, but had no people. The streets had vegetation growing into them and some buildings were uprooted by types of trees and other plants. The Turkish government tried to use this city as a bargaining chip for leverage against the south but failed, resulting in the town being empty for so many years. The turks have recently tried to bring citizens back, but haven’t been successful.
To conclude our day on the eastern coast, we headed to the beach! We rented an umbrella and two chairs and headed to the water. The group played some football and then embarked for the island not far from the shore. The island was no easy challenge though as it was rocky and full of prickly bushes. The group remained tough though and we completed the feat. Afterword, we all listened to some music and took a few photos.
As we returned home, a few of the guys from the trip got together to go listen to some live music and get some food. I ordered a rack of ribs and it only cost me $13 (amazing deal). Reflecting on the day… I got to experience and learn more about the northern culture of the island, take a dip into the Mediterranean, and enjoy a great dinner with some friends.