I will start off this blog with saying that by far today was my best day. Today was the earliest departure time (8 am) and the longest time on the bus as well. This extra allotted time gave an opening for Georgia to explain more of the history behind Famagusta. I thought some of the things that Georgia discussed were extremely intriguing since my presentation was on this topic. I knew a rich overview of what Famagusta is but not as in depth as her. Georgia discussed that Famagusta obtained the medieval city of Varosi, but was taken over by the countless cultures that conquered Cyprus and was the city the Turkish army invaded in 1974. This was all the information I found out researching my topic as well. However, one thing she mentioned was that the Turkish army attempted to capture the area once and failed. Additionally, I had no clue that there was bloodshed before 1974. I assumed it was an invasion like you see in a war movie, not a long awaited assault. Her in-depth descriptions helped me understand the history behind the town itself.

While walking throughout Varosi and Famagusta, I saw things I thought I would never see in person. Varosi, the ghost town and former vacation hotspot, had tons of dilapidated buildings, covered in warning signs, and is something I never would’ve thought I would get to experience. While staring at the sights around me, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness for all those that suffered. It was disheartening to hear Georgia’s own experience with the invasion, since that was her hometown. When she began to tell and show us the places she spent her time at, especially the area of her childhood home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how awful this event was. I could feel her trauma in her description. Additionally, I didn’t expect the culture to be diverse in the rest of Famagusta. Where we explored for lunch had beautiful Venetian architecture, restaurants, shops, cafes, and seemed to be quite popular. I found it to be extremely odd that the entire town had a completely different scene than Varosi, when Varosi is literally in Famagusta too. The fact that one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Fig Tree Bay, resides close to there is MIND-BLOWING to me. (By the way I absolutely loved the mediterranean sea and the sand itself, Fig Tree Bay was such a perfect beach for me) Overall, I am in awe from today and cannot wait for the rest of this week!