10,000-year-old history, friendly locals, a mystic Monastery and loads of fun... a holiday to Cyprus turns out to be delightful
10,000-year-old history, friendly locals,u00a0 a mystic Monastery and loads of fun... a holiday to Cyprus turns out to be delightful
Discussions about where to go for our annual summer vacation began as usual with an argument with my wife.
We have different perspectives on what a holiday should be I want to laze around on a beach, watch the world go by with a glass of wine (or beer) in my hand, eat at the various restaurants and connect with the local people basically do very little. Gauri, my wife, on the other hand, wants her time to be filled with activities she is a literary and history buff and so every monument and "place of interest" has to be investigated and every minute of every day has to be spent "meaningfully". She would often say "you can sleep at home. Why did you need to come halfway across the world for that!" I wanted to counter her argument but then decided to be smart instead, and allowed her to set the itinerary for the trip.
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The writer's daughter Tariecka
Cyprus
Part of the reason we (should I rather say "she") chose Cyprus was because we landed in Larnaca on our way to Athens on our previous trip and were taken in by the beauty of the island. Also, Gauri had read Bitter Lemons of Cyprus by Lawrence Durrell (brother of the more acclaimed author Gerald Durrell) and wanted to experience the island through his narrative. The fact that the book was first published in 1957, and that that era of Cypriot history had changed since then, deterred her not it only mattered thatu00a0 "she" had read it and "liked" it! Also it is important that I mention that my wife first wanted to go to Corfu, Greece, but due to various logistical obstacles, we decided upon Cyprus for the sake of my sanity.
We landed in Larnaca and drove to Agia Napa. When translated, it literally means Holy Forest (which it was at the beginning of the first millennium) but it's now Cyprus's premier beach vacation spot, known for its crystal clear water, sandy beaches and all-night long parties. The cab ride from Larnaca to Agia Napa is about 50 kms and takes 35 minutes on the motorway.
I had booked our stay at Hotel Corfu in Agia Napa (so that I could tell my wife that I did take her to her dream destination she didn't think my actions were even remotely amusing).
Agia Napa is an idyllic spot. There are beautiful sandy beaches (Grecian Bay, Limanaki and Nissi) all catering to every need of sun worshippers and revelers. There are a multitude of bars and restaurants and nightclubs (that go on till the wee hours of the morning) and water sports activities and excursion companies. Everything that you could possibly need. We all spent the next two days lazing on the beach and swimming in the crisp clear waters of the Mediterranean followed by indulgent meals at the fantastic restaurants.
Cyprus is a beautiful island with a 10,000-year-old history. It has had innumerable invasions over this period, each leaving its legacy behind. However, the most recent invasion of the Turks in 1974 has left the most discernible scars and divided the country into two militarised zones by the "green line".u00a0 In the North lies Turkish occupied Cyprus and in the South is the independent and EU recognised Republic of Cyprus (mostly inhabited by Greek Cypriots).
It is not my intention or position to comment on the politics of the division but simply mention it as a matter of fact. We decided to see the Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus through a planned excursion (probably the safest and most sensible way to do it rather than attempt a crossing of the border by yourself). We crossed the border at Dyrenia and then went on to Famagusta (which was the place that inspired Shakespeare to write Othello) and Kyrennia both were previously exalted vacation spots prior to the invasion but are now seemingly struggling-to-develop areas.
My wife had planned this trip especially as it took us to Bella Pais (a beautiful abbey 20 minutes from Kyrennia) and the area that was once home to Lawrence Durrell. Her mission was to see the house and sit under the "tree of idleness" which was mentioned in his book Bitter Lemons of Cyprus. My wife failed to mention to me that the house now belonged to a private individual and that we would not be allowed to go inside but that did nothing to deter her enthusiasm (I of course had to trek to up the very steep cobbled stone path with Tariecka on my back).
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The Kykkos Monastery |
We ran there (as we had very little time on the planned excursion) and ran back with time to only take photographs of the exterior of the house (which was enough of a thrill for my wife!). The entire area though, was absolutely pristine; the abbey was perched on a hill offering a panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea.
After visiting Bella Pais we spent the afternoon in Kyrennia, which is a beautiful harbour town with a museum
and old fort that add to its charm and character. We had lunch on the waterfront watching small fish dart amongst the corals.
Apart from the excursion to the North we also rented a car and drove to the Troodos Mountains and went on to see Omodos (traditional wine making village) as well as Troodos Square (where we had lunch) and then saw Kykkos Monastery before returning to Agia Napa via Nicosia (Capital of Cyprus and like any large city).
Our last excursion was to Paphos via Aphrodite's birthplace and Curium (old archaeological discovery of Greek baths with mosaics). Paphos itself has some of the oldest and most well preserved mosaics (e.g. Dionysus Home) as well as a few more interesting sites. Paphos, like Kyrennia also sits on the harbour and has a well-developed promenade with plenty of bars and restaurants. It was a long excursion to Paphos from Agia Napa but it was worth it as it enabled us to see almost the entire island from our "home" base.
The last day in Agia Napa was spent lazing on the beach and eating at our favourite restaurants (Sage, Bitters, Marques de Napa). All these establishments served excellent food and wine as well as had impeccable service. We visited these restaurants frequently and even managed to befriend the multi-cultural staff; Peter (Slovakian) who worked at Marquez de Napa and Antonios (Greek Cypriot) and Anka (Bulgarian) from Bitters need special mention for making our time there truly memorable.
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An outside view of the Famagusta |
We said goodbye to Stelios and Jenny (who stayed with us till our cab picked us up) and thanked them for their incredible warmth and hospitality.
There are numerous reasons why one should visit Cyprus, but the most important factor for us was the warmth of the people.
Also for all those that are planning a holiday with kids, Cyprus is probably one of the most child-friendly places I have ever visited. Everyone there is geared towards making children, and their parents feel comfortable and welcome. It was no surprise then that my wife and daughter had tears in their eyes when it eventually was time to leave.
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