Today started with a tour through Famagusta, the Turkish side of Cyprus. We had this amazing tour guide named Demetra. We picked her up before we got to the border. At the border, we had to go through a lot of border police, and we got an escort to take us through the Turkish side. The roads were very small, and the cars could barely fit on them. We took a turn down a road that was very thin so that only one car can fit at a time. We were in a giant bus and there were cars coming from the opposite way. The bus and the cars were stuck facing head to head. Demetra took control of the situation. She told everyone what they should do. She told our escort to direct traffic and not allow anyone on the street. He even ended up turning away an army truck. She had the bus driver back up all the way down a skinny, slightly curved road, so that the other cars can get by. The bus driver did really well backing down the road which was really impressive.
Later we were driving a road and the escort said that the road was closed. Demetra told the bus driver to just keep going it’s fine. When we got there they tried to turn us away and Demetra keep pushing. We were eventually able to go down the road. She doesn’t let anyone tell her what she can and can’t do. She is amazing and I aspire to be like her. She is so knowledgeable about everything.
When we arrived in Famagusta, we went on a little walking tour of the city. We went to the Lala Pasha Mustafa Mosque. It used to be a church but when the Turkish invaded they changed it to a Mosque. Demetra taught us that all churches face East and all mosques face Mecca, so that would be West of Cyprus. Originally the alter was facing East and so was the exterior of the building. Since it was changed to a mosque which is supposed to be facing west the adjusted the inside. The outside though still looks like the alter should be facing East though which is really interesting. The mosque is unique from the other ones.
After the mosque, we were able to walk around the town by ourselves. Everything looked so good. We went shopping and all of the items being sold were really cool. We then went to some of the walls that were built by the Venetians. It is really cool how these walls have been preserved for hundreds of years and are still standing.
We then met up with Demetra again to head to the ghost town. It is so interesting how the city was only deserted in the 70s. It looks like no one has touched it for way longer; everything was overgrown or completely destroyed. Demetra told us how all the Greek Cypriots were just kicked out of their houses with no warning and had to move to the south. They didn’t get any compensation for their houses they just had to go. The ghost town has been barely touched since the 70s and was completely destroyed by nature. People were not allowed to go into the town until last year. One of the things about the ghost town that I don’t like is that they opened the beach and are selling spots on it to people. It’s sad that so many people are going. The money all goes to the government and none of it goes to the people whose land it was, that were forced out. After this, we left the Turkish side and dropped Demetra off.
Later that day we took a group to Pervolia beach. It was so gorgeous. The water was a beautiful clear blue. Unlike the US, the water was calm and there were no waves. There was a giant rock that people were climbing on, so the majority of us went on it. The beach was so much fun and I would love to go back.
