Today we continued to develop our cultural and historical understanding of Cyprus with our wonderful guide Demetra. We headed east from Limassol and towards Larnaca, and along the way were informed of the ancient history of the land. At the time of the earliest human presence, the island had pigmy elephants and hippos which granted the humans the opportunity to hunt as the size of these animals was small enough to utilize the bones, sticks, and rocks as weapons. These animals have since gone extinct due to humans, and this connects to the present-day trends where climate change (a result of human actions) had caused changes severe enough to deter Flamingos from migrating to Cyprus as there is often a lack of water and fish in the salt lakes. Past the human-animal interactions, we also learned about the interactions between humans and the land itself as they grew their civilizations. Naturally, the first settlers chose to settle beside rivers and their houses were made of stones only big enough to still be able to carry. They built circular buildings, used fallen branches as roofs, and had not yet established a way to “cement” materials and stones together. We continued to follow the progression of civilization on the island all the way through the 20th century.

After our arrival to Larnaca and our visit to the Orthodox Church, we spent time on the beach and throughout the city. During these hours, we felt the typical Cypriot climate for the first time and enjoyed a clear sky and dry heat. Yesterday Demetra had mentioned that having several days of rain this late in the Spring was unnatural and another result of climate change, but she did also mention that the rain would prove to benefit the citrus plants who rely on it to hydrate and clean their branches. I find the ways in which Cyprus sees their climate and land changing quite interesting, and I’m curious to know if in the long term these changes will result in a shift in the planting season for plants or if new plants will become eligible for the climate as others are phased out. The beach itself was very active with people of all ages, and whether or not this was due to the ongoing holiday break, it gave a strong impression of the lively Cypriots and their deep regard for the natural beauty around them.

During my free time I first spent about an hour in the water watching a few small fish and bugs navigate the swells, enjoying the incredibly buoyant water (because of the high salt concentration), and swimming out to one of the buoys with another student. Following this I wandered through some of the streets with a few other students and continued walking for a bit more on the boardwalk/promenade. While walking I picked up on Cyprus’ goal of limiting littering and waste, and I appreciated the emphasis they place on trash collection. Several beaches had large wire fish where beach goers could fill the fish with their trash/recycling. Additionally, the boardwalk had several accessible waste bins that were clearly (in color and words) divided into different categories of waste such as paper, plastic, food waste, and trash. Their continued interest in preserving and admiring the land is what has allowed for the perseverance of Cypriot nature and culture.