Today in Limassol, we woke up bright and early and began our journey to Famagusta. During this ride, we were able to gain so much knowledge from our amazing tour guide, Georgia. She was able to provide us with so much knowledge that was so interesting to hear! One of the first things we were told that really stuck with me was that the first hotels were built shortly after the fall of Famagusta to the Turkish. Without much knowledge before, this fact already showed me how much life changed once the Turkish took over. Another one of the super intriguing stories Georgia talked about was in regards to what happened after World War 1. After this war, Turkey completely detached from Cyprus after being defeated, however, they were still looking for any chance to get back. In more depth, she explained that 96% of boats in referendum were Turkish Cypriots along with the fact that the British stated that there were to be no self determination or uniting with Greece anymore. Following these events, there were no incidents between the Greek and Turkish for a little bit of time. What really amazed me about hearing these stories is that I really had never known any of this was going on. Before this trip, I felt pretty up-to-date about our world’s history – yet I had never known these major battles were going on. Hearing Georgia go into depth about the Turkish air forces bombing in 1964, their second attempt to invade using guns and not allowing people to pass in 1967, and finally their invasion becoming successful in 1974 was absolutely astonishing to me. I learned so much in such a little amount of time, and I cannot wait to learn more.

When we finally arrived at our destinations of the day, Varosi and Famagusta, I felt amazed by what I was seeing and observing. The entire aspect of the Turkish side of Cyprus was something I knew of, but I could have never known what to really expect. For starters, Famagusta was a real-life “ghost town”. It was something out of movie, yet so real at the same time that it actually made me feel so upset for the individuals who went through this awful time. Every building and home had broken windows, broken class, wood blocking any possible entry and more. It was such a sunny, beautiful day yet it felt like the sky was gray. It was truly an unreal experience walking the streets of Famagusta and something I never would have expected. Going to Varosi, even though it looked much different, it didn’t really feel different. Varosi was a very interesting place, and I loved being able to witness it with my own eyes. However, I noticed that the individuals in these two places seem to be much more strict and uptight than on the Greek side of Cyprus. Both of these places were amazing experiences, and I am so shocked I did not know about them before. However, I am so glad I was able to see Famagusta and Varosi with my own eyes – Cyprus keeps amazing me!