Today started with a two-hour drive to the Turkish Occupied Territory where we would visit the ghost town of Varosi and the Old City of Famagusta. Along the way our amazing tour guide, Georgia, told us all about the history of the Turkish invasion and the establishment of British military bases on the island. When…
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Day 6: The Past and Present
We had another beautiful island day! On our way to Famagusta, our tour guide Georgia explained a lot about the history of Turkish influence in Cyprus. I learned that Turkish Cypriots first arrived in Cyprus during the ottoman period. Some were Ottoman officials, others were Christian converts. Some of the Greek Cypriots were converted by…
Treaties, Time Capsules, and Tides – Day 6
On our way to Famagusta, Georgia, our guide, discussed the history of the conflict with Turkey that led to the division of Cyprus. This conflict began when Cyprus was fighting for independence from Great Britain. Prior to this, the Turkish and Greek Cypriots lived in peace. After WWII, during negotiations, Cypriots fought for independence from…
Write Your Letters in the Sand for the Day I Take Your Hand – Famagusta & Fig Tree Bay
On our way to Famagusta to visit the abandoned part of the city and the medieval city center, our guide Georga informed us of many interesting facts about the city and Cyprus as a whole. Some interesting things about the history of Cyprus is that in the 18-19th century many Christians converted to becoming Muslims…
The Illegal Occupation of Northern Cyprus
Little known to most people today, the island of Cyprus is divided between the Republic of Cyprus in the South and Northern Cyprus to the North. Northern Cyprus is a country only recognized by Turkey, and was created following the Turkish invasion of the island in 1974. Today, we crossed the border to go to…
Day 6: Famagusta and the Beach
Today was an early morning to get on the bus and travel to Famagusta from our hotel in Limassol. On our ride, we were given an in-depth explination of the history of Famagusta. Althought it was all interesting, the part that stood out most to me was how when the Turks invaded, they did not…
Day 6: It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times
Today was my favorite day yet. It was rich and history, perfectly mixed with a beautiful, refreshing beach day. We started the day heading an hour and a half to Famagusta, which is a Turkish occupied city in Northern Cyprus. It kind of threw me off guard that my Verizon device and bank considered this…
A Change of Scenery
I knew that it was going to be a long bus ride today; however, given that Georgia, our tour guide, was on the bus with us, I was not too worried. As we drove down the highway, Georgia began sharing with us some history of Cyprus. One of the first pieces of history she shared…
Ghost Towns and Gelato : Day 6
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…
Day 6: Crossing the Green Line
Today, we traveled across the green line to get to the Turkish side of Cyprus so we could eventually get to Famagusta and see the ghost town Varosi. From the bus ride from Limassol to Famagusta, when we approached the Green Line, Georgia explained some of the precautions the Turks take to protect the green…
Where the Sea Meets Silence
Today’s bus ride from Limassol to Famagusta felt less like a commute and more like a crash course in Cyprus’ turbulent history, thanks to tour guide Georgia. She painted a vivid picture of the events that have shaped this divided island—from the early tensions in 1963, when the Turkish Cypriot rebellion began after the vice…
Living the Best Life in Limassol
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…
Exploring a Ghost Town
Good evening! This was the first day we woke up in Limassol! Bright and early we started our 2 hour bus ride to Famagusta. This is on the northern side of Cyprus that is occupied by Turkey. Our tour guide Georgia provided us with so much history that would help us understand where we were…
…And Everything Was Set in Stone
Hey everyone, it’s that time of the day again! Get ready for blog #5! On today’s agenda, we took a long(ish) bus ride from Limassol to Famagusta. During this bus ride, we were able to learn a lot about the history of Northern Cyprus from our tour guide, Georgia. One of the things that struck…
Famagusta
Today on the bus ride from Limassol to Famagusta I learned a lot of new information from Georgia. The one thing that stands out most to me is the development of the current relationship between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. It started out with a positive relationship where the Greeks and Turks were friends and…
Day 6: Birthday in Cyprus🥂
Today I woke up and I turned 19 in Cyprus! It was so fun to experience a new place on my birthday because this is my first time being away from home for it. I loved being able to spend my day with my friends and exploring Famagusta area. It was a long bus ride…
Ancient Ruins and a Mediterranean Miami
Following our departure from Nicosia this morning, we took a visit to Kourion, and honestly, it was mind-blowing. The ancient city sits right on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean—like, you can hear the waves crashing while standing in ruins that are thousands of years old. The theater there was originally a full circle, but over…
Goodbye Nicosia, Hello Limassol!
As every other day, we woke up early to catch the bus and see what the day had in store. Though it was a bit sad as we left behind Nicosia and the people and sights we made along the way to the coastal paradise of Limassol. We immediately drove right past to see the…
Finally, the Mediterranean Sea!
After a week in the historic capital of Nicosia, we checked out of our hotel early this morning and headed down to the southern coast towards the port city of Limassol. Before we could see the town center, however, we made our way to an ancient archaeological site called Kourion. The site is an ancient…
Day 5: Kourion and Exploring Limassol
Today, we left Nicosia to head to Limassol and upon arriving, I could already tell how different it was being near a sea as opposed to Nicosia where it was more city like. The first thing we did in Limassol was explore the archeological ruins of Kourion. We were shown the theatre there which I…