Once on This Island
- Natalie Penry
- Mar 1, 2023
- 7 min read
Dear Reader, we are over halfway done with this maritime adventure. I simply refuse to accept it.
We’re currently anchored outside of Crete, waiting for some nastier storms to pass closer to Piraeus, our next port. It’s giving Mamma Mia, and I’m dying to get off the ship and go explore!
But first, Limassol. Here’s a recap of our four day stay on the island of Cyprus.
Day 1: Carnival!
After having an IPAD (In Port Academic Day), everyone was excited to leave the World Odyssey for our first stop in Europe. I had a low-key morning, just an impromptu bus tour, but my evening was full of life.
We happened to be in Limassol during their Carnival, and our first night off the ship was the start of Limassol Carnival, complete with a parade and mini concert.
A quick interjection on Extended Families on SAS: students are encouraged to join the Extended Family Program, which groups a handful of students with a Lifelong Learner or Staculty member to create a mini ship fam. I’m part of Cindy & Jim’s ship fam, along with ~8 other students, including my friend Kelsi!
Anyways, my ship mom Cindy (we love her) gave us all Mardi Gras masks and beads for Carnival, so Kelsi and I made our way to Old Town to check it out. Once upon a time, I might’ve felt self-conscious walking around in a feathery mask, but trust me, my “costume” paled in comparison. Anyone familiar with the iconic Paige Penry Cardboard Costume Era? Yeah, she would’ve fit right in here.
The music was not what I would’ve expected from a Carnival event - less pop and more polka - but it was still a great time dancing and walking around the Limassol Castle.
Day 2: Limassol in Daylight
I ended up grouping together with two other girls from SAS to explore the Old Town district. Thrifting in a foreign city may not sound appealing, but the secondhand shop we found, Right Here, was something else. Tucked in a corner on a quiet street in Old Town, Right Here opened fourteen years ago as an avenue for helping victims of human trafficking in Cyprus. All the proceeds go towards resources for victims, and the community embraces the nonprofit for it, with constant clothing donations coming in. One of the volunteers, Eve, spoke to us about Right Here and the impact it’s had on the community. She’s a South African ex-pat living in Cyprus and has been working with Right There for years, using her medical background to help victims of human trafficking as well.
I had another interesting interaction with an ex-pat living in Cyprus at the Niovi Art jewelry store. Theodora moved to Limassol six years ago from her native Bulgaria, trying to find better economic stability. Though her family came with her and she enjoys the Mediterranean climate, Theodora still misses the snowy, bitter cold of her home country, which she still considers home. I was flattered by her interest in us as well - when I told her about SAS and the structure of the program, she was fascinated by its independent nature. She was shocked to learn that I left home not knowing a single person on the ship, and in an unexpectedly heartwarming moment, Theodora encouraged me to stay “brave and curious and open-minded” forever.
Throughout our day in Old Town, I got to try some super cute local spots: the adorable La Donuteria and the hidden Tuk Tuk Thai. The vegan Carmel Lotus donut was *exquisite* and my spring rolls from Tuk Tuk made me so happy. Ship food gets extremely repetitive - food fatigue is a real thing - and introducing more variety into mealtime is a necessary task for in port days.
Day 3: Spotlight on Aphrodite
For Day 3, I had my last pre-registered SAS program, taking me to the city of Paphos with an emphasis on the legends surrounding Aphrodite. Legend says that if you swim around her rock (the middle one in the picture) at midnight on a full moon, you’ll earn eternal beauty and youth.
Keeping with that “goddess of love” theme, we stopped at a local, family-owned sweets shop. Aphrodite’s Delights has been up and running since 1895, handed down for generations. They specialize in loukoumi, a Greek/Cypriot dessert similar to Turkish delights, and nuts - I inhaled my free sample of sugar-covered almonds. We also got to see how they manufacture the loukoumi, all done in a small workshop behind the storefront. Such a yummy pitstop.
Across the street from the sweets shop stands a small memorial: four marble busts of Greek Cypriot soldiers who died in service to their country. Two of these individuals died in 1974, during the chaos surrounding the Greek coup d’etat and subsequent Turkish invasion. Our tour guide Angela took special care to point this out, speaking to the complexities surrounding Cyprus since the invention of the UN Buffer Zone in 1974. She spoke of her childhood best friend who ended up on the Turkish side of the border; she hasn’t heard from her in almost 50 years. And her story isn’t unique. Almost everyone has a family member, a friend, a neighbor who they were separated from almost overnight. And while the opinion of one person certainly can’t represent that of the entire country, Angela’s evaluation of the problem stuck with me. “The hatred,” she said. “Is not from the ordinary people, but from politics.”
Our next stop was the Tomb of the Kings, which coincidentally, has no Kings. Perhaps they should consider rebranding. When this archaeological site was discovered, experts saw how grand some of the tombs were and assumed that they would’ve held royalty; however, upon further excavation, they found that was not the case. The site is, in fact, known for the mass burials. People would be buried in a tomb, and when it was filled up, the bones would be burned to make room for a new batch of deceased Cypriots. Gross. But lovely views!
Lunch was at a local restaurant, Romeo’s Tavern, and gave us some traditional foods. As a pescatarian (functioning as a vegetarian on field programs), I got moussaka for my entree. It’s a pot full of vegetables, covered in cheese, baked in the oven, and served sizzling. Not as fabulous as the halloumi, but definitely yummy.
The last big stop for the field program was the Paphos Archeological Park. Here, we got some time to explore the various ruins, including several mosaics mid-restoration. The House of Dionysus was closed for restoration, but we still got to admire the amphitheater and agora. Plus, I was danced in a field of wild flowers :)
Kelsi and I ended up going back out to Carnival that night, but things were rather tame for us - I loved seeing the Majorettes drum line again, but was left wondering why Carnival merited playing “YMCA” four times in a row. Shades of the Salt & Pepper Diner.
Day 4: Travel Writing
My final day in Limassol was my field class for Travel Writing, so we had a rather specific itinerary. Things started bright & early with our sassy, opinionated tour guide George. He took us to the medieval castle Kolossi, where we got to climb the impressive three-story structure. I’m continually amazed that people were able to traverse the spiral stairs without injury in either medieval armor or medieval dresses - I struggled with my singular canvas bag.
Our next stop may well have been my favorite place in all of Cyprus: the botanical garden. Tucked away from the more crowded city, Myristiko seems almost hidden in its residential backyard, but it’s a popular farmers market destination on Saturday mornings. We were welcomed by the owner Roxani and encouraged to pick fresh oranges, drink herbal tea, and assemble herbal bouquets. While I couldn’t bring my bouquet back on the ship for customs reasons, I adored making it - it felt like a bundle of magic, the collection of baby’s breath and thyme. The place itself was something out of the Secret Garden, with ivy-covered trellises and winding stone paths that twist around orange trees and geranium bushes throughout the backyard. Just beautiful.
We took a short walk through Old Town and stopped by the Limassol Castle on our way to lunch at Sikaminia, a local Greek Cypriot restaurant. Being in a field class, the menu was set but the food was still *chef’s kiss* with lots of halloumi, vegetable fritters, kebobs (not for me), etc. We met with a local travel writer, Eleni Philippou, for lunch and got to pick her brain about Cyprus and life as a professional travel writer. It was so interesting to hear her insights on how Limassol has changed over the past decade and what parts of Cyprus people overlook. Even though the majority of diners were SASers, it was still evident that this was a beloved local institution. As we began to head out, the normal lunch crowd was arriving, a veritable posse of the Usual Suspects.
The final stop of our tour was the Kourion Archeological Site. George showed us the theater, complete with an acoustic trick a la the Clapping Circles and a gorgeous view. The clouds had come out, but the rollings fields and surprisingly calm sea were so peaceful. Eleni came with us, and we finished our conversation in the theater, learning some key *tips and tricks* for successful travel writing.
From there, it was back to the ship and furiously trying to download the latest season of Drive to Survive on the terminal WiFi before we had on-ship time.
Final Thoughts
This was our first stop in a “western” nation, but I still felt like I was discovering something new. Cyprus is easily underestimated, so often lumped in with Greece or Turkey. Learning more about its history (and all its complexities) really enriched the in-country experience, adding depth to every cobblestone corner and grassy meadow.
Four days was not enough, not even close. Tour Guide George suggested taking at least a week to explore Cyprus, and I’d have to concur. Still, this was a nice sampling of the ruins and culture, with the added bonus of Carnival.
We’re over halfway done with the voyage now; I left for Dubai eight weeks ago. Tonight, Dean Dan gave the State of the Voyage, a thirty minute address to everyone on the ship. He spoke about each age group, what he’s noticed, and gave us all some grandfatherly-advice for the remaining time abroad. For students, he said “No regrets.” I’m trying my best to live up to that.
For now, I’m signing off, gazing longingly at Greece while knowing it’s another 36 hours til I leave the ship. Oh, how I relate to Tantalus.
1) I had to look up what "Tantalus" was and now I understand where the word "tantalizing" comes from, so I learned something today, thank you. 2) Nice reference to the Salt & Pepper Diner! 3) Please, please stay Brave, Curious, and Open-Minded FOREVER! I love you!! <3